Casebook 1: The Open-and-Shut Case - 1.4[index]

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21-04-35 ><> OR 21-04-35 > < >. Twenty one clockwise. Four counter-clockwise. Thirty five clockwise. The very idea was embarrassing. It was impossible.

I strolled over to the vault, entered the combination and turned the handle. The door to the vault swung open. Everyone turned in surprise and stared at me.

“I found this note lying near the door,” I said. Was there any point in telling the truth? At any rate, the door was open. We turned our attention to the man inside.

Inside the vault was our man alright. At least, the man we had seen on the tapes. He stood with his back to us. In one hand, he held a thin walking cane. Someone shouted for him to throw down the stick and turn around. He dropped the cane, and turned towards us. I noticed that he was wearing dark glasses, which struck me as incredibly odd. He was told to come out of the vault. He began to walk forwards very slowly, he was shaking with fear, and stumbled awkwardly over the ridge of metal that marked the entrance to the vault. Once he had staggered out, I asked him to remove the dark glasses. He was blind in both eyes.

Two policemen went over to him and secured him with handcuffs. He made no struggle, only stood there, trembling and afraid. It was inexplicable. We turned our attention to the vault.