“In short, the price is too high. What
I want is to secure Caroline Smith from the inside.
I want you to go to her, to persuade her to go away
with you on a trip. Take her to the Bermudas,
or to Havana—any place you please.
The moment the Westerner thinks his lady is running
away from him of her own volition he’ll throw
up his hands and curse his luck and go home.
They have that sort of pride on the other side of the
Rockies. Will you go back tonight, right now,
and persuade Caroline to go with you?”
She bowed her head under the shock of it. Ronicky
Doone had begged her to send Caroline Smith to meet
her lover. Now the counterattack followed.
“Do you think she’d listen?”
“Yes, tell her that the one thing that will
save the head of Bill Gregg is for her to go away,
otherwise I’ll wipe the fool off the map.
Better still, tell her that Gregg of his own free
will has left New York and given up the chase.
Tell her you want to console her with a trip.
She’ll be sad and glad and flattered, all in
the same moment, and go along with you without a word.
Will you try, Ruth?”
“I suppose you would have Bill Gregg removed—if
he continued a nuisance?”
“Not a shadow of a doubt. Will you do your
best?”
She rose. “Yes,” said the girl.
Then she managed to smile at him. “Of course
I’ll do my best. I’ll go back right
now.”
He took her arm to the door of the room. “Thank
Heaven,” he said, “that I have one person
in whom I can trust without question—one
who needs no bribing or rewards, but works to please
me. Good-by, my dear.”
He watched her down the hall and then turned and went
through room after room to the rear of the house.
There he rapped on a door in a peculiar manner.
It was opened at once, and Harry Morgan appeared before
him.
“A rush job, Harry,” he said. “A
little shadowing.”
Harry jerked his cap lower over his eyes. “Gimme
the smell of the trail, I’m ready,” he
said.
“Ruth Tolliver has just left the house.
Follow her. She’ll probably go home.
She’ll probably talk with Caroline Smith.
Find a way of listening. If you hear anything
that seems wrong to you—anything about Caroline
leaving the house alone, for instance, telephone to
me at once. Now go and work, as you never worked
for me before.”
Caroline takes Command
Ruth left the gaming house of Frederic Fernand entirely
convinced that she must do as John Mark had told her—work
for him as she had never worked before. The determination
made her go home to Beekman Place as fast as a taxicab
would whirl her along.
