But his wait was in vain. He grew restless, and began to cast about in his mind how to find the man he sought. He telephoned various clubs and homes of friends, and some business houses but not a word of information could he get concerning Mr. Whiting.
At last, in hopeless despair he went away, after leaving word to telephone him as soon as Mr. Whiting came home.
“I do have the hardest stunts to do,” poor Coley Coe told himself.
“Now I’ve found my criminal and I can’t lay my hands on him. And something tells me I may never lay my eyes on him!”
He went to the Powells, for he must tell them that he had a hope at least of recovering Elsie before long. Yet, had he?
However, he told the Powells the whole story of what he had found in the way of a secret entrance.
“I should think it was secret!” Gerty exclaimed. “I don’t see how you were clever enough to find it!”
“I was stupid not to find it sooner,” Coe bewailed.
And then he told his further discoveries. Allison was present, and with the two Powell ladies made a most interested audience.
Mrs. Powell was in a nervous and broken down state, but she rallied perceptibly at Coe’s hints of good news.
“You see,” he told them, “Mrs. Seaman’s tip about the toothpick paper put me on a scent. I went to Courtney’s to see if I could trace anything, and by sheer luck, Miss Lloyd,—bless her! told me that Fenn Whiting frequently, or at least, occasionally, took her there.”
“Why, I thought Fenn looked higher than that!” sniffed Gerty.
“Some men look high and low by turns,” commented Joe.
“Well, anyhow,” Coley went on, “I took her tip for what it was worth. Then she also informed me that Whiting’s valet, named Bass, possessed just such gold filled teeth as Miss Elsie described, and as the nurse mentioned in connection with the man that brought her that fake message.”
“Do explain clearly,” begged Mrs. Powell, “I’m getting all mixed up!”
“This is how I dope it out,” Coley said, slowly. “Whiting is the master villain. He has all the earmarks of a depraved, criminal type.”
“I saw it,” said Allison. “His jaw and the shape of his head gave it away.”
“Yes, and his ears. Those points at the top,—and his steely grey eyes. That colour marks the sly, even murderous type.”