Unrolling the time-yellowed sheets, they saw that they really were the old contractor’s plans of the house.
With a sigh of satisfaction Wise commenced to study them,—Granniss looking over his shoulder.
Minna sat quietly, her nervousness lost in her eager anticipation of the new detective’s successful quest.
The two men studied the plans carefully.
“I wish North could see these,” Rodney said; “he’s of an architectural bent, Mr Wise, and he measured the house all over, trying to find an unexplained bit of space. According to these plans, North is right, and there isn’t any.”
“I’m of an architectural bent myself,” Wise smiled, “and I agree, there’s no foot of room left unaccounted for on these papers. Of course a secret passage could have been built in, in contradiction of the plans, but I can’t think there is any such, after your own search. It might be out-of-doors?”
“But we would have seen anyone going in or out of the house,” Minna explained. “We were all watching.”
“The back doors?”
“There’s only one,” Rodney told him. “And that was locked on the inside. Locked and bolted. No, whatever happened, nobody came in through the kitchen.”
“Do you assume an intruder, then, Mr Wise?” Minna asked.