He hurried across to the lift which had just that minute come down again, and spoke to the uniformed attendant.
“You took up a gentleman with a fair beard and a young lady a few minutes ago to the second floor.”
“Not the second floor. Third floor the gentleman asked for.”
“Oh!” The Chief jumped in, motioning Tommy to accompany him. “Take us up to the third floor, please.”
“I don’t understand this,” he murmured in a low voice. “But keep calm. Every exit from the Hotel is watched, and I’ve got a man on the third floor as well—on every floor, in fact. I was taking no chances.”
The lift door opened on the third floor and they sprang out, hurrying down the corridor. Halfway along it, a man dressed as a waiter came to meet them.
“It’s all right, Chief. They’re in No. 318.”
Carter breathed a sigh of relief.
“That’s all right. No other exit?”
“It’s a suite, but there are only these two doors into the corridor, and to get out from any of these rooms, they’d have to pass us to get to the staircase or the lifts.”
“That’s all right, then. Just telephone down and find out who is supposed to be occupying this suite.”
The waiter returned in a minute or two.
“ Mrs. Cortlandt Van Snyder of Detroit.”
Mr. Carter became very thoughtful.