They had made a most exhaustive search of the room without a discovery or a trace of them, and, having roused up everybody in the house, had pushed their inquiries without receiving any information as to the disappearance of the drawings.
But they had learned that one of the tenants in the house, at a late hour in the previous night, had seen two men enter Spike Thomas’ rooms, supposing one of them to be Spike Thomas.
As neither Spike Thomas nor Bally Morris had been near the rooms during the night, the conclusion was that somebody had entered for the purpose of stealing those drawings and models, and had obtained them.
That was the whole story, although it was garnished with oaths and guesses and charges.
Patsy at once formed an idea as to who those thieves were, but he made no remark to Bally Morris or Spike.
Sending them away, with instructions to hold themselves in readiness to obey any call that he might make on them, he hurriedly finished his dressing and went to the room of Chick, who had quarters in the same house.
Rapping on Chick’s door, he received, however, no response.
The door was locked, and, as Chick was a light sleeper, Patsy felt that Chick was not within his room. In his own room there was a key to Chick’s, as there was in Chick’s a key to his, that each might enter the other’s room when necessity required.
Obtaining that key and entering the room, Patsy saw at a glance that Chick had not occupied it during the night.
“Holy smoke!” he said aloud, to himself, “I don’t like the looks of this. I must tell the chief.”