first-class attorney and put himself into his hands.

He was still trying to make up his mind which attorney to go to when the telephone bell rang. He hesitated for a moment, then, thinking it might be Adams to tell him what was happening at headquarters, he lifted the receiver.

“That you, Lieutenant?” A deep, rich voice, which Ken instantly recognized as Sam Darcy’s, whispered in his ear. “The Lieutenant’s out. I think he’s at headquarters.” There was a pause, then Darcy said, “Can you take a message?”

“I guess so.”

“Okay, tell him a guy who looked like Johnny Dorman was seen on Tux’s cruiser, Willow Point. My man only caught a glimpse of him and he won’t swear it was Johnny.”

Ken felt a tingle of excitement run up his spine.

“I’ll tell him.”

“The cruiser’s anchored in the estuary. He’ll know.”

“Okay,” Ken said, and hung up.

For a long moment he stood thinking, then he put a call through to police headquarters.