Why, Zizi, you don't realize,--
I've lived with my family and my friends for a whole long lot of years.
I'm no newcomer, except regarding the last six months. You can't tell me
of Blair's character, or Thorpe's either. Now, what I want to puzzle out
is whether I can do my part in producing the real murderer, without
revealing my presence here and without even showing my hand in the
matter."

"You might appear as your own spook."

"I've thought of that, and it offers wide possibilities. But it isn't
fair to mother and Dad. Let the medium fool them, if she will, it's not
for their own son to fool them, too! No, I can't do that."

"You might appear to the--the criminal."

"And give him the scare of his life! Yes, I might do that. But I'm not
yet sure he is the criminal,--I'm basing my suspicion on generalities,
not any specific evidence."

"Tell me his name."

"Not yet. Let's plan a little first. You see, I've arranged a fake
_seance_ with Madame Parlato. If I rearrange it a bit, it may serve our
purpose. I'll postpone it until Mr. Wise can get back, and then we'll
see what we shall see!"

CHAPTER XVIII

The Confession

Peter Boots arranged and rearranged his plans for the _seance_ many
times.

Though still living under the name of Louis Bartram, he had cast aside
fear of having his real identity discovered, pretty sure, now, that it
must come sooner or later.

His present concern was with the discovery of Blair's murderer, and
thereby the freeing of his sister's fiance. These accomplished he would
consider the case of his own restored identity, if it were not by that
time a foregone conclusion.

Pennington Wise came back from the West, and was let into the secret.

His amazement was beyond all bounds when Zizi took him over to the
Brooklyn hotel and he met Peter Crane.

"This thing has never been equaled in my experience," he declared. "And
no one but Zizi could have found you out, unless you chose to make
yourself known. Now, we must move warily,--your quarry may get away."

"You know whom I suspect?" asked Peter in astonishment.

"Of course I do, and I've had the same suspect from the beginning. But I
couldn't get a shred of evidence,--haven't any yet,-- I say, Mr. Crane,
suppose you confide in me fully. You'll have no cause to regret it."

So Peter Boots and Pennington Wise and Zizi had a long confab, in which
all cards were laid on the table, and all details of the plan settled.

Wise a