The Hand of Power

This is a mystery novel that revolves around Betty Carew and her guardian, Dr. Joshua Laffin, who terrorized her childhood. He orders Betty to take a job posing in a store display window to advertise a desk for sale. The true purpose is to convey a message to a stranger who may appear at some point and request it. Dr. Laffin takes Betty home and imprisons her in her room. Bill Holbrook and Toby Marsh watch, plot, break-in, and free her. When Betty goes back to the theater, Brother John who is a representative of the shady fraternal organization, "Proud Sons of Ragousa," is killed on the street immediately after. Bill Holbrook joins the Ragousas in an attempt to infiltrate the organization. Betty is kidnapped by the Ragousas, who believes she is fated to be their new ruler. Is Betty the new ruler of this shady organization? Will Bill Holbrook succeed in infiltrating the organization as well as putting an end to the organization?