It swung into Fourth Avenue, slowing to take
the curve. At the widest sweep of the arc Johnnie stepped down. His
feet slid from under him and he rolled to the curb across the wet
asphalt. Slowly he got up and tested himself for broken bones. He was
sure he had dislocated a few hips and it took him some time to persuade
himself he was all right, except for some bruises.
But Johnnie free had no idea what to do. He was as helpless as Johnnie
imprisoned in the flying cab. Of what Clay's plan had been he had not
the remotest idea. Yet he could not go home and do nothing. He must
keep searching. But where? One thing stuck in his mind. His friend
had mentioned that he would like to get a chance to call the police to
find out whether Kitty had been rescued. He was anxious on that point
himself. At the first cigar-store he stopped and was put on the wire
with headquarters. He learned that a car supposed to be the one wanted
had been driven into Central Park by the police a few minutes earlier.
Johnnie's mind carried him on a straight line to the simplest decision.
He ran across to Fifth Avenue and climbed into a bus going uptown. If
Kitty was in Central Park that was the place to search for her. It did
not occur to him that by the time he reached there the car of the
abductors would be miles away, nor did he stop to think that his
chances of finding her in the wooded recesses of the Park would not be
worth the long end of a hundred to one bet.
Pages:
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181