“Silas Harshaw was working on an invention — a remote-control machine. He was very secretive about his plans, and he had very little success in interesting people in them.
“He wrote to me and asked me to visit him, which I did, about six months ago. The old man took me to his laboratory and brought me in here. He showed me just enough of his work to arouse my interest.
“Then it developed that he wanted me to influence my cousin, Arthur Wilhelm, to invest money in the experiments.”
“Arthur Wilhelm, the soap manufacturer?” inquired Cardona.
“Yes,” replied Biscayne. “Arthur is very wealthy. He agreed to let Silas Harshaw have three thousand dollars as a preliminary fund. Harshaw went to work, and I came here occasionally to see how he was progressing. My last visit was two days ago.
“I came here late in the afternoon. Harshaw’s servant, a man named Homer, let me in. Harshaw met me and brought me into this room.
“He said that he was going out for an hour, and asked me to remain here. He gave me a manuscript that he had written on remote control. I read it during his absence. It was crudely scrawled, in longhand, and was very vague in its details.
“After Harshaw returned, he asked me if I could obtain more money from Arthur Wilhelm. I said that I would find out; but I offered no assurance.
“I left at seven o’clock, and Homer went with me. The servant told me that he had been discharged, and that he was not coming back. He did not know why Harshaw had dismissed him. I could have told him, but I refrained from doing so.”
“Why was that?” asked Cardona.