“You stayed?” Drew exploded.
“Sure I did. You remember that van on the street? They were in there, car and all! Pulled a swift one on us. Driver lowered the back gate and they drove up and in. Then he lifted the gate.
“I had ’em trapped like rats, I thought. I’d have made the driver take that van right into our squad-car garage. And then, would there have been fun!”
“But what happened?” Drew was staring now.
“Near as I can find out, the driver released the gate with some foot control. Iggy and his gang took the hint and backed right out while we were going. I saw them shoot round a corner. The trap was sprung, no rat in it—so I came home.
“How about a cup of coffee?” He moved toward the stove in the corner.
“Well that,” Drew said slowly, “is something!”
“There’ll be another day,” the Captain grumbled.
CHAPTER XIX
A WHISPER FROM AFAR
Late that afternoon Captain Burns’ car came to a stop before the “House of Magic.”