They all crowded around to look at the plan, and the idea occurred
to several of them at once: Could it be Nelse Ackerman's house? The
Chief of Police turned to his phone, and called up the great
banker's secretary. Would he please describe Mr. Ackerman's house;
and the chief listened to the description. "There's a cross mark on
this plan--the north side of the house, a little to the west of the
center. What could that be?" Then, "My God!" And then, "Will you
come down here to my office right away and bring the architect's
plan of the house so we can compare them?" The Chief turned to the
others, and said, "That cross mark in the house is the sleeping
porch on the second floor where Mr. Ackerman sleeps!"
So then they forgot for a while their doubts about Peter. It was
fascinating, this work of tracing out the details of the conspiracy,
and fitting them together like a picture puzzle. It seemed quite
certain to all of them that this insignificant and scared little man
whom they had been examining could never have prepared so ingenious
and intricate a design. No, it must really be that some master mind,
some devilish intriguer was at work to spread red ruin in American
City!
Section 48
They dismissed Peter for the present, sending him back to his cell.
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