Author: Johnston McCulley
Category: Mystery
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CHAPTER XVII--INTERRUPTED CONVERSATION
Detective Riley grasped the nearest telephone and sent an alarm toheadquarters. Less than an hour later the report came that Verbeck'sroadster had been found abandoned on a corner in the heart of thecity, but that no trace of the Black Star had been discovered.
In the meantime the night clerk had told his simple story. A man hadentered and asked whether a Mr. Rodney Stone lived there. The clerksaid no such person was registered. Sure that no other person was inthe office, the visitor pulled an automatic from his pocket andordered the clerk to throw up his hands.
The clerk was forced to obey, and believed at the time that he was thevictim of an ordinary holdup man, and rejoiced that all funds, excepta few dollars, were locked in the safe, which he could not open. Buthis visitor walked behind the counter and forced the clerk to stretchout on the floor, threatening death if he made a sound. He bound andgagged him, pinned the card to his breast, and stamped his brow with ablack star, then walked calmly to the switchboard, looked at the guestlist to find the number of Verbeck's apartment, called Verbeck, heldhis conversation, and hurried out of the front door.
Gentlemen guests of the house in all sorts of night attire heard thisstory and looked upon Roger Verbeck with varied emotions. Some enviedhim the adventure and publicity, others feared for him, but the greatmajority was thinking of that warning and wondering whether they couldfind new quarters that day, and Roger Verbeck knew it.
The manager said nothing, for Verbeck had lived there for years andwas excellent pay, but he looked worried.
"I'll discuss this matter with you later," Roger said, and he beckonedMuggs and Riley and led the way back to his apartment.
There they lighted fresh cigars and sat at the long table in thelibrary, Muggs and Riley silent and waiting for Roger to speak.
"Well, we've got to move," he said after a time. "If we don't, theothers will, for they'll be afraid the Black Star will demolish theplace with a bomb. Perhaps it'll be best, after all."
"But where?" Riley asked. "He'd bomb another hotel just as quick ifthat's his game."
"I have a place of my own--the old Verbeck place, Riley. You know it.Muggs knows it, too, for there we kept the Black Star prisoner for aday and night before we handed him over to the police."
"I remember it," Riley said.
"A big, old house in the middle of a block of ground, surrounded bytrees and tangled underbrush. I intend to have it torn down and a newresidence erected in its place after I'm married. We can go there withfuel and provisions and make ourselves comfortable. There is atelephone, so we can keep in touch with headquarters. We'll be byourselves, and so need fear no spies of the Black Star. We can conductour campaign from there."
"Great!" the detective exclaimed.
"No fear of spies, and nobody to bother us. We'll make it ourheadquarters. One of us can be on guard all the time. The Black Starwill have to be very clever to get at us there. And if he does he'llbe injuring my own property, and he'll not be hurting some outsiderwho has no concern in this affair. Let's get some sleep, then go aheadwith our preparations."
It was noon when a much-relieved apartment-house manager saw themdrive away in Verbeck's recovered roadster, the back of the car heapedhigh with provisions. Half an hour later they had reached the oldVerbeck place and unloaded the car; Muggs had built a roaring fire inthe living-room fireplace, and they were making themselvescomfortable.
"This thing of working in the dark gets on my nerves," Riley admitted."I'd rather catch sight of this Black Star committing a crime and havea chase, a sort of running fight, and either victory or defeat at itsend. But what can we do? Here we must sit, waiting for him to make amove. How do we know where he'll strike next? He may rob a bank, riflesome lady's jewel case--we can't tell. We've got to wait until he doessomething, and then take up the trail. You had a hot trail before,Roger--one of his men led you to him and you had a chance to get handson him."
"I fancy that, in his egotism, he'll announce where he'll strikenext," Verbeck said. "He's done it before."
"If he does it again we'll get him!" Riley said.
They made a tour of the grounds and looked through the house. Therewas little more than dust and cobwebs in the house, and the furniturewas covered, except in the big living room and one bedroom, which theymade habitable. Then they devoured the luncheon Muggs had prepared.
It was four o'clock in the afternoon when there came a knock at thefront door, and when Verbeck opened it he found ten policemen and asergeant in plain clothes standing before him.
"What's this mean?" he demanded.
"Chief's orders, Mr. Verbeck," the sergeant replied. "These men are tosurround the block and guard your house."
"But that is just what we do not want!" Verbeck protested.
"Chief's orders. Here's a letter he told me to give you. He got it bymessenger a couple of hours ago."
He handed Verbeck the letter. It was from the Black Star and addressedto the chief. It read:
Within four days I will commit my greatest crime since coming to your fair city.
Within four days I'll make a huge laughingstock of Roger Verbeck. His sudden change of residence will not save him from the punishment I intend administering to him.
Within four days!
*****
Verbeck handed the letter to Riley, and faced the sergeant again.
"No doubt the chief means well, but I don't need so much policeprotection," he said. "There are three of us here, and all of us willnot sleep at once."
"My orders, Mr. Verbeck."
"Telephone the chief," Riley suggested.
Verbeck hurried to the telephone, and called headquarters and got thechief.
"I don't want this squad of men out here, chief," he said.
"The orders come direct from the mayor, Mr. Verbeck, and he'll notcountermand them. That threat of the Black Star's is too strong to beignored. I didn't call you up before I sent the men out because I knewyou'd object. Those men will not bother you. They'll surround theblock and stay out of your way, and be relieved at stated intervals.They'll serve to keep the curious away, and they'll be there to guardthe house in case you three men rush out on a chase or anything likethat."
"But----" Verbeck began.
"I insist, Mr. Verbeck. We cannot afford to run chances. If anythinghappened to you, and we hadn't given you protection after receivingthose threats, we'd never hear the last of it. You're a prominentyoung man, remember. Just let the men stay. You haven't heardanything, have you?"
"Not a thing," Verbeck replied, "and we can't make a move until wedo."
"We've got the greatest dragnet in the history of the department inoperation--watching every exit from the city and searchingeverywhere--have corralled half a hundred suspects already. If theBlack Star is in the city we'll get him. We're only hoping he's brazenenough to tip off where he is or what he intends doing. If he does, hemay find he has gone too far."
"But really, chief, I'd rather not have the men here."
A rattling noise came through the telephone, and another voice spoke.
"Get off the line!" the chief roared. "This line's busy."
"Pardon me," said the voice. "I just wanted to tell Mr. Verbeck thathe'd better let the police remain. He'll need them to guard him."
"Who the devil are you?" the chief roared.
"I am the Black Star!"
"W-what?"
"Fact, I assure you. You might as well shout from the housetops,chief. I know everything you do and say. So you've got out thedragnet, eh? Might as well call in your men; it'll not do any good totire them out."
"How--what----" the chief stammered. He was beginning to realize that theBlack Star actually was on the line and speaking.
"Don't excite yourself, chief. And you, Mr. Verbeck, if you relishprotection, better let the chief scatter a hundred men around yourplace. Even that number wouldn't save you!"
"How'd you get on t
his line? Where are you?" the chief shouted intothe instrument, not realizing he was talking foolishly.
"Possibly I've tapped the line right in police headquartersbuilding--who knows?" the Black Star taunted. "And you scarcely canexpect me to tell you where I am. Why not find me? Go right on hopingI'll be brazen enough to tip off what I intend doing, chief--it does aperson good to hope."
"You--you're a devil!" the chief exploded.
"Thanks for the compliment! Good-by!"
Again the rattling sound, and then they heard the Black Star's voiceno more.