"Go in, please, and wait. I'm going to lock everything up. We're going
to take every precaution this time. Frankly, I don't see how any agency
can do more than we have already. Were we dealing with ordinary crooks
or blackmailers, I would have you take a taxi and move to some Fifth
Avenue hotel. But it seems an unnecessary risk. This is the safest
place in the world, despite the letter from the casket company and the
former warning. What man can enter this place to-night--without our
permission?"

"I'd like to see one!" blurted Delaney.

Harry Nichols offered his arm to Loris. They passed from the view of
the two detectives with the locked, gliding stride of two dancers who
moved to slow time. Drew heard the portieres which led to the
writing-room rustle downward and settle into place. He passed his hand
over his forehead and breathed deeply.

"We'll get busy," he whispered tersely. "We'll search these rooms
again. Let's start with a definite foundation!"

Delaney grunted at the uselessness of this as he reached and took the
detective's overcoat which was peeled off and extended to him.

"Hang it on a chair," said Drew sharply. "Over there with my hat. Now,"
he snapped, "what about the windows of this room, the little reception
hall and the bedroom over there? That's a bedroom, isn't it?"

"Sure, Chief! I frisked it good. The Central Office men were up here
early in the morning. They went through everything. Fosdick, they say,
was like a bull. He said the thing couldn't be done."

"It _was_ done!"

"Did you get any clue, Chief, as to how it was done?"

"It's as much a mystery as ever. But we're trimming the tree called
Truth with a broad ax. I'm going around this case to get the man or men
who did it. Then we'll find out how it was done!"

"Oh!" Delaney's expression was thought-laden. "Just thought of it,
Chief. I got them plaster-of-paris casts. I got 'em down stairs. It was
some job, believe me. I took everything about that junction-box, after
I'd thawed the snow with hot blankets which a good-looking cook brought
to me."

"Go down and get them!"

Delaney hurried out through the tapestries of the room. Drew started
his search of the apartment by a study of the windows and the catches.
He opened one and glanced outside. Snow had drifted to the depth of
three inches on the sill. This snow was unmarked. He examined all of
the sills extending from the three rooms. He closed and locked the
windows. He backed