g detective was missing. When Jim Farland entered, he found Prale pacing back and forth from one corner to the other. He w

, led him across from the door, and forced him into a c

ommanded. "I don't want you to leave out a thing. I w

forth all the facts, while Jim Farland sat back in his chair and w

now, Sid, that I believe you. You're not the sort of man to kill a fellow like Rufus Shepley over a

some powerful enemies, but I cannot imagine who they are, and I know

rland advised him. "You might think of somethin

ore man and the barber lie? Why did George Lerton declare that he did not see me

charge away from your name," Jim Farland told him. "It's my job to answ

you sugg

this case to him. Thank Heaven, you have plenty of money! A poor man in a fix like this would be on his

m not g

e best attorney he can get. I'll send you Coadley. Give me a note to th

ight, but I'd bank on him," s

ut on bail. Tell Coadley to get busy on that right away. Get

experience of hearing a door clang shut behind him and the bolts shot. Prale never had expected to get into

was more than an hour before Coadley, the attorney,

ed the way in which Coadley

ou are innocent,"

le said, with a laugh. The attorney's words had been like

This appears to be a peculiar case. It is not only the charge of murder; it is the fac

he sli

y need a lot of help. I'll get my own investigators busy right away, too, and we'll co?perate wit

orneys and jurists. He lost no time when he was confronted with a case that he

o jail simply because there had been a crime committed and somebody had to be accused? His client did not c

ot guilty was made and entered. Then Coadley

ay that his client could put up cash bail in any amount, and was willing to abide by any provisions. Finally the judge freed Prale on cash bail of fifty thous

withdraw out of earshot when Prale talked with his attorney or anybody else with whom he wished to converse privately. He was to allow Prale to come and go as he wished, ex

crime was in all of them, the tale of his quarrel with Rufus Shepley and of the finding of the foun

ulating only that he should not use the public dining room. He went up to the suit

e case. Murk regarded the detective with scorn, until Prale explained the situation to him. After that, there was a sort of

Jim Farlan

e I could get here, did he?" Farland said. "I suppose

, meet Jim Farland. He's a

there anybody but cops i

now to get me out of this scrape," sai

it different," was

y business, Murk. I've told the folks at police headquarters that I'd be res

e how to help get Mr. Prale out of th

out into the hall and take a walk," he suggest

Sidney Prale slipping down a fire escape, or anything like that. Jim Farland was resp

ess," Farland said. "Been thinking it over, Sid? Kn

down in Honduras, but none powerful enough to cause me all this trouble. I can't und

t down to it," Farland said. "I've started right in to wor

d them to Farland. The detective looked them ove

nd with a magnifying glass in one hand, but, believe me, a good glass shows up a lot of thin

know," sa

t one on the

ateroom, and the second was pasted on the end of my s

suspect

" said Prale. "I thought it was a joke,

you told me

ed Kate Gilber

d. "Out with it! Some little thing ma

dropped as she got into the limousine, about the peculiar way sh

one thing lacking in this cas

down there and dan

ything about h

a wealthy New York family and was traveling for the

n, but I never heard of a Kate Gilbert," Farland

e be taking a hand in my af

lies about you?" Farland asked. "Excuse me for a time; I'm

Jim Farland went directly to the office of the hotel and looked at a city directory. He found no Kate

ate Gilberts might be living in New York, in apartme

d told himself. "She's got something to d

He tried to think it out, groped for a starting point. He con

old a falsehood about meeting Prale and talking to him, when the truth would have

nd told himself. "Old police stuff, I suppose. We

to Prale's

peeled for her, Sid, and arrange for me to catch sight of her, if you can. Now you'd better take a little re

r?" Murk

ng to help

h a cop?" Mu

lp Mr.

nt," Murk said. "Wait