the 'phone and called up police headquarters, the manager dismounted
from his throne, went down among the girls, and had them back at
their work in short order.

Godfrey came over to me and laid his hand on my shoulder.

"Why, Lester," he said, "you look as though you were at your last
gasp."

"I am," I said. "I'm going to have nervous prostration if this thing
keeps up. You're not looking particularly happy yourself."

"I'm not happy. I've let that fellow kill a man right under my nose
--literally, under my nose!--and then get away!"

"Kill a man?" I repeated. "Do you mean...."

"Go upstairs and look at the right hand of the man lying there," said
Godfrey, curtly, "and you'll see what I mean!"

I sat staring at him, unable to believe that I had heard aright;
unable to believe that Godfrey had really uttered those words ... the
right hand of the man lying there ... that could mean only one
thing....

Simmonds joined us with a twisted smile on his lips, and I saw that
even he was considerably shaken.

"I got Grady," he said, "and told him what had happened. He says he's
too busy to come up, and that I'm to take charge of things."