m? Why! he was here early this afternoon. He was all over the
house!"

CHAPTER TWELVE

"SUSPICION FASTENS"

Triggy Drew had been trained in the hardest school in the world. Loris
Stockbridge's statement, delivered with such sincerity and so naively,
completely upset him. It was like a gentle reminder that, as a hunter
of men, he had failed. He took the blow with flaming cheeks and an
almost stopped heart.

Delaney realized that something of moment in the case had happened. He
stared at his chief, then turned his eyes upon Harry Nichols, who
stepped through the portieres and stood by Loris' side.

"What is it, Chief?" asked the operative. "Was there anything in what
she said?"

"Anything!" exclaimed Drew, recovering himself with a tossing shrug of
his shoulders. "Anything? Everything! The man we want is----"

"Found?" breathed Loris clutching Nichols' arm.

"Not yet--but _very_ soon!" said the detective with sanguine eyes. "We
want that trouble-hunter, Delaney," he added gathering in the details
for action as he spoke. "You'll have to hurry right over to the address
and see if you can round him up. If he isn't there--get him! I want him
brought here at once. He's got much to explain!"

"I'll go right now," said Delaney, starting toward the reception room.

"Wait," said Drew.

Delaney turned at the portieres.

"Don't phone me here," the detective warned. "Don't do anything by
telephone. We're on the trail of a man or men who can tap wires. He or
they may have a confederate in this house. Be careful--get your suspect
and bring him here. We'll try him with the footprints. We'll check up
with the fingerprints. Then, if he don't cave in, we'll turn him over
to Fosdick and the Third Degree. I firmly believe that Albert, whom I
saw in the library and who was in this house in the early afternoon of
this day, is implicated in the murder. Strange that I never suspected
him."

"I'm going!" growled Delaney, tearing his eyes away from Loris and
glancing through the curtains. "I'm right after him, Chief. I won't
stop till I get him, either."

"If you don't make it in thirty minutes," said Drew glancing sharply at
his watch, "if you don't make it by then--come back here. Perhaps
something will have turned up in the meantime. Get that?"

"Sure, Chief! Good-by!"

Delaney had passed through the portieres, crossed the reception room
and pressed aside the tapestries leading to the hallways, before Drew
stepped