he replied.

"Did he seem to be worried, to have anything on his mind, to act queerly
in any way?" asked Kennedy keenly.

"No," came the monosyllabic reply, and there was just that shade of
hesitation about it that made me wish we had the apparatus we used in
the Bond case for registering association time. Kennedy noticed it, and
purposely dropped the line of inquiry in order not to excite Torreon's
suspicion.

"I understand no word has been received from him at the headquarters on
South Street to-day."

"None," replied Torreon sharply.

"And you have no idea where he could have gone after you left him last
night?"

"No, senor, none."

This answer was given, I thought, with suspicious quickness.

"You do not think that he could be concealed by Senora Mendez, then?"
asked Kennedy quietly.

The little man jumped forward with his eyes flashing. "No," he hissed,
checking this show of feeling as quickly as he could.

"Well, then," observed Kennedy, rising slowly, "I see nothing to do but
to notify the police and have a general alarm sent out."

The fire died in the eyes of Torreon. "Do not do that, Senor," he
exclaimed. "Wait at least one day more. Perhaps he will appear.
Perhaps he has only gone up to Bridgeport to see about some arms and
cartridges--who can tell? No, sir, do not call in the police, I beg
you--not yet. I myself will search for him. It may be I can get some
word, some clue. If I can I will notify Miss Guerrero immediately."

Kennedy turned suddenly. "Torreon," he flashed quickly, "what do you
suspect about that shipment of half a million silver dollars? Where did
it go after it left the wharf?"

Torreon kept his composure admirably. An enigma of a smile flitted over
his mobile features as he shrugged his shoulders. "Ah," he said simply,
"then you have heard that the money is missing? Perhaps Guerrero has not
gone to Bridgeport, after all!"

"On condition that I do not notify the police yet--will you take us to
visit Senora Mendez, and let us learn from her what she knows of this
strange case?"

Torreon was plainly cornered. He sat for a moment biting his nails
nervously and fidgeting in his chair. "It shall be as you wish," he
assented at length.

"We are to go," continued Kennedy, "merely as friends of yours, you
understand? I want to ask questions in my own way, and you are not to--"

"Yes, yes," he agreed. "Wait. I will tell her we are coming," and he
reached for the telephone.

"