240
at 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 without permission."
"That's all as good as done," Strawn assured him. "Now--about them inquiries you asked me to make yesterday of the secretary of the American Legion." He drew a scrap of paper from his breast pocket. "I find that John Drake, Peter Dunlap and Clive Hammond were all in service, in the ----th Divisio