"No, I caught only a fleeting glimpse of his face."
"It wasn't Max Lynch?"
"I'm sure it wasn't, Dad. I'd have recognized him instantly, for his appearance is distinctive."
Mr. Nichols bent down to examine a footprint in the soft earth beneath the rose trellis. He measured it with his hand.
"The thief must wear about a size eleven shoe," he mentioned, "and a gray suit of excellent quality. Other than that, I'm afraid we have no clues."
"Why should anyone want my copy of the Black Imp?" Penny repeated in a bewildered tone. "Dad, you don't suppose Hanley Cron considered it his property and dared to take it?"
"That's a possibility," Mr. Nichols agreed after a moment of thought. "From the first his connection with the Imp has been odd to say the least. I'll have a talk with him tomorrow and see what I can learn."
When Penny and her father entered the house, Mrs. Gallup was still searching the lower floor.
"Anything more missing?" the detective asked.
"Not that I can discover. The silver is all here."