CHAPTER XVI
MURK RECEIVES A BLOW
An hour before dinner, Detective Jim Farland suddenly appeared in SidneyPrale's suite at the hotel.
"They are working on me now, Sid," he said. "I got a telephone messagewhen I was in the office, and the gent at the other end of the lineinformed me that it would be beneficial to my health if I immediatelyceased having anything to do with the Rufus Shepley murder case andstopped working for you."
"Any idea where the message came from?" Prale asked.
"It came from a public pay station in the subway. I had the call tracedimmediately, of course. No chance of finding out who sent it, naturally.I doubt whether I'd recognize the voice if I heard it again--could tellby the way the fellow talked that he was trying to disguise his tones. Itold him to go to blazes, and he informed me that I was up againstsomething too big for a man to face, or something like that."
"Jim, if there is any danger, I don't want you to work for me," SidneyPrale said. "You're married and a father and----"
"And that will be about all from you, Sid!" Farland interrupted. "ThinkI'm going to let some man who doesn't tell me his name throw a scareinto me?"
"But, if there is danger----"
"I thrive on danger," said Jim Farland. "Think I'm going to desert youat this stage of the game? That is what they want, of course. If I did,you'd probably hire another detective, and it might be one of their ownmen--whoever they are. I'm in this game to stay, Sid, first because youare an old friend of mine and I think you are being made the victim ofsome sort of a dirty deal, and also because I'm not the kind of man tobe bluffed out of a job. We are going right ahead. I got a note at theoffice, too."
"A note!" Prale gasped.
"Typewritten, but not on George Lerton's battered typewriter this time.It remarked that unless I gave up this case, somebody would make thingshard for me, or words to that effect. Old stuff! If they are so scaredthat they send threatening letters, they're whipped right now--and theyknow it!"
"I had an interesting experience this afternoon," said Prale.
"The fight?"
"I don't mean that. I met Kate Gilbert in front of the library. Sheasked me to get a taxicab and drive her through the Park. I did it. Shebegged me to leave New York and remain away, and said that my enemiesmight not be so harsh if I did. I tried to get her to explain, and sheinsisted that I knew all there was to know. She left the taxicab andwalked to her home."
"I'll have to investigate that girl more thoroughly," Farland said.
"She is on guard now, as far as I am concerned."
"Does she know Murk by sight?"
"I think not."
"Then here is where Murk gets a steady job for a time," Jim Farlanddeclared. "Murk, you go up to Kate Gilbert's home and watch a bit. Givehim plenty of money, Sid, for expenses. Just see if she leaves theplace, Murk, and if so, where she goes, and to whom she talks. Get anygeneral information you can. Try to keep her from knowing that you arewatching her, but if she finds it out drop the chase and get back here,and we'll put another shadow on the job. When you are sure that she hasdecided to remain in her apartment for the night, report back here toMr. Prale."
"You watch me," Murk said. "I never expected to be caught doin'detective work and I reckon it's somethin' like a disgrace, but this isa sort of special occasion."
Prale gave Murk more money, in case he would have to engage taxicabs orfollow Kate Gilbert where money would be necessary for tips and bribes.
"Your face looks pretty good, but you want to remember that there aresome marks on it," Prale told him.
"It's looked worse, boss," Murk replied, grinning. "I'll try to do thisthing right."
Murk hurried down in the elevator and went from the hotel. He got a cabimmediately, and promised that dire things would happen to the chauffeurif he did not get to a certain corner up beside the Park in record time.Jim Farland had given him a badge to be used if he was questioned by apolice officer, and he was to say that he was an operative attached toFarland's office.
Murk discharged the taxi at the proper corner, touched match tocigarette, and walked slowly down the street toward the apartment housewhere Kate Gilbert lived with her father and her maid.
Jim Farland had told him the location of the Gilbert apartment, and Murksaw that the lights in it were burning. It was about time for dinner, heknew.
He went to a drug store on the nearest corner and hurried into atelephone booth. He called the apartment house and asked to be connectedwith the Gilberts. A woman's hoarse voice answered his call, and heguessed that it was the maid speaking.
"Miss Kate Gilbert there?" Murk asked.
"Who is calling, please?"
"Tell her it is about that Prale affair," Murk replied.
"One moment. I'll call her."
Kate Gilbert's voice came to him over the wire almost immediately.
"Miss Gilbert?" Murk asked. "I was to tell you that----"
And then Murk jerked down the receiver hook, and grinned as he put thereceiver on it. Kate Gilbert would believe that a careless central girlhad cut them off and put an end to the conversation.
He had learned what he had wished to learn--that Kate Gilbert was athome. He walked back up the street. All he had to do now was to watch,and if Kate Gilbert left the place follow her. If she did not, Murkwould wait half an hour or so after the lights in the apartment wereturned out, to be sure that she had retired, and then would hurry backto the hotel.
Murk watched from a distance at first, and then went slowly forward, forhe did not wish to attract attention by remaining in one position toolong. There were few persons on the block; and now and then someautomobile or taxicab would discharge a passenger and go on. Murk madehis way slowly to the end of the block, always watching the entrance ofthe apartment house, crossed the street, and started back on the otherside.
He came in front of a dark passageway between two buildings, and wenton. And out of the mouth of that dark passageway came a blow that causedMurk to groan once and topple forward. Hands gripped his unconsciousbody and drew him back into the darkness.