Re-enter Dr Fu Manchu

You have the list of tenants occupying apartments on our floor?”

Harkness held up a typed sheet. “It’s been impossible, at short notice, to check all of them. But speaking of the room next to yours——”

“No time, now. Look—I’ll tell you what we must do. Hold the elevators on this floor. Instruct operators to tell upcoming passengers to use stairs. There are two elevators but only one stair. Post a good man at the foot of the stair. Order him to direct such passengers to this room. Keep your door open. Tell ‘em what you like, but hold ‘em.”

Harkness raised his eyebrows, but took up the phone and gave these unwelcome instructions to the hotel office, adding, “To go into force as from now.” He hung up, glanced at Nayland Smith. “Well—what about anyone coming down7”

“They must be told to go up again until further notified. Police Department orders. An experienced patrolman in uniform best for stair job.”

Harkness nodded and spoke again on the phone. Then:

‘You’re in charge tonight, Sir Denis,” he acknowledged, “but we’ve worked together before and I like to know what to expect. Do you think it’s a plot against the President?”

“Not against his life, Harkness,” Nayland Smith rapped. “At least, I don’t think so. But in any event he won’t be here. I gave orders a few minutes ago to have his course diverted.”

Raymond Harkness watched Sir Denis with steady eyes.

“Then you believe Fu Manchu is still in Manhattan?”

“I know it.”

“Where?”

“In the penthouse!”

“What!” Harkness sprang up. “Then he’s holding Dr. Hessian! He’s in our hands! What are we waiting for?”

“Go easy!” Nayland Smith smiled his grim smile. “And don’t worry about Dr. Hessian. I’m looking after him!”

Harkness sat down again. “You know, now that I hear you, and see you, I wonder I ever fell for your double! But at the time I was completely sold.”

“So was everybody else. Who but Dr. Fu Manchu could have pulled off such a thing?”

There was a rap on the room door, and a smart-looking police sergeant came in and saluted. Harkness looked up.

“Ah! It’s Sergeant Ruppert. I knew you were detailed for duty here tonight. I want you to mount guard at the foot of the stair to the floor above. Stand on the other side of the door. No need to alarm residents on this floor. Anyone wanting to go up to be directed to this apartment. Make sure they come here, but don’t lose sight of the staircase exit. Anyone coming down to be sent back—anyone. All clear?”

“All ready, sir. But what about the elevators?”

“They’ve been stopped from this floor upward.” Harkness glanced at Nayland Smith. “Anything else?”

“One thing,” Sir Denis rapped. “Jump to it, Sergeant! Every minute counts!” Sergeant Ruppert saluted and ran out. “Any news from Number One, Harkness?”

Raymond Harkness shook his head. “No. Can’t figure it out. She expected to have something to report on the latest move. It could be useful. But not a word. And I can’t locate her. I hope——”

“So do I.” There was a deep sincerity in Nayland Smith’s voice. “She takes risks few men would take—and Fu Manchu is merciless . . . . “

* * *

“How many have you on duty tonight, Harkness?” Nayland Smith asked. “Without Merrick and myself?”

“Eleven. Four F.B.I.s and, on the present occasion, nine police. Four in uniform, including the sergeant, and five plain-clothes men. If I can count Number One, twelve.”

“Assemble them all here. There are seven apartments upstairs, including mine. I want them all searched. You have keys from the management?”

“Here.”

“I’ll take the key of the stair door to the penthouse and the key of the inside door.”

Harkness passed over three keys. “There are two doors to the penthouse,” he explained. “The second I believe opens into a kitchen.”

“And now, can you lend Merrick a gun?”

“Sure.” Harkness pulled a drawer open and took out a regulation police revolver. “It isn’t easy to carry, Mr. Merrick, but it’s practical.”

“Thanks.”

Brian put the heavy weapon in a coat pocket. He didn’t know what was going to happen, but the more exciting it turned out to be the better he would like it. He needed an antidote to his mood of angry self- contempt.

“Let the whole party stand by, Harkness,” Sir Denis went on in his quick-fire way, “until I give the word. Merrick and I are going to do a spot of reconnaissance. If a trap is being laid we don’t want to walk into it.”

They met no one in the long corridor as they headed towards the elevators. The door to the stair, with a red light above it, was in a side passage a few paces beyond. It was that hour which comes in every big hotel when nearly all the guests are out for the evening.

Suddenly, Nayland Smith said something which brought Brian to a stop as though he had hit a wall.

“I pray no harm has come to Lola Erskine,” he rapped.

Brian made a gasping sound; stood stock still. Sir Denis paused, looked back, and then stared, amazed, at the suddenly pale face he saw behind him.

“Merrick! What’s wrong? Are you ill?”

Brian tried hard to recover poise. It wasn’t easy.

“I’m sorry—behaving like a fool. But you did say Lola Erskine?”

“I did. What about it?”

“Is she the woman you called Number One, who was expected to report to Mr. Harkness?”

“She is.” Nayland Smith stared hard. “She’s the star operative I mentioned to you, who had worked her way into the Reds’ confidence, and from there (an even more astonishing undercover feat) into the Secret Order of the Si-Fan. Have you met her?”

“Yes.” Brian spoke hoarsely, but had himself in hand again. “In London.”

“In London? Then it was she who sent the information that you had been employed by Red agents. Wonderful girl! She was the first person to suspect my double. You see, Merrick she was working close to Dr. Fu Manchu! Just think of that! A mere girl—and a very pretty one; she met me at Idlewild— getting away with such a thing!”

“I am thinking, Sir Denis, and I’m frightened stiff. Because, you see, I’m very fond of Lola.”

Nayland Smith smiled—the smile Brian remembered.

“Ho, ho! That’s how the wind blows! I’m frightened, too. First, I owe my freedom to her. She was responsible for the search of the house in Cairo. Second, I owe her my life. She learned all about the trap set for me here, briefing me (I knew all the routine), and was instrumental in getting my double’s instructions mixed up.”

Brian clenched his fists. “If Dr. Fu Manchu knows the truth. Sir Denis, he must know——”

“That Lola Erskine has double-crossed him? .. . That’s why I’m frightened.”

They had been standing still in the long passage, talking in hushed voices; and now:

“Come on!” Nayland Smith rapped. “We must act.”

He set off at a run. As they passed the elevators and turned into the passage where a red light shone above the stair door, Brian found himself wondering if a girl like Lola could possibly give a damn for such a despicable, distrustful creature as himself. . . .

Nayland Smith pulled the heavy door open.

“Hullo! What’s this?”

There was no one there!

“Where’s Sergeant Ruppert?” Brian cried out.