“Look at that!” he exclaimed. “It’s cleverer than I thought! What happened to the drawer, anyway?”
The compartment had closed so perfectly that neither the inspector nor the detective could find its outline in the woodwork.
“Neither Oscar nor Willis knew about this drawer,” said Cardona. “I pushed it in before, but not all the way.
“Now I’ve locked it. How in blazes are we going to open it?”
“We’ll try later,” said the inspector, dryly. “Anything more?”
“Yes,” returned Cardona, turning away from the desk. “It was Willis who called the police. He and Oscar believe that the house was entered twice during Marchand’s absence.
“The first time, Oscar heard a noise downstairs. The second time, they discovered a man in this room.
The burglar escaped through an open window on the first floor. They gained no description of him.
“The second attempt caused them to summon Marchand home.”
“Why?”