Indeed, Juve's first impulse was to go straight to Doctor Chaleck, apprise him of the situation, and, under his guidance, search the house thoroughly. But that would have put Loupart on the alert. It would be taking too great a chance. If Juve should lay hands on him outside of Chaleck's house he would have no right to hold him. For the subtle power of Loupart, that well-loved hooligan of the purlieus of Paris, lay in his remaining constantly a source of fear, always a suspect without ever being caught with the goods.
Coming back to his first idea of insuring Chaleck's safety, Juve said to himself: "The doctor is coming back here, that's sure, and we must protect him without his knowing it. That is the best plan for the present."
Sure enough after an absence of ten minutes Chaleck returned to the study and seated himself at his desk. He had now changed into his pajamas.
Time passed.
When the little Empire time piece which decorated the mantel struck three, Fandor, for all his anxiety, could not repress a yawn: the night was long and thus far had been devoid of incidents. From their hiding-place, he and Juve kept an eye on Doctor Chaleck. When did the man sleep?
Nothing in the physician's countenance betrayed the slightest weariness. He examined numerous documents spread out on the desk, and also wrote a letter which he sealed by lighting a candle and melting some wax. He lingered a good twenty minutes afterwards, then finally put out the lights and left the room.
The room was now in total darkness. The journalist and the detective listened a few moments longer as a precaution, but nothing happened to break the hush of the waning night.
Half an hour more and the outlines of the two would be visible on the thin curtains. It was high time to be off.
Fandor and Juve rose with difficulty to their feet, so cramped were their legs from the enforced rigidity.
"What now?" asked Fandor.
"Listen!" Juve abruptly gripped the other's arm as a fresh noise came to their ears. This time it was not the footsteps of a man walking carelessly, but weird creakings, sly gropings. The noise stopped, began again and again stopped. Where did it come from?
"This room is a mass of hangings," muttered Juve.
"It's impossible to locate those sounds or determine their origin."
"You would suppose," began Fandor ——
But he stopped short. The door had opened, the light was switched on and Doctor Chaleck appeared once more, probably disturbed in his sleep by the mysterious noises.
Chaleck gave a quick glance round the room, and then, to the consternation of the two men, he took a few steps toward the window, revolver in hand. At this moment dull creakings were heard, apparently coming from the landing. Chaleck turned quickly, and, leaving the door open, went out. An increase of light indicated that the other rooms in the house were being searched, and as the lights were gradually switched off again, it was apparent that Chaleck was concluding his domiciliary visit without having noticed anything abnormal.
The two remained still for an hour longer, although they had heard Chaleck go back to his room and lock himself into it.
Meantime the daylight was growing brighter, and in a little while the neighbourhood would be awake.
"We must slip out," decreed Juve, as he turned the hasp of the window with infinite care and set it ajar to reach the balcony.
A few moments later Juve had shed his disguise and the two men drew breath in the middle of the Place Pigalle, having fled ignominiously like common criminals.
IV
A WOMAN'S CORPSE
"Well, Juve, I suppose you'll agree with me that Josephine's information was a piece of pure fiction," said Fandor as they turned into the Rue Pigalle.
"You are talking nonsense," replied Juve.
"But," protested the other, "we arrived punctually at the place appointed, and most assuredly nothing happened there."
"We were punctual, it is true, but so was Loupart. Josephine's letter gave us two items of information: That her lover would be at Doctor Chaleck's house and that he would rob the safe. Events have proved her correct in one case. As to the second, while he did not break open the safe, nothing proves that he had not that intention. He may have been frustrated by the unexpected appearance of Doctor Chaleck, or he may have discovered that we were following him."
At this moment Fandor pointed out to Juve three men who were running toward them, violently gesticulating.
"What does that mean?" he asked.
Before Juve could reply one of the men, much out of breath, inquired: "Well, chief!"
"Why, it's Michel and Henri and Léon!" Then, turning to Fandor, he explained: "Three inspectors."
Michel repeated the question: "Well, chief, what's up?"
"What do you mean?"
"You've just come from the Cité Frochot, chief?"
Juve was amazed. "Look here," he said, "where do you come from, Michel? The Prefecture?"
"No, chief, from the head office of No. IX."
"Then how do you know we were at the Cité Frochot?"
Taken aback, Michel replied: "Why, from seeing you here, after the affair."
"What affair?" insisted Juve.
"Well, chief, it's this way. The three of us were on duty this morning at the Rue Rochefoucauld Station. About twenty minutes ago the telephone rang and I heard a woman asking in a broken and choked voice if it was the police station. On my answering it was, she begged me to come to the rescue, crying, 'Murder! I'm dying!'"
"What then?" questioned Juve.
"Then I asked who was speaking, but unfortunately Central had cut me off."
"You made inquiries?"
"Yes, chief, and after a quarter of an hour Central told me that only one subscriber had called up the police station, the number being 928-12, name of Doctor Chaleck in the Cité Frochot."
"I suppose you asked for the number again?"
"I did, but I could get no reply."
After a pause, during which Juve was lost in thought, the officer added timidly: "We'd better hurry if a crime has been committed."
Juve beckoned Michel to him.
"There are too many of us," he said. "You come along, Michel; the other two must go back to the station and be ready to join us in case of need."
The two officers and Fandor went hurriedly up the Rue Pigalle and came to a halt by Doctor Chaleck's door.
A loud ringing brought no reply. It was repeated, and finally a voice cried: "Who is there; what's the matter?"
"Open," ordered Juve.
"To whom do you wish to speak?"
"To Doctor Chaleck." And Juve added: "Open, it's the police."
"The police! What the deuce do they want with me?"
"You'll soon find out," answered Michel. "Do you suppose we'd be making this row if we were criminals?"
Doubtless convinced by this reasoning, Doctor Chaleck decided at length to open his door.
"What do you want with me?" he repeated.
Juve quickly explained matters.
"We've just had a telephone message to say that some ruffians, possibly murderers, are in your house."
"Murderers!"