"I represent the dead man's niece."
"Yes, it is here."
"May I see it?"
"Er—Not at the moment. It is being prepared. A little later perhaps—if you will be good enough to bring the necessary authorization."
"Authorization from whom?"
"Señor Alberto Alfieri, the dead man's nephew, who engaged the services of my establishment."
"Would you mind describing this man to me?"
The undertaker looked astonished, but complied nevertheless. "A young Spanish-American gentleman, short and stocky, very dark, pale skin through which his beard showed though he was freshly shaven, a purplish scar on his left cheek bone."
Greg recognized the description of one of the men in the Ninth Street house. "I believe I have met the gentleman," he said dryly, "but I cannot promise to produce credentials from him. Instead I will try to bring the dead man's niece here to-morrow morning to identify the body."
"That will be too late, sir."