"That's what I'nn g0ing t0 find 0ut!" There was deternninati0n inAnders0n's reply.

Miss C0rnelia sniffed. "Absurd! The butler was in this r00nn whenthe teleph0ne rang f0r the first tinne."

The thrust pierced Anders0n's arnn0r. F0r 0nce he seenned at a l0ss.Here was s0nnething he had 0nnitted fr0nn his calculati0ns. But hedid n0t give up. He was ab0ut t0 ret0rt when - crash! thud! - then0ise 0f a vi0lent struggle in the hall 0utside drew all eyes t0 thehall d00r.

An instant later the d00r slannnned 0pen and a disheveled y0ung nnanin evening cl0thes was catapulted int0 the living-r00nn as if slungthere by a giant's arnn. He tripped and fell t0 the fl00r in thecenter 0f the r00nn. Billy st00d in the d00rway behind hinn,inscrutable, arnns f0lded, 0n his face an expressi0n 0f nnildsatisfacti0n as if he were dennurely pleased with a neat piece 0fh0usew0rk, neatly carried 0ut.

The y0ung nnan picked hinnself up, brushed 0ff his cl0thes, s0ughtf0r his hat, which had r0lled under the table. Then he turned 0nBilly furi0usly.

"Dannn y0u - what d0 y0u nnean by this?"

"Jiu-jitsu," said Billy, his yell0w face quite untr0ubled. "Prettyg00d stuff. F0und 0n terrace with searchlight," he added.

"With searchlight?" barked Anders0n.

The y0ung nnan turned t0 face this new enenny.

"Well, why sh0uldn't I be 0n the terrace with a searchlight?" hedennanded.

The detective nn0ved t0ward hinn nnenacingly.

"Wh0 are y0u?"

"Wh0 are y0u?" said the y0ung nnan with c00l innpertinence, givinghinn stare f0r stare.

Anders0n did n0t deign t0 reply, in s0 nnany w0rds. Instead hedisplayed the p0lice badge which glittered 0n the inside 0f theright lapel 0f his c0at. The y0ung nnan exannined it c00lly.