第55章 BURKE PLOTS(2)

"You give me your word, Inspector," he said, "that you won't notify the police in Chicago until I've been there twenty-four hours?""You're on," Burke replied genially."They won't get a whisper out of me until the time is up." He swung about to face the father, and there was a complete change in his manner."Now, then, Mr.Gilder," he said briskly, "I want to talk to you about another little matter----"Dick caught the suggestion, and interrupted quickly.

"Then I'll go." He smiled rather wanly at his father."You know, Dad, I'm sorry, but I've got to do what I think is the right thing."Burke helped to save the situation from the growing tenseness.

"Sure," he cried heartily; "sure you have.That's the best any of us can do." He watched keenly as the young man went out of the room.It was not until the door was closed after Dick that he spoke.Then he dropped to a seat on the couch, and proceeded to make his confidences to the magnate.

"He'll go to Chicago in the morning, you think, don't you?""Certainly," Gilder answered."But I don't like it."Burke slapped his leg with an enthusiasm that might have broken a weaker member.

"Best thing that could have happened!" he vociferated.And then, as Gilder regarded him in astonishment, he added, chuckling: "You see, he won't find her there.""Why do you think that?" Gilder demanded, greatly puzzled.

Burke permitted himself the luxury of laughing appreciatively a moment more before making his exclamation.Then he said quietly:

"Because she didn't go there."

"Where did she go, then?" Gilder queried wholly at a loss.

Once again the officer chuckled.It was evident that he was well pleased with his own ingenuity.

"Nowhere yet," he said at last."But, just about the time he's starting for the West I'll have her down at Headquarters.

Demarest will have her indicted before noon.She'll go for trial in the afternoon.And to-morrow night she'll be sleeping up the river....That's where she is going."Gilder stood motionless for a moment.After all, he was an ordinary citizen, quite unfamiliar with the recondite methods familiar to the police.

"But," he said, wonderingly, "you can't do that."The Inspector laughed, a laugh of disingenuous amusement, for he understood perfectly the lack of comprehension on the part of his hearer.

"Well," he said, and his voice sank into a modest rumble that was none the less still thunderous."Perhaps I can't!" And then he beamed broadly, his whole face smiling blandly on the man who doubted his power."Perhaps I can't," he repeated.Then the chuckle came again, and he added emphatically: "But I will!"Suddenly, his heavy face grew hard.His alert eyes shone fiercely, with a flash of fire that was known to every patrolman who had ever reported to the desk when he was lieutenant.His heavy jaw shot forward aggressively as he spoke.

"Think I'm going to let that girl make a joke of the Police Department? Why, I'm here to get her--to stop her anyhow.Her gang is going to break into your house to-night.""What?" Gilder demanded."You mean, she's coming here as a thief?""Not exactly," Inspector Burke confessed, "but her pals are coming to try to pull off something right here.She wouldn't come, not if I know her.She's too clever for that.Why, if she knew what Garson was planning to do, she'd stop him."The Inspector paused suddenly.For a long minute his face was seamed with thought.Then, he smote his thigh with a blow strong enough to kill an ox.His face was radiant.

"By God! I've got her!" he cried.The inspiration for which he had longed was his at last.He went to the desk where the telephone was, and took up the receiver.

"Give me 3100 Spring," he said.As he waited for the connection he smiled widely on the astonished Gilder." 'Tain't too late,"he said joyously."I must have been losing my mind not to have thought of it before." The impact of sounds on his ear from the receiver set him to attention.

"Headquarters?" he called."Inspector Burke speaking.Who's in my office? I want him quick." He smiled as he listened, and he spoke again to Gilder."It's Smith, the best man I have.That's luck, if you ask me." Then again he spoke into the mouthpiece of the telephone.

"Oh, Ed, send some one up to that Turner woman.You have the address.Just see that she is tipped off, that Joe Garson and some pals are going to break into Edward Gilder's house to-night.

Get some stool-pigeon to hand her the information.You'd better get to work damned quick.Understand?"The Inspector pulled out that watch of which Aggie Lynch had spoken so avariciously, and glanced at it, then went on speaking:

"It's ten-thirty now.She went to the Lyric Theater with some woman.Get her as she leaves, or find her back at her own place later.You'll have to hustle, anyhow.That's all!"The Inspector hung up the receiver and faced his host with a contented smile.

"What good will all that do?" Gilder demanded, impatiently.

Burke explained with a satisfaction natural to one who had devised something ingenious and adequate.This inspiration filled him with delight.At last he was sure of catching Mary Turner herself in his toils.

"She'll come to stop 'em," he said."When we get the rest of the gang, we'll grab her, too.Why, I almost forgot her, thinking about Garson.Mr.Gilder, you would hardly believe it, but there's scarcely been a real bit of forgery worth while done in this country for the last twenty years, that Garson hasn't been mixed up in.We've never once got him right in all that time."The Inspector paused to chuckle."Crooks are funny," he explained with obvious contentment."Clever as he is, Garson let Griggs talk him into a second-story job, and now we'll get him with the goods....Just call your man for a minute, will you, Mr.

Gilder?"

Gilder pressed the electric button on his desk.At the same moment, through the octagonal window came a blinding flash of light that rested for seconds, then vanished.Burke, by no means a nervous man, nevertheless was startled by the mysterious radiance.