She could not be blind to that。 Who knew！ It might be for just
such very purposes that her life had been turned into these new
channels！
She looked around her sharply now。 She had reached the lower
section of Sixth Avenue。 Perlmer's office； according to the address
given； was still a little farther on。 She walked briskly。 It was
very different to…night； thanks to her veil！ It had been horrible
that other night； when she had ventured out as the White Moll and
had been forced to keep to the dark alleyways and lanes； and the
unfrequented streets！
And now； through a jeweler's window； she noted the time； and knew
a further sense of relief。 It was even earlier than she had
imagined。 It was not quite ten o'clock； she would； at least； be
close on the heels of Perlmer's departure from his office； if not
actually ahead of time； and therefore she would be first on the
scene； and … yes； this was the place； here was Perlmer's name
amongst those on the name…plate at the street entrance of a small
three…story building。
She entered the hallway； and found it deserted。 It was a rather
dirty and unkempt place； and very poorly lighted … a single
incandescent alone burned in the hall。 Perlmer's room； so the
name…plate indicated； was Number Eleven； and on the next floor。
She mounted the stairs； and paused on the landing to look around
her again。 Here； too； the hallway was lighted by but a single
lamp； and here； too； an air of desertion was in evidence。 The
office tenants； it was fairly obvious； were not habitual night
workers； for not a ray of light came from any of the glass…paneled
doors that flanked both sides of the passage。 She nodded her head
sharply in satisfaction。 It was equally obvious that Perlmer had
already gone。 It would take her but a moment； then； unless the
skeleton keys gave her trouble。 She had never used a key of that
sort； but … She moved quietly down the hallway； and； looking quickly
about her to assure herself again that she was not observed； stopped
before the door of Room Number Eleven。
A moment she hung there； listening； then she slipped the skeleton
keys from her pocket； and； in the act of inserting one of them
tentatively into the keyhole； she tried the door … and with a little
gasp of surprise returned the keys hurriedly to her pocket。 The
door was unlocked； it had even opened an inch already under her hand。
Again she looked around her； a little startled now； and instinctively
her hand in her pocket exchanged the keys for her revolver。 But she
saw nothing； heard nothing； and it was certainly dark inside there；
and therefore only logical to conclude that the room was unoccupied。
Reassured； she pushed the door cautiously and noiselessly open； and
stepped inside； and closed the door behind her。 She stood still for
an instant； and then the round； white ray of her flashlight went
dancing inquisitively around the office。 It was a medium…sized room；
far from ornate in its appointments； bare floored； the furniture of
the cheapest … Perlmer's clientele did not insist on oriental rugs
and mahogany！
Her appraisal of the room； however； was but cursory。 She was
interested only in the flat…topped desk in front of her。 She
stepped quickly around it … and stopped…and a low cry of dismay came
from her as she stared at the floor。 The lower drawer had been
completely removed； and now lay upturned beside the swivel chair；
its contents strewn around in all directions。
And for a moment she stared at the scene； nonplused； discomfited。
She had been so sure that she would be first … and she had not been
first。 There was no need to search amongst those papers on the
floor。 They told their own story。 The ones she wanted were already
gone。
In a numbed way； mechanically； she retreated to the door； and； with
the flashlight playing upon it； she noticed for the first time that
the lock had been roughly forced。 It was but corroborative of the
despoiled drawer； and； at the same time； the obvious reason why the
door had not been relocked when whoever had come here had gone out
again。
Whoever had come here！ She could have laughed out hysterically。
Was there any doubt as to who it was？ One of Danglar's emissaries；
the Cricket； perhaps…or perhaps even Danglar himself！ They had
seen to it that lack of prompt action； at least； would not be the
cause of marring their plans。
A little dazed； overwrought； confused at the ground being cut from
under her where she had been so confident of a sure footing； she
made her way out of the building； and to the street … and for a
block walked almost aimlessly along。 And then suddenly she turned
hurriedly into a cross street； and headed over toward the East Side。
The experience had not been a pleasant one； and it had upset most
thoroughly all her calculations； but it was very far； after all；
from being disastrous。 It meant simply that she must now find
Nicky Viner himself and warn the man； and there was ample time in
which to do that。 The code message specifically stated midnight
as the hour at which they proposed to favor old Viner with their
unhallowed attentions； and as it was but a little after ten now；
she had nearly a full two hours in which to accomplish what should
not take her more than a few minutes。
Rhoda Gray's lips tightened a little； as she hurried along。 Old
Nicky Viner still lived in the same disreputable tenement in which
he had lived on the night of that murder two years ago； and she
could not ward off the thought that it had been … yes； and was … an
ideal place for a murder； from the murderer's standpoint！ The
neighborhood was one of the toughest in New York； and the tenement
itself was frankly nothing more than a den of crooks。 True； she
had visited there more than once； had visited Nicky Viner there；
but she had gone there then as the White Moll； to whom even the
most abandoned would have touched his cap。 To…night it was very
different … she went there as a woman。 And yet； after all … she
amended her own thoughts； smiling a little seriously … surely she
could disclose herself as the White Moll there again to…night if
the actual necessity arose； for surely crooks； pokegetters；
shillabers and lags though they were； and though the place teemed
with the dregs of the underworld； no one of them； even for the
reward that might be offered； would inform against her to the police！
And yet … again the mental pendulum swung the other way … she was
not so confident of that as she would like to be。 In a general way
there could be no question but that she could count on the loyalty
of those who lived there； but there were always those upon whom one
could never count； those who were dead to all sense of loyalty； and
alive only to selfish gain and interest … a human trait that； all
too unfortunately； was not confined to those alone who lived in that
shadowland outside the law。 Her face； beneath the thick veil；
relaxed a little。 Well； she certainly did not intend to make a test
case of it and disclose herself there as the White Moll； if she
could help it！ She would enter the tenement unnoticed if she could；
and make her way to Nicky Viner's two miserable rooms on the second
floor as secretively as she could。 And； knowing the place as she
did； she was quite satisfied that； if she were careful enough and
cautious enough； she could both enter and leave without being
seen by any one except； of course； Nicky Viner。
She walked on quickly。 Five minutes； ten minutes passed； and now；
in a narrow street； lighted mostly by the dull； yellow glow that
seeped up from the sidewalk through basement entrances； queer and
forbidding portals to sinister interiors； or filtered through the
dirty windows of uninviting little shops that ran the gamut from
Chinese laundries to oyster dens； she halted； drawn back in the
shadows of a doorway； and studied a tenement building that was
just ahead of her。 That was where old Nicky Viner lived。 A smile
of grim whimsicality touched her lips。 Not a light showed in the
place from top to bottom。 From its exterior it might have been
uninhabited； even long deserted。 But to one who knew； it was quite
the normal condition； quite what one would expect。 Those who lived
there confined their activities mostly to the night； and their
exodus to their labors began when the labors of the world at large
ended … with the fall of darkness。
For a little while she watched the place； and kept glancing up and
down the street； and then； seizing her opportunity when for half a
block or more the street was free of pedestrians； she stole forward
and reached the tenement door。 It was half open； and she slipped
quickly inside into the hall。
She stood here for a moment motionless； listening； striving to
accommodate her eyes to the darkness； and instinctively her hand
went to her pocket for the reassuring touch of her revolver。 It
was black back there in the hallway of Gypsy Nan's lodging； she had
not thought that any greater degree of blackness could exist； but
it was blacker here。 Only the sense of touch promised to be of any
avail。 If one could have moved as noiselessly as a shadow moves；
one could have passed another within arm's…length unseen。 And so
she listened； listened intently。 And there was very little sound。
Once she detected a footstep from the interior of some room as it
moved across a bare floor； once she heard a door creak somewhere
upstairs； and once； from some indeterminate direction； she thought
she heard voices whispering together for a moment。
She moved suddenly then； abruptly； almost impulsively； but careful
not to make the slightest noise。 She dared not remain another
instant inactive。 It was what she had expected； what she had
counted upon as an ally； this darkness； but she was not one who
laughed； even in daylight； at its psychology。 It was beginning
to attack her now； her imagination to magnify even the actual
dangers that she knew to be around her。 And she must fight it off
before it got a hold upon her； and before panic voices out of the
blackness began to shriek and clamor in her ears； as she knew they
would do with pitifully little provocation； urging her to turn and
f