It flashed into Kent's mind that he had seen Rochester's light top
coat and walking stick in the coat closet as he hung up his hat on
his arrival, and he again opened the closet door. The coat and
stick were still there; so Rochester had come to the office
immediately after leaving him, and carelessly left the safe
open! Kent smiled in spite of his vexation; the act was typical
of his eccentric partner.
Going back to his own office Kent opened the safe and glanced
inside. The pigeon holes and compartments appeared untouched,
except the door of one small compartment on Rochester's side. An
envelope was wedged in such a manner that the small door would
not shut and that had prevented the closing of the outer safe door.
Kent, preparatory to shutting the safe, drew out the envelope
intending to place it in another pigeon-hole where there was more
room. As he turned the envelope over he was thunderstruck to
recognize it as the one which Helen McIntyre had placed in the safe
on Wednesday morning. He had last seen the envelope lying on the
table in the smoking porch of the Club de Vingt, from whence it
had mysteriously disappeared, and now it was back again in
Rochester's safe!
Had it ever been missing from the safe? The question forced itself
on Kent as he returned to his chair, envelope in hand, and sat down
before his desk.
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