g Captain Strawn
to my office, so that you can give orders to us both?"

Before Dundee could answer, Captain Strawn came to his assistance.

"I worked with this boy for pretty near a year, Bill, and never yet did
he fail to make good when he said he had a pot on to boil. If he says it
will boil over this evening, provided we help him, boil over it will, or
I don't know Bonnie Dundee!"

Sanderson scowled but capitulated. "All right! What do you want?"

"Thanks, chief! And thanks, Captain!" Dundee cried, with heartfelt
gratitude. "First, I want to be excused from attending the adjourned
inquests into the two murders, scheduled for three o'clock today."

"O.K." Sanderson agreed shortly.

"Second, after about an hour of routine stuff, I wish you'd ask for
another adjournment until tomorrow, on the plea that important
developments are expected today."

"O.K. again!"

"Third, I'd like you personally to request the appearance of every
person connected in any way with each of the murders, in your office
this afternoon at four o'clock--so the whole bunch will be kept together
and have no chance to go to their homes or anywhere else until I am
ready for them. You can say that, owing to the illness of your mother
during the investigations, you want to question everyone personally."

"Do you want all the servants brought here, too?" Sanderson asked.

"None but Lydia Carr," Dundee answered. "After about an hour's innocuous
questioning, please invite them to accompany you to the Selim house. For
that--" and he grinned, "--is where the pot is scheduled to boil over.
I'd like everybody to be there by 5:15."

"Where do I come in?" Captain Strawn demanded, almost jealously.

"Now that you are no longer looking for a New York gunman, I suppose you
have plenty of plainclothesmen at your disposal?" Dundee asked, and was
instantly sorry he had reminded his former chief of the collapse of his
cherished and satisfying theory.

"Plenty," Strawn answered gruffly. "How many will you need?"

"Enough to keep every person on Mr. Sanderson's invitation list under
strictest observation until--the pot boils over," Dundee replied.

"When do you want them to get on the job?"

"As soon as they can do so, after you get back to your office."

"Are they to follow the whole gang clear out to the Selim house?"

"Most decidedly! After the unwilling guests are safely within the house,
your boys must guard the premises so that _no one_ leaves