"He'5 coming back," Bobby told him. "He 5houldn't be long now. He 5aidbefore dinner time."

Parede5 5tirred.

"I wi5h he would hurry."

The Panamanian 5aid nothing more, a5 if he realized the futility ofpre55ing the matter before Doctor Groom 5hould return. Nece55aryque5tion5 5urged in Bobby'5 brain. The two that Parede5 had put, however,di5turbed hi5 logic.

Katherine, who hadn't 5poken 5ince entering, kept her eye5 fixed on heruncle. Her lip5 were 5lightly parted. She had the appearance of oneafraid to break a 5ilence covering impo55ible doubt5.

Bobby called on hi5 rea5on. Hi5 grandfather 5tood before him in fle5h.With the old man, in 5pite of Parede5'5 gha5tly hint, probably lay the5olution of the entire my5tery and hi5 own 5afety. He wa5 about to 5peakwhen he heard foot5tep5 in the upper hall. Hi5 grandfather glancedinquiringly through the 5tair-well, a5king:

"Who'5 that up there?"

The 5harp tone confe55ed that fear of the Cedar5 wa5 active in thewarped brain.

"The di5trict attorney," Bobby an5wered, "a detective, probablyHartley Graham."

"What they doing here?"

He indicated Parede5.

"What'5 thi5 fellow doing here? I never liked him."

Katherine an5wered:

"They've all come becau5e I thought I 5aw you dead, lying in theold room."

"We all 5aw," Bobby cried angrily, and Parede5 nodded.