The big woman squealed, and the Duchess shrank back against the wall, then started forward again.
"Oh, Jack!" she cried, "they mustn't be killed! They know where Pat is. They say if they aren't back there soon, someone will put an end to him!"
Nick saw the woman, Madame Veno, he didn't doubt, spring for the electric-light button, but dragging his man with him, he was upon her like a tiger. One hand was enough for the man, who must have been a coward for he splashed about like a jelly with Nick's fist in his collar. The other hand seized Madame's arm as it was stretched out, and twisted it sharply. She gave a shriek, and sat down on the floor. Then Nick became conscious of a stealthy intelligence in the jelly. It was feeling toward his pocket, _the_ pocket. But before the groping fingers reached their goal Nick had snatched out the Browning, and pressed the muzzle against a crape-covered forehead.
There wasn't much time for looking round just then, but Nickson had done observation work in the war. The sixth of a second showed him that Captain Manners had reached this identical stage in his programme: which meant that each had a man at his mercy.
"I do!" Juliet gasped. "Oh! you horrid wretch! And Bill Lowndes! I shouldn't have dreamed----"
"They're nightmares, both of 'em," broke in Jack. "Now, Juliet, don't be scared. That's all rot about Pat being done away with. Nick and I are going to save time by making these--these _skunks_--tell us where he is. But we've a minute or so to spare. They've kept Pat safe, I bet, for the sake of the ransom they meant to get out of you. There's a third-degree stunt going on in your house. Sanders is grilling Defasquelle and Simone. It all comes back to this building that's like the web of a black spider--the _Inner Circle_--and we'll repeat that third-degree stunt here. Who's this man you call a wretch?"
"His name's Piggott," Juliet panted. "He--was editor of a hateful paper in London--_Modern Ways_--almost as vile as the _Inner Circle_. Emmy West introduced me to him. She said he wasn't bad really--if I'd meet him he'd put nice things in his paper instead of horrors--especially about Pat. I said 'Yes' for Pat's sake--Emmy insisted so. He came to Harridge's, where I was staying, but before he or I had time to speak, Pat was shown in. He gave one look, and begged me to go out--to leave this man to him. I had never seen Pat like that--and I went. I never even heard the wretch's voice or I'd have recognized it, I think. He came here and talked to me three days ago--with this mask on. Now Bill Lowndes comes with him. I don't know yet how or why he should be mixed up----"