Greg recognized the description of one of the men in the Ninth Street house. "I believe I have met the gentleman," he said dryly, "but I cannot promise to produce credentials from him. Instead I will try to bring the dead man's niece here to-morrow morning to identify the body." "That will be too late, sir." "What do you mean?" "My instructions are to have the body cremated without delay. I ship to the crematory this evening." Greg struck his fist into his palm. "I might have guessed as much!" he cried. "I don't understand you, sir." "You have been deceived!" said Greg earnestly. "This is really the body of Antonio Bareda who was murdered. His murderers are trying to destroy the evidence of their crime." The undertaker smiled indulgently. "My dear sir! This is a preposterous charge! You may be assured that I satisfied myself everything was in order before I accepted the work." "How 'in order?'" Greg demanded. "The death certificate, the permit from the Board of Health, the younger Mr. Alfieri's credentials----" "They have both money and influence," put in Greg. "The dead man's jewelry was still on his person when the body was brought here." "Men are murdered for other reasons than to secure their valuables. Look here, if I bring a reputable physician here will you allow him to perform an autopsy?" "Not without the consent of my client." "I hope he paid you in advance," said Greg. The other shrugged. "Did he give you an address?" The other named a number far up-town. "I'll swear it is fictitious. Will you do me the favor of investigating the address?" "I am not convinced of the necessity for that." "But you will at least delay the shipment of the body until I can get in communication with the dead man's niece?" "I intend to carry out my instructions to the letter." Greg perceived that the man was wholly under the influence of the handsome fee that had been paid him. He felt that he was wasting his time, but he tried one more appeal. "But don't you see, sir, that in asking you to delay matters I could have no possible motive except to discover the truth, while the motives of those who wish to destroy the body so hastily are at least open to suspicion?" "You should go to the police," was the cold reply. "That is what the police are for." "I can't open a vulgar newspaper sensation until I am surer of my ground." The undertaker rose. "Sorry I can do nothing for you." Greg tried a new line. "Look here, when you have shipped this body, your interest in it is at an end, isn't it?" The other shrugged expressively. "The ashes will be returned to me in due course. The order includes a handsome urn for their reception." "A bit of stage-play," said Greg bitterly. "It will never be called for. If this body happened to come back here from another direction would you accept an order to embalm it?"