Under Cover Part 10

Daniel Taylor entered quickly without acknowledging the presence of his inferiors and crossed to his desk by the window. He was a man above medium height, broad of shoulder, thick through the chest and giving the idea of one who was alert and aggressive mentally and physically. Those in the service who had set themselves against him had been broken. His path had been strewn with other men's regrets; but Taylor climbed steadily, never caring for what was below, but grasping eagerly for power.

Naturally a man of his type must have had other qualities than mere aggressiveness to aid him in such vigorous compet.i.tion. He had commended himself to the powers above him for snap judgment and quick action. And although men of his temperament must inevitably make mistakes, it was notorious that Taylor made fewer than his rivals.

Toward men like Duncan and Gibbs who were not destined to rise, men who could be replaced without trouble, Taylor paid small heed. They did what he told them and if they failed he never forgot. It was to the men above him that Taylor showed what small social gifts nature had given him. He had sworn to rise in the service and he cultivated only those who might aid him.

After glancing over the papers arranged on his desk he called to Duncan: "Has Miss Cartwright been here yet?"

"No, sir," Duncan responded promptly.

His superior pushed the buzzer on his desk and then looked across at the uncomfortable Gibbs. "Want to see me?" he snapped.

"Yes, sir," Gibbs made answer as Peter the doorkeeper entered in answer to Taylor's summons.

"Then wait outside," Taylor said, "I'll see you in five minutes."

"Yes, sir," Gibbs said obediently and made his exit.

The deputy-surveyor turned toward the attendant. "Peter, let me know the instant Miss Cartwright arrives. Don't forget; it's important. That's all."

He dismissed Peter with a nod and then called to Duncan.

"Did Bronson of the New York Burglar Insurance Company send over some papers to me relating to the theft of Miss Cartwright's jewels?"

Duncan took a long envelope and laid it on his chief's desk. "Here they are, sir."

Taylor looked at the doc.u.ments eagerly. "By George!" he cried, when he had looked into them, "I knew I was right. I knew there was something queer about the way her diamonds were stolen."

Duncan looked at him frowning. He prided himself upon his grasp of detail and here was the Chief talking about a case he knew naught of.

"What diamonds?" he asked. "The case wasn't in our office, was it?"

"No," said Taylor, "this is a little outside job my friend Bronson's mixed up in, but it may be a help to us." He went on reading the papers and presently exclaimed: "It's a frame-up. She wasn't robbed, although she collected from the company on a false claim."

"But I can't see--" the puzzled Duncan returned.

"No," said his chief, cutting him short. "If you could, you'd have my job. Has the Mauretania got to Quarantine yet?"

"Not yet, sir," Duncan answered.

"Telephone Brown to notify you the minute she does. Tell him we've got to know as soon as possible whether Denby declares that necklace; everything depends on that."

"But he may declare it," Duncan observed sagely.

"If he does we haven't a case," his superior said briefly, "but I've a feeling there's not going to be a declaration."

"I think so, too," Duncan a.s.serted, "and I'm holding Ford and Hammett to search him."

Taylor frowned and drummed on the desk with his fingers. "I don't know that I want him searched. Let them do nothing without my instructions."

"But, Chief," Duncan protested, "if he doesn't declare the necklace and you don't have him searched he'll smuggle it in."

"I know, I know," Taylor said impatiently, "but I've got to be cautious how I go about taking liberties with a friend of Michael Harrington's.

He has more influence than you've any idea of. We've got to be sure we have the goods on Denby."

Duncan looked at the other with grudging admiration. "Well, I guess it won't take R. J. very long to land him."

Taylor turned on the speaker with a scowl. "What's he got to do with this?"

"I thought you might have interested him in it," Duncan said meaningly.

"I don't know anything about him," Taylor returned.

It was like the Chief to refuse to take his underlings into his confidence, Duncan thought, so he took his cue and changed the subject.

"Well," he said, reverting to the proposed search of Denby, "if we don't go through him at the dock, what are we going to do?"

"Let him slide through easily and think he's fooled us," Taylor said.

"He may be pretty clever. Do you remember that man who stuck the sapphire we were hunting for into a big rosy apple he gave to a woman in the second cabin and then took it away from her before she had time to eat it? We'll see if he talks to anyone, but I think he'll take the pearls right down to Westbury. He'll be off his guard when once he gets down there."

"Have you got one of the Harrington servants to spy for us?" Duncan cried.

"I've got what will be better than that with a little luck," Taylor said with a smile. "Don't you know that Miss Ethel Cartwright is going down to Westbury this afternoon to spend the week-end with the Harringtons?"

"You don't mean you're going to use her?" Duncan exclaimed, incredulity in his tone.

"It wouldn't be a bad idea, would it, Jim?"

"It would be a peach of an idea if you could do it, but can you?"

Taylor chuckled. It was plain he had some scheme in his crafty brain that pleased him more than a little.

"I'm going to answer that as soon as I've had a little confidential chat with Miss Cartwright."

He broke off to turn to the doorway through which Gibbs' head protruded.

"Can I see you now, Chief?" Gibbs asked.

"What is it?" Taylor snapped.

"There's a deaf and dumb chicken out here," Gibbs replied anxiously.

"A what?" the other demanded.

"A girl that can't hear or speak or write. They say she's smuggled a bracelet in but they've searched her eight times and can't get a trace of it, so they sent her to you."

"They don't expect me to make the ninth attempt, do they?" the Chief queries.

"Why, no," Gibbs told him, "but they thought you might hand her the third degree."