e door she met Max
Lynch coming in. He stood aside for her to pass, but there was no
deference in the action. He eyed the girl insolently.

"Your daughter, Nichols?" he demanded.

"Yes," the detective answered shortly.

"Not bad looking."

"We'll leave her out of the conversation," Nichols said sharply. "What
brought you here this time, Max?"

Without replying, Lynch leisurely sat down in a chair opposite the
detective. He calmly helped himself to a cigar on the desk. But he
never lighted it. For as he reached into his pocket after a match, he
noticed an object directly in front of him. It was the Black Imp.

For an instant he stared at the figure, the expression of
self-confidence completely washed from his face.

He hastily arose and his chair, as he pushed it back, made a harsh
grating noise on the floor. Instinctively, Christopher Nichols' hand
moved swiftly toward the top drawer of his desk. But there was no need
for alarm. Max Lynch did not reach for his gun. Instead he made for
the door.

"You're leaving?" Nichols asked.

Max did not reply. But as he went out the door, he glanced back over
his shoulder, and for a fleeting moment his eyes rested in fascinated
fear on the figure of the Black Imp.

CHAPTER XII

The Missing Workman

No sooner had Max Lynch banged out of the office than Penny came
hurrying in.

"What happened?" she questioned her father.

"Nothing. Max just decided to leave."

"You must have said something to him," Penny insisted. "When he went
out he looked actually frightened. His face was as white as if he'd
seen a ghost."

"I don't know what made Max change his mind about wanting to talk with
me," the detective said, frowning thoughtfully. "He seemed to be
startled when he saw that statue of yours."

"The Black Imp?" Penny asked in surprise.

"Yes, he took one look at it and started off without a word of
explanation."

Curiously, the detective picked up the figure and carefully examined it.

"I can't see anything wrong with it," he admitted. "You say this
statue came from Hanley Cron's studio?"

"Yes, he was angry when Amy tried to take it away from him. Then the
policeman came in and he seemed afraid to protest."

The detective made no reply. He sat lost in thought for a moment, then
arose.

"Well, I guess I'll amble over to the police station."

"Then I may as well be going home," Penny said. She picked up the
Black Imp from the desk an