I didn’t reach my office until afternoon, and there I found Norah, in a brown study. She looked up with a smile as I came in. “I’m neglecting my work,” she said, with a glance at a pile of papers, “but that affair across the hall has taken hold of me and I can’t put it out of my mind.” “Nor can I. I feel as if I were deeply involved in it,—if not indeed, an accessory! But there are new developments. Mr. Manning is missing.” “Mr. Manning? What has he got to do with it?” “With the crime? Nothing. He didn’t come up here until Miss Raynor came, you know. But——” “Are they engaged?” “Not that I know of. I think not.” “Well, they will be, then. And don’t worry about Mr. Manning’s absence. He’ll not stay long away from Miss Raynor. Who is he, anyway? I mean what does he do?” “He’s a civil engineer and he lives in Gramercy Park. That’s the extent of my knowledge of him. I’ve seen him down in the bank once or twice since I’ve been here, and I like his looks. I hope, for Miss Raynor’s sake, he’ll turn up soon. She expected him to call on her last evening and he didn’t go there at all.” “I shouldn’t think he would! Why, it was a fearful night. I was going to the movies, but I couldn’t think of going out in that wild gale! But never mind Mr. Manning now, let’s talk about the Gately affair. I want to go over there and look around the office. Do you suppose they’d let me?” “Why, I expect so. Is anybody there now?” “Yes, a police detective,—that man, Hudson. You know they call him Foxy Jim Hudson, and I suppose he’s finding out a lot of stuff that isn’t so!” “You haven’t a very high opinion of our arms of the law.” “Oh, they’re all right,—but most detectives can’t see what’s right under their noses!” “Not omniscient Sherlocks, are they? And you think you could do a lot of smarty-cat deduction?” Norah didn’t resent my teasing, but her gray eyes were very earnest as she said, “I wish I could try. A woman was in that room yesterday afternoon; someone besides Miss Raynor and the old lady Driggs.”
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