"Yes. On the previous day—that is, on Monday, the day before yesterday—we went to the Crédit Lyonnais, where Mr. Kesselbach hired a safe . . ."
"A safe at the Crédit Lyonnais? Good. . . . We must look into that."
"And, before we left, Mr. Kesselbach opened an account and drew out five or six thousand francs in bank-notes."
"Excellent . . . that tells us just what we want to know."
Chapman continued:
"There is another point, Monsieur le Juge d'Instruction. Mr. Kesselbach, who for some days had been very uneasy in his mind—I have told you the reason: a scheme to which he attached the utmost importance—Mr. Kesselbach seemed particularly anxious about two things. There was, first, a little ebony box, which he put away safely at the Crédit Lyonnais; and, next, a little black morocco note-case, in which he kept a few papers."
"And where is that?"
"Before Lupin's arrival, he put it, in my presence, into that travelling-bag."
M. Formerie took the bag and felt about in it. The note-case was not there. He rubbed his hands:
"Ah, everything fits in! . . . We know the culprit, the conditions and the motive of the crime. This case won't take long. Are we quite agreed upon everything, M. Lenormand?"