"Yes, I know. But I mean what she had actually done? I don't
believe you do. My county detectives found out only last night."
Kennedy paused in his rummaging among some bottles to which he had
turned at the mention of the safe robbery. "No--what was it?" he
asked.

Carton bent forward as if our own walls might have ears and said
in a low voice: "She was the operator who took down the
detectaphone conversations at the other end of the wire in a
furnished room in the house next to Gastron's."

He drew back to see what effect the intelligence had on us, then
resumed slowly: "Yes, I've had my men out on the case. That is
what they think. I believe she often executed little confidential
commissions for Langhorne, sometimes things that took her on short
trips out of town. There is a possibility that she may be on a
mission of that sort. But I think--it's this Black Book case that
involves her now."

"Langhorne wouldn't talk much about anything," I put in, hastily
remembering his manner. "He may not be responsible--but from his
actions I'd wager he knows more about her than appears."

"Just so," agreed Carton. "If my men can find out that she was the
operator who 'listened in' and got the notes and the transcript of
the Black Book, then she becomes a person of importance in the
case and the fact must be known to others who are interested.
Why," he pursued, "don't you see what it means? If she is out of
the way, there is no one to swear to the accuracy of the notes in