With all else that was known, and this little additional information, which seemed of no particular value to the reporter, the entire matter was laid before The Thinking Machine. That distinguished man listened from beginning to end without comment.
"Who had access to the room? " he asked finally.
"That is what the police are working on now, " was the reply. "There are a couple of dozen servants in the house, and I suppose, in spite of Kale' s rigid orders, there was a certain laxity in their enforcement."
"Of course that makes it more difficult, " said The Thinking Machine in the perpetually irritated voice which was so distinctly a part of himself. "Perhaps it would be best for us to go to Mr. Kale' s home and personally investigate."
Kale received them with the reserve which all rich men show in the presence of representatives of the press. He stared frankly and somewhat curiously at the diminutive figure of the scientist, who explained the object of their visit.
"I guess you fellows can' t do anything with this, " the millionaire assured them. "I' ve got some regular detectives on it."
"Is Mr. Mallory here now? " asked "The Thinking Machine" curtly.
"Yes, he is up stairs in the servants' quarters."
"May we see the room from which the picture was taken?" inquired the scientist, with a suave intonation which Hatch knew well.
Kale granted the permission with a wave of the hand, and ushered them into the ball room, where the pictures had been stored. From the relative center of this room The Thinking Machine surveyed it all. The windows were high. Half a dozen doors leading out into the hallways, to the conservatory, and quiet nooks of the mansion offered innumerable possibilities of access. After this one long comprehensive squint, The Thinking Machine went over and picked up the frame from which the Rubens had been cut. For a long time he examined it. Kale' s impatience was painfully evident. Finally the scientist turned to him.