Carton hesitated and came to a full stop.

“What’s the matter?” asked Kennedy quickly, noticing the hesitation.

“Why—­I—­er—­didn’t know just how you’d take a suggestion—­that’s all.”

“Thankfully.  What is it?”

“You know young Haxworth?”

“You mean the son of the millionaire who is investigating vice and whom the newspapers are poking fun at?”

“Yes.  Those papers make me tired.  He has been working, you know, with me in this matter.  He is really serious about it, too.  He has a corps of investigators of his own already.  Well, there is one of them, a woman detective named Clare Kendall, who is the brains of the whole Haxworth outfit.  If you would be willing to have them—­ er—­to have her co-operate with you, I think I could persuade Haxworth—–­”

“Oh,” broke in Kennedy with a laugh.  “I see.  You think perhaps there might be some professional jealousy?  On the contrary, it solves a problem I was already considering.  Of course we shall need a woman in this case, one with a rare amount of discretion and ability.  Yes, by all means let us call in Miss Kendall, and let us take every advantage we can of what she has already accomplished.”

Carton seized the telephone.

“Tell her to meet us at my laboratory in half an hour,” interposed Kennedy.  “You will come along?”

“I can’t.  Court opens in twenty minutes and there is a motion I must argue myself.”

Miss Ashton appeared to be greatly gratified at Craig’s reception of the suggestion, and Carton noticed it

“Oh, yes,” recollected Carton, “by the way, as I was on my way down here, my office called up and told me that they had succeeded in locating and arresting Dopey Jack.  That ought to please you,—­ it will mean cutting down the number of those East Side ‘rackets’ considerably if we succeed with him.”

“Good!” she exclaimed.  “Yes, I don’t think there were any worse affairs than the dances of that Jack Rubano Association.  They have got hold of more young girls and caused more tragedies than any other gang.  If you need any help in getting together evidence, Mr. Carton, I shall be only too glad to help you.  I have several old scores myself to settle with that young tough.”

“Thank you,” said Carton.  “I shall need your help, if we are to do anything.  Of course, we can hold him only for primary frauds just now, but I may be able to do something about that dance that he broke up as a shooting affray.”

Miss Ashton nodded encouragingly.

“And,” he went on, “it’s barely possible that he may know something, or some of his followers may, about the robbery of Mr. Langhorne’s safe,—­if not about the complete and mysterious disappearance of Betty Blackwell.”

“They’d stop at nothing to save their precious skins,” commented Miss Ashton.  “Perhaps that is a good lead.  At any rate I can suggest that to the various societies and other agencies which I intend to set in motion trying to trace what has happened to her.  You can have him held until they have time to report?”