"I can't, Chief."
"What's that?"
"It's gone."
Don Luis stifled an oath. The drab-cloth diary, which the engineer had placed in the safe before their eyes, had disappeared.
Mazeroux shook his head.
"Dash it all! So they knew about that diary!"
"Of course they did; and they knew plenty of other things besides. We've not seen the end of it with those fellows. There's no time to lose. Ring up!"
Mazeroux did so and soon received the answer that M. Desmalions was coming to the telephone. He waited.
In a few minutes Perenna, who had been walking up and down, examining different objects in the room, came and sat down beside Mazeroux. He seemed thoughtful. He reflected for some time. But then, his eyes falling on the fruit dish, he muttered:
"Hullo! There are only three apples instead of four. Then he ate the fourth."
"Yes," said Mazeroux, "he must have eaten it."
"That's funny," replied Perenna, "for he didn't think them ripe."
He was silent once more, sat leaning his elbows on the table, visibly preoccupied; then, raising his head, he let fall these words:
"The murder was committed before we entered the room, at half-past twelve exactly."
"How do you know, Chief?"
"M. Fauville's murderer or murderers, in touching the things on the table, knocked down the watch which
