“I am greatly concerned,” Jack Apt said. “I am the manager of Miss Dawn.” He sat down on a straight-back chair and placed the derby neatly on his knees. “I would like your assurance, sir—”

“Where is she?” Bob Spencer demanded, his voice harsh with desperation.

“The young lady is quite safe,” von Flanagan said coldly. “And what’s it to you?”

“I’m in love with her,” Bob Spencer said. “She’s in love with me.”

Malone looked at him and swallowed a sigh. He’d been cherishing a few very personal ideas about Doris Dawn. Now, he realized, he didn’t have a chance.

“We’re going to be married,” Bob Spencer added.

The little lawyer sat up in surprise, but said nothing.

Jack Apt beamed. “Just like two little lovebirds. And then there will be no more difficulty about the money.”

“Money?” Malone asked. It was one of his favorite subjects, right now more than ever.

“Never mind about the money,” Bob Spencer said, “Where is Doris?”

“Never mind about Doris,” Malone snapped. “What money?”

“Diana Dawn’s will,” Jack Apt explained. “She had a great deal of money. All of it from that unfortunate Mr. Stuart. She left it all to her second husband, Robert Spencer. Just before she died. Almost as though she had a premonition.”

Malone scowled. “But Robert Spencer had disappeared before then.”

“Quite right,” Jack Apt said, nodding and smiling. “Therefore the will stated that until he was found, Doris Dawn would receive the income from the estate, and would have the use of this property for living purposes.”

“‘Found,’” Malone quoted. “Did it specify—dead or alive?”

“No,” Jack Apt said. He looked very innocent and mild, turning his derby round and round on his knee. “A very curious will, I admit. But Diana wanted it that way. Robert had his faults, but she was fond of him. He stole from her, lied to her, almost ruined her career, but she was fond of him right up to the end.” Suddenly he didn’t look quite as innocent, nor as mild. “There is a clause—if her daughter should die, before he returned or was found, the money would go to his heirs. Or—if her daughter married, before he returned or was found, the money would go to the daughter and her husband. A very complicated will, but then, Diana Dawn had a very complicated personality.”

Young Bob Spencer obviously couldn’t stand this any longer. He said, “But this isn’t finding Doris. And she hasn’t married anybody, and he—hasn’t been found.”

Just at that moment one of the young policemen came in and said, “Johnson just found the rest of the left foot. Looks like we got all of him now.”

“Him?” Bob Spencer asked wildly. He stared around the room. “Where—is—Doris?”

“Right here,” Doris Dawn’s voice said.

Malone jumped, and turned around.