A surprised look appeared in the detective’s eyes as he saw the scrawled notation:
DETECTIVE CARDONA — IMPORTANT.
From where had this come? The room had been searched quite thoroughly, although nothing had been removed.
Until now, the papers in drawer E had not seemed to possess importance. They had been regarded merely as rough, unfinished diagrams. But this envelope had not been seen.
It must have been placed here since the death of Silas Harshaw!
The word “important” prompted Cardona to action. Without calling to Biscayne, he tore open the envelope.
It contained a folded sheet of paper. Opening this, Cardona viewed a series of neatly inscribed words, that declared short, startling statements.
This is what Cardona saw:
Request Professor Roger Biscayne to tell: (1) Why he has never stated that he knew everything that Silas Harshaw did. (2) Why he has not stated that he is a member of the Merrimac Club and had a key to Louis Glenn’s room. (3) Why he arranged the letter that told Thomas Sutton to look in the closet under the stairs. (4) Why he risked the decision that asphyxiation was a sure death for James Throckmorton. (5) Why he has not mentioned that he is the sole legatee in Arthur Wilhelm’s will.
Below was another series of closely formed tabulations: