stared at him. "Why not? You yourself hear parrot scream out of the dark. 'Murder. Help. Help. Put down gun.'"
Eden nodded. "I know. But that probably meant nothing."
Charlie Chan shrugged. "You understand parrot does not invent talk. Merely repeats what others have remarked."
"Of course," Eden agreed. "And Tony was no doubt repeating something he heard in Australia, or on a boat. I happen to know that all Madden said of the bird's past was the truth. And I may as well tell you, Charlie, that looking at things in the bright light of the morning, I feel we acted rather foolishly last night. I'm going to give those pearls to Madden before breakfast."
Chan was silent for a moment. "If I might presume again, I would speak a few hearty words in praise of patience. Youth, pardon me, is too hot around the head. Take my advice, please, and wait."
"Wait. Wait for what?"
"Wait until I have snatched more conversation out of Tony. Tony very smart bird—he speaks Chinese. I am not so smart—but so do I."
"And what do you think Tony would tell you?"
"Tony might reveal just what is wrong on this ranch," suggested Chan.
"I don't believe anything's wrong," objected Eden.
Chan shook his head. "Not very happy position for me," he said, "that I must argue with bright boy like you are."
"But listen, Charlie," Eden protested. "I promised to call my father this morning. And Madden isn't an easy man to handle."
"Hoo malimali," responded Chan.
"No doubt you're right," Eden said. "But I don't understand Chinese."
"You have made natural error," Chan answered. "Pardon me while I correct you. That are not Chinese. It are Hawaiian talk. Well known in islands—hoo malimali—make Madden feel good by a little harmless deception. As my cousin Willie Chan, captain of All-Chinese baseball team, translate with his vulgarity, kid him along."
"Easier said than done," replied Eden.
"But you are clever boy. You could perfect it. Just a few hours, while I have talk with the smart Tony."
Eden considered. Paula Wendell was coming out this morning. Too bad to rush off without seeing her again. "Tell you what I'll do," he said. "I'll wait until two o'clock. But when the clock strikes two, if nothing has happened in the interval, we hand over those pearls. Is that understood?"
"Maybe," nodded Chan.
"You mean maybe it's understood?"
"Not precisely. I mean maybe we hand over pearls." Eden looked into the stubborn eyes of the Chinese, and felt rather helpless. "However," Chan added, "accept my glowing thanks. You are pretty good. Now proceed toward the miserable breakfast I have prepared."
"Tell Madden I'll be there very soon."
Chan grimaced. "With your kind permission, I will alter that message slightly, losing the word very. In memory of old times, there remains little I would not do for Miss Sally. My life, perhaps—but by the bones of my honorable ancestors, I will not say 'velly.'" He went out.
On his perch in the patio, opposite Eden's window, Tony was busy with his own breakfast. The boy saw Chan approach the bird, and pause. "Hoo la ma," cried the detective.
Tony looked up, and cocked his head on one side. "Hoo la ma," he replied, in a shrill, harsh voice.
Chan went nearer, and began to talk rapidly in Chinese. Now and then he paused, and the bird replied amazingly with some phrase out of Chan's speech. It was, Bob Eden reflected, as good as a show.
Suddenly from a door on the other side of the patio the man Thorn emerged. His pale face was clouded with anger.
"Here," he cried loudly. "What the devil are you doing?"
"Solly, boss," said the Chinese. "Tony nice litta fellah. Maybe I take 'um to cook house."
"You keep away from him," Thorn ordered. "Get me—keep away from that bird."
Chan shuffled off. For a long moment Thorn stood staring after him, anger and apprehension mingled in his look. As Bob Eden turned away, he was deep in thought. Was there something in Chan's attitude, after all?
He hurried into the bath, which lay between his room and the vacant bedroom beyond. When he finally joined Madden, he thought he perceived the afterglow of that nervous fit still on the millionaire's face.
"I'm sorry to be late," he apologized. "But this desert air—"
"I know," said Madden. "It's all right—we haven't lost any time. I've already put in that call for your father."
"Good idea," replied the boy, without any enthusiasm. "Called his office, I suppose?"
"Naturally."
Suddenly Eden remembered. This was Saturday morning, and unless it was raining in San Francisco, Alexander Eden was by now well on his way to the golf links at Burlingame. There he would remain until late tonight at least—perhaps over Sunday. Oh, for a bright day in the north!
Thorn came in, sedate and solemn in his blue serge suit, and looked with hungry eyes toward the table standing before the fire. They sat down to the breakfast prepared by the new servant, Ah Kim. A good breakfast it was, for Charlie Chan had not forgotten his early training in the Phillimore household. As it progressed, Madden mellowed a bit.
"I hope you weren't alarmed last night by Tony's screeching," he said presently.
"Well—for a minute," admitted Eden. "Of course, as soon as I found out the source of the racket, I felt better."
Madden nodded. "Tony's a colorless little beast, but he's had a scarlet past," he remarked.
"Like some of the rest of us," Eden suggested.
Madden looked at him keenly. "The bird was given me by a sea captain in the Australian trade. I brought him here to be company for my caretaker, Louie Wong."
"I thought your boy's name was Ah Kim," said Eden, innocently.
"Oh—this one. This isn't Wong. Louie was called suddenly to San Francisco the other day. This Ah Kim just happened to drift in most opportunely yesterday. He's merely a stop-gap until Louie comes back."
"You're lucky," Eden remarked. "Such good cooks as Ah Kim are rare."
"Oh, he'll do," Madden admitted. "When I come west to stay, I bring a staff with me. This is a rather unexpected visit."
"Your real headquarters out here are in Pasadena, I believe?" Eden inquired.
"Yes—I've got a house there, on Orange Grove Avenue. I just keep this place for an occasional week end—when my asthma threatens. And it's good to get away from the mob, now and then." The millionaire pushed back from the table, and looked at his watch. "Ought to hear from San Francisco any minute now," he added hopefully.
Eden glanced toward the telephone in a far corner. "Did you put the call in for my father,
