Part 17 (1/2)
”All right, sir; leave me the keys of your private safe, then leave me alone in the room where your safe is located, and we will settle the question once and forever.”
”You will not find the letter.”
”You think so?”
”I am sure.”
”Why are you so sure?”
”If I put it anywhere I put it in my private safe, and I have looked through the safe several times.”
”Looked through?” repeated the detective.
”Yes.”
”But never made a search?”
”I would call it a search.”
”I might not.”
”Very well, sir, you shall satisfy yourself. Here are my keys, and the safe is in that room built into the wall, and guarded as no other private safe is guarded in this city.”
Jack pulled out his watch and said:
”It is after eleven o'clock; I may be hours. Will you trust me alone here until morning?”
”I will.”
”Then you will retire?”
”I will, but if you do find the letter arouse me. But nonsense, you will never find it.”
”I will never be satisfied until I have at least made a search for it.
The doc.u.ment is too important to be pa.s.sed over as lost by one who only _looked_ for it. I will make a search, and, sir, I have a strange, weird premonition that I will find it.”
”Then, sir, you would only be doing your duty if you hung me by the neck until I should die.”
”We will not punish you as severely as that.”
The detective was left alone with the safe and the keys in his possession, and as he opened the safe a feeling came over him as though he were really opening the doors of a tomb. Jack removed every article from the safe; removed every drawer and piled them on a table which he had placed for the purpose. It was evident that indeed he intended to make a _search_.
Having taken everything from the safe he commenced to return them one at a time. First the drawers, and he closely examined and sounded them--indeed his examination was as precise as though he had an object under a magnifying gla.s.s, and so he returned article after article and had spent three full hours. All was returned to the safe but one book, a sort of ledger. The detective took it in his hands, and as he did so he muttered:
”Well, I have one satisfaction--I have at least made a _search_.”
He took the ledger, sat down on a chair, and placing the book on his knees commenced turning over leaf after leaf, and his method was but an indication of the thoroughness with which he had conducted the whole examination. We will admit that he had lost all hope of finding the letter, but he was determined that he should never reproach himself for any carelessness in carrying on the investigation.
Patiently and carefully he turned leaf after leaf until he had pa.s.sed through nearly three-quarters of the heavily-bound volume, and then suddenly it fell from his lap, and he sat rigid like one suddenly chilled to the heart. His eye had fallen on a letter, and on it was written: