Inspector Burks shrugged, turned away from Stanton in contempt. John Lacey, the real estate operator, number fourteen on the list, placed a soothing hand on Stanton’s shoulder. “Don’t take it so hard, Stanton,” he soothed. “Burks may catch this Doctor Blood before it’s our turn to pay. Patterson here is the one who really has to worry. He’s due to get his today — and there’s no way out for him!”
Patterson came out of his reverie. His hunted eyes sought Mayor Sturgis. “What — what steps are you taking to protect me?” he asked.
Commissioner Foster answered for the mayor. “We are going to give you a police guard or, if you prefer, it would be better for you to remain in headquarters — where you should be comparatively safe. You other gentlemen — and you too, your Honor — would be well advised to do likewise.”
Stanton snorted. “You’d be doing much better if you arranged to get these payments started. You know damn well that nobody is safe — not even in headquarters. You haven’t been able to get the faintest idea of how these murders were committed, or of who did them. You haven’t even gotten a glimpse of these beasts of Doctor Blood’s. And yet you want us to take a chance. After all, we’re all important men in this town. None of us wants to die yet. Maybe Marsh doesn’t care. He’s risked his life so often that it’s come to mean nothing to him. But most of us others here have families, have important interests. We want to live. As far as I’m concerned, I hereby state that I’m ready to pay — unless Commissioner Foster can show me anything concrete which he has done to protect us from this threat!”
The Agent maintained silence during all this time. He continued to study Oscar Stanton. Stanton was known as a plunger in the market — a bear raider of great daring, who had amassed a fortune by his ruthless tactics. It was interesting to note how a man, who could be so merciless as he had been to others, acted when his own life was threatened.
It was Mayor Sturgis who quieted him. The mayor raised a soothing hand, and said: “Gentlemen, as you may know from having read the evening paper, I have taken a step which I hope will be of help to us. I have issued a public letter to—”
“Yes, yes,” Stanton shouted, “I know all about that. I saw the paper.” He sneered. “Set a thief to catch a thief, huh! This Secret Agent ‘X’ is probably the one who’s behind all these murders — and you call him in to help us! Is that the best you can do? Come on — think, man — your own life is in danger here as well as ours!”
“Excuse me, Mr. Stanton,” Norman Marsh interrupted coldly. “I have studied the career of this strange man whom you call Secret Agent ‘X’ with great interest. It is my profound belief that this man is not a criminal. In view of the gravity of our present situation, I heartily approve of the step that Mayor Sturgis has taken.”
Inspector Burks, who had been listening to Stanton’s diatribe with beaming approval, now made a gesture of impatience. He took a long black cigar from his pocket, lit it, and puffed furiously. He growled: “Mayor Sturgis is the boss, of course, but I’d never have done anything like that if it was left up to me. Why, this Secret Agent ‘X’ is the slickest crook in the country — in the world for that matter. I ought to know. I’ve been up against him dozens of times. If you think he is going to walk in here because he’s been offered immunity, you’re mistaken. He’s probably laughing up his sleeve at us all right now!”
And it was at that moment that the inter-office ’phone on the commissioner’s desk rang.
Commissioner Foster picked up the phone, listened for a moment, then quickly covered the mouthpiece, stared at the others with excited eyes.
He glanced at Burks, then stooped and whispered in the ear of Mayor Sturgis.
The mayor’s eyes opened wide with excitement, and he rose. His fists were clenched on the desk. There was a look of extreme satisfaction on his face.
“Gentlemen,” he exclaimed, “I have to announce — that Secret Agent ‘X’ has accepted my invitation! He is waiting outside now!”
Chapter IV
FOR several moments after the Mayor’s startling announcement, the room was the scene of astounded comment and bustling excitement. Voices were raised, everyone tried to talk at once.
Inspector Burks exclaimed harshly: “We’ve got him now! We’ll put him in a cell and keep him there. And I bet you these damn murders stop!”
The mayor turned upon Burks irritably. “You’ll do nothing of the kind, inspector! I’ve given Secret Agent ‘X’ my word that he is to have twenty-four hours’ immunity, and I meant every word of that. You will keep your hands off for twenty-four hours!”
Inspector Burks lowered his head sullenly. “All right. But the minute the twenty-four hours expires, I’m grabbing him!”
The Agent withdrew to a corner of the room where he could survey all the occupants, and made ready to view this visitor who had come impersonating him. The various occupants of the room were still raising their voices in loud discussion and protest. Only one other man in the room was silent now; that was Professor Langknecht, the psychiatrist. He sat quietly, with his knees crossed, but his small, lively black eyes behind those spectacles had been busy surveying each man in turn in the room, listening carefully to all their comments.
The medley of voices ceased as Mayor Sturgis, turning to Professor Langknecht, said: “What is your opinion, professor? Shall we enlist the services of Secret Agent ‘X’?”
Langknecht stirred as from a reverie. “You should certainly talk to him, Mr. Mayor. In a situation such as this, we must turn to anything at all that holds a possibility of salvation.” He added with an air of eagerness: “As a psychiatrist, I am myself extremely anxious to meet this person who calls himself Secret Agent ‘X’.”
“All right,” the mayor exclaimed with a sudden air of decision. “We’ll have him in.”
He turned to the ’phone, but Oscar Stanton shouted: “Then I won’t stay here! I’ll have nothing to do with this business. It’s bad enough that my life is in danger, and that I can’t get help from the police department. But to have to place my life in the hands of a felon like this Secret Agent ‘X’ is unbearable. I’m going!” He turned and stamped out of the room stormily before anyone could stop him.
John Lacey said disgustedly: “Let him go. I’d rather he wasn’t here anyway. Maybe we’ll all be better off.”
“What do you mean by that?” Commissioner Foster demanded.
Lacey shrugged. “What do we know about Stanton anyway? His partner, Lewis Forman, has just been murdered. And Stanton was his guest last night. Stanton was in the room right next door, yet he claims he didn’t hear a thing.” He took a step closer to the Mayor’s desk, glared at Burks. “Have you investigated Stanton at all? I’ve had occasion to. Do you realize that the ten deaths that have already occurred have been deaths of men who are influential in some of the largest firms in the country? Do you realize that the stocks of those firms have gone down in the market? And do you know what’s happening? Our friend, Oscar Stanton, has been buying, buying, buying; buying the stocks of those firms at bargain prices! If they go up again, he will have made himself a million dollars by the deaths of these men!”
SECRET AGENT “X,” standing against the wall near the window, glanced out and saw Stanton in the street now walking rapidly away past the car in which sat the beautiful Paraguayan dancer. The Agent could see the car from his point of vantage at the window; he watched closely as Stanton passed, but detected no sign being exchanged between Stanton and the woman.