"Well, Cinderella," he said whimsically, "we're on the make again, but the odds are against us. If that dame can bite my arm and turn into an animal in the same night she'll make a hell of a mate for Jimmy." Drake was already halfway across the room, knotting the sash of his robe with long brown fingers. "It's the call of the wild," he shouted above the hiss of the shower. "We all have to answer it some time." * * * * * Half way out of town Jim Drake drew the coupe skillfully to the curb and turned off the motor. He had parked opposite the city library. Drake felt much better this morning. The sobering effect of the _Morning Star_ had made a new man of him in short order. Dressed neatly in a brown sport suit, clean white shirt and white shoes, Jim looked his type perfectly. Young bachelor with cash to burn, yet with a certain dissatisfaction in himself that had etched little wrinkles around the clear brown eyes. He pushed the door open and tapped Puffy Adams lightly on the shoulder. Exhausted from the events of the night before, Adams was cat-napping peacefully. He sat up stiffly under Drake's touch and his face reddened. "Huh?" "This is where you get out," Jim grinned. "You're going to do some reading this afternoon." Puffy was dumbfounded. His only association with the printed page was the _Morning Star_ and the _Police Gazette_. "Wait a minute," he protested. "Don't I get a look at that fox?" Jim piloted him skillfully from the car. "Look up a book on gems," he said. "I want to know how big the largest diamond was that has been found to date, where it came from, and if they've ever been found in the far north." Adams gulped, saw that the boss was sincere and started to turn away. Jim halted him. "After that, go down to police headquarters and see what you can dig up on George Lardner." Puffy's chin stiffened. "It'll be dirt," he said. "This boy Lardner comes from an old line of dirty wash. He's the heel of the family shoe." Jim Drake nodded. "That's what I figure," he agreed. "But I want all the facts." Adams pivoted, took one look at the imposing granite building in which he was about to trust his tender body and with a shake of his head mounted the long flight of steps. Jim Drake stepped hard on the accelerator and sped away toward Wildwood Zoo. * * * * * Once on the grounds he had little trouble finding the section of open air cages that housed the small animals. Wildwood was built with a complete lack of eye appeal. Down a tarred path he passed through tangled brush and approached a short line of ugly wired cages. The silver fox was crouching at the rear of the last cage. She stood up as he came near and started to trot slowly back and forth in front of him. Looking around carefully, Drake saw that he was alone. Afternoon crowds had long since deserted this uninteresting section.