rink that guy's liquor if I were dying of snakebite, and he
wouldn't offer me a drink if he knew I was," Gresham declared.

"Well, did you notice, back near the fireplace, a low table with a fifth
of Haig & Haig Pinchbottle, and a couple of glasses, and a siphon, and so
on, on it?"

"I saw the table. There was an ashtray on it, and a book--I think it was
Gluckman's _United States Martial Pistols and Revolvers_--but no bottle,
or siphon, or glasses."

"All right, then; it was the killer." Rand explained about the drinks,
and the cigar-ashes. He went on to tell about the destruction of Rivers's
record-cards.

"I don't get that." Gresham was puzzled. "Unless it was young Gillis,
after all. He could have been knocking down on Rivers, and Rivers caught
him at it."

"I'd thought of that," Rand admitted. "But I doubt if Rivers would sit
down and drink with him, while accusing him of theft. And I can't seem to
find anything around Rivers's place that looks as though it might have
been stolen from the Fleming collection, either.... Oh, and that reminds
me: If you have time this afternoon, I wonder if you'd come along with me
to the Flemings' and see just what's missing. I'll have to know that, in
any case, and there's a good possibility that the thefts from the
collection and the killing of Rivers are related."

"Yes, of course," Gresham agreed. "And suppose we take Pierre Jarrett
along with us. He knows that collection as well as I do; he'll spot
anything I miss. He works at home; I'll call him now. We can pick him up
before we go to the Flemings'."

They went into Gresham's bedroom, where there was a phone, and Gresham
talked to Pierre Jarrett. It was arranged that he should pick Jarrett up
with his car and come to the Flemings', while Rand went there directly.

Then Rand used the phone to call his office in New Belfast. He talked to
Dave Ritter, explaining the situation to date.

"I'm going to need some help," he continued. "I want you to come here and
get a room at the Rosemont Inn, under your own name. I'll see you there
about five thirty. And bring with you a suit of butler's livery, or
reasonable facsimile. I believe there will be a vacancy in the Fleming
household tomorrow or the next day, and I want you ready to take over.
And bring a small gun with you; something you can wear under said livery.
That .357 Colt of yours is a little too conspicuous. You'll find a .380
Beretta in the top right-hand drawer of my o