The hidden man moved to the corner where old Harshaw’s sculptured objects still rested undisturbed. Again, that low laugh. The light went out. Something was lifted softly from the table.
Now, The Shadow was gone from the study. He was in another part of the apartment — the room which had served Harshaw as laboratory and workshop.
Here, the man in black made a careful survey. He discovered a drawer that bore the letter “E.” That was the drawer for which The Shadow searched.
He slid it open, and discovered several papers. They were mostly crude, hand-sketched diagrams that meant nothing, in themselves.
They might have pertained to some contrivance, but without the actual apparatus, they were useless.
The Shadow paid but little attention to these sketches. He replaced them carefully.
Then, from his pocket, he drew an envelope. It was sealed, and on its face it bore the words:
DETECTIVE CARDONA — IMPORTANT
The characters were written in a shaky scrawl. They had been formed by the hand of The Shadow.
They were identical with the writing that had appeared upon the envelope that had been received by Thomas Sutton — the wrapper which had contained the notation concerning the gold-headed cane.