worth's going after Gillis, it's probably on account of
those stories about him and Mrs. Rivers. At least, all that stuff would
come out if he arrested him. Maybe we could get a fee out of Mrs.
Rivers."

"I'd thought of that. Unfortunately, Mrs. Rivers had a very convenient
breakdown, when she heard the news; she is now in a hospital in New York,
and won't be back until after the funeral. Prostrated with grief. Or
something. And this case is due to blow up like Hiroshima before then.
Well, we can't get fees from everybody." That, of course, was one of the
sad things of life to which one must reconcile oneself. "I got a call
from Pierre Jarrett; Tip's staying at the Jarrett place tonight. I
thought it would be a good idea to have him within reach for a while."

The private outside phone rang shrilly. Ritter let it go for several
rings, then picked it up.

"This is the Fleming residence," he stated, putting on his character
again. "Oh, yes indeed, sir. Colonel Rand is right here, sir; I'll tell
him you're calling." He put a hand over the mouthpiece. "Humphrey Goode."

Rand took the phone and named himself into it.

"I would like to talk to you privately, Colonel Rand," the lawyer said.
"On a subject of considerable importance to our, shall I say, mutual
clients. Could you find time to drop over, sometime this evening?"

"Well, I'm very busy, at the moment, Mr. Goode," Rand regretted. "There
have been some rather deplorable developments here, lately. The butler,
Walters, has been arrested for larceny. It seems that since Mr. Fleming's
death, he has been systematically looting the pistol-collection. I'm
trying to get things straightened out, now."

"Good heavens!" Goode was considerably shaken. "When did you discover
this, Colonel Rand? And why wasn't I notified before? And are there many
valuable items missing?"

"I discovered it as soon as I saw the collection," Rand began answering
his questions in order. "Neither you, nor anybody else was notified,
because I wanted to get evidence to justify an arrest first. And nothing
is missing; everything has been recovered," he finished. "That's what I'm
so busy about, now; getting my list revised, and straightening out the
collection."

"Oh, fine!" Goode was delighted. "I hope everything was handled quietly,
without any unnecessary publicity? But this other matter; I don't care to
go into it over the phone, and it's imperative that we discuss it
privately, at once."

"