The house in which Nick and Chick found themselves had been a good one, but it was now badly in need of repair.
The main hall was comparatively wide for so narrow a building, and a heavy balustrade fenced off the stairs on one side.
The detectives paused just inside the door and listened intently. The doors on the first floor were all closed and the rooms behind them appeared to be untenanted. At any rate, all was still on that floor. Subdued noises of various sorts floated down to them from above, however, seemingly from the third floor.
They looked at each other significantly. Evidently, their theory had been correct—to some extent, at least.
They approached each of the doors in turn, but could hear nothing. Under the stairway they found the expected door leading down to the basement
