"That is the one handed to you by Señor Rodriguez," Mr. Grimm told her.
"I think you said you lost it in his office yesterday afternoon?"

"Yes?" She nodded inquiringly.

"It may interest you to know that Señor Rodriguez's butler positively
identifies it as one he restored to you twice at dinner last evening,
between seven and nine o'clock," Mr. Grimm went on dispassionately.

"Indeed!" exclaimed Miss Thorne.

"The señor identifies it as one he found this morning in his office,"
Mr. Grimm explained obligingly. "During the night fifty thousand dollars
in gold were stolen from his safe."

There was not the slightest change of expression in her face; the
blue-gray eyes were still inquiring in their gaze, the white hands still
at rest, the scarlet lips still curled slightly, an echo of a smile.

"No force was used in opening the safe," Mr. Grimm resumed. "It was
unlocked. It's an old model and I have demonstrated how it could have
been opened either with the assistance of a stethoscope, which catches
the sound of the tumbler in the lock, or by a person of acute hearing."

Miss Thorne sat motionless, waiting.

"All this means--what?" she inquired, at length.

"I'll trouble you, please, to return the money," requested Mr. Grimm