The words of her father--"this is all that is left, what you see around you"--came back to him. Could it possibly be that they were actually poor? Because it was late she insisted upon taking him to his home. "Sometime," he said as they parted, "I want you to meet my mother." "I should like to very, very much," she answered. "And we must see each other again, soon." "You have already made a dream come true," he said. "I shall never forget your kindness." "Do not think of it that way," she said. "We shall be friends, very good friends, I am sure. Good night." "Good night and--thank you," he said. That night he lay awake until past midnight, recalling everything that happened during the day. His thoughts of Consuello gave place to speculation of what had become of Gibson and what would develop with his return in the coming week. Early Monday morning Brennan and John were called to the city editor's desk and P. Q. ordered them to renew their search for Gibson. "Drop everything else and don't stop until you find him," he said. "As you say, Brennan, he's up to something and it's up to us to keep our eyes wide open. The mayor is sitting tight on Gibson's ultimatum on Chief Sweeney's resignation and Sweeney's out this morning with a demand that Gibson co-operate with him and the department in his campaign. Get to work now and find Gibson." "I was thinking," said Brennan, "that Gibson's friend, Miss Carrillo, might know where he was. Gallant here should be able to find out what she knows." "Miss Carrillo knows no more than we do," John volunteered. "What makes you think so?" asked Brennan. "She told me." "When?" "Yesterday." "What did she say?" "Gibson told her that important business was taking him away and that he would be back sometime this week." "And she has no idea of what he's doing?" "None whatever." "Well," said Brennan. "That's that. Come on, Gallant, let's be going." The first edition of their newspaper carried Sweeney's statement calling upon Gibson to work with him instead of against him and the department in his effort to clean up the city. "If Commissioner Gibson has any evidence that Los Angeles is wide open, as he says, he should turn it over to the police department and I'll guarantee that conditions will be remedied before morning," Sweeney's statement read. "The police department is functioning. I'll stay on the job until the mayor removes me. "I deny the commissioner's charge that graft exists in the department and that the city is wide open. Let him come out and put his cards on the table, face up. If he has any reason to hesitate to take me into his confidence, why doesn't he say so. He speaks of the fair name of Los Angeles being dragged in the mire. I claim he is broadcasting that the city is wide open without tangible substantiation of his charge." Brennan puffed at his inevitable cigarette as they headed for Gibson's office.