When she had gone the wretched George mumbled to his father: "No use my
going to the bank. I'm overdrawn there. I can't ask for another loan
unless you'll guarantee it."

"Not another cent! Not another cent! Let 'em publish and be damned!"
He shuffled out of the room.

Evan could not but feel sorry for the unfortunate George, though his
pity was mixed with contempt. George's first impulse was to apologise
for his wife.

"You must make allowances," he said. "Mrs. Deaves is so dreadfully
upset by this matter."

"So I see," said Evan dryly.

"I don't know what I'm going to do!"

"You don't need any money," said Evan quietly.

"Eh?" said Deaves dully.

"You've got a real chance to catch them now!"

"What do you mean?"

"Trap them in this house in Van Dorn street! I was sure they'd get
careless in the end."

Deaves began to tremble. "But how can we? How do we know how many
there are?"

"You'll have to call in the police and have the house surrounded."

"Oh, no! No!" Deaves cried in a panic.

"But that's what they're counting on: that you're afraid to call on the
police!"

"The whole story would come out in the papers!"

"Not necessarily. Those matters can be arranged. And if they should
slip through our fingers, we can buy up the story at the _Clarion_
office later. We'd be no worse off."

"What could I say to Mrs. Deaves?"

"Don't tell her anything. She couldn't help but approve after we land
them behind the bars." Evan said this with an inward smile.

"But she'll insist on my going to the bank."

"Let her take us there. She won't come in."

"I can't! I can't!" he quavered. "The risk is too great!"

"But if this payment is hard to meet, how about the next, and the next
after that?"

"Oh, they'll ruin me!" he groaned.

"Then strike for your freedom while there's time!"

George Deaves would not positively consent, but he was so spineless
that Evan was able to rush him along the path that he wished him to
follow. Evan telephoned to police headquarters and made an appointment
with the inspector in charge of the detective bureau to meet them at
the bank.

Therefore, when Mrs. Deaves dropped them at the bank, and drove away,
satisfied that things were going as she wished, instead of obtaining
the money they went into consultation with the Inspector in plain
clothes in the manager's office. Evan did the talking.

"Mr. Deaves is being hounded by a gang of blackmailers," h