Chapter 7 POLICEMEN IN THE HOUSE
　　The police were very, very thorough. The children got tired of them long before lunch-time; Joandidn't. She made them cups of coffee and put some of her homemade buns on a plate and sent Anneto pick up ripe plums. She felt proud to think that it was she who had discovered the ransacked¹ study.
　　There were two policemen. One was a sergeant², rather solemn and very correct. He interviewed eachof the children and asked them exactly the same questions. The other man went over the study bit bybit, very thoroughly³ indeed.
　　'Looking for finger-prints, I suppose,' said Anne. 'Oh dear - when can we go and bathe?'
　　The thing that puzzled everyone, the police included, was - how did the thief or thieves get in?
　　Both policemen went round the house, slowly and deliberately⁴ trying every door and window stilllocked or fastened. They stood and looked at the pantry window for some time.
　　'Got in there, I suppose,' said one of them.
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　　'Must have been as small as a monkey then,' said the other. He turned to Anne, who was the smallestof the four children. 'Could you squeeze through there, Missy, do you think?'
　　'No,' said Anne. 'But I'll try if you like.' So she tried - but she stuck fast before she got even halfwaythrough, and Julian had to pull hard to get her down again.
　　'Have you any idea what has been stolen, sir?' the sergeant asked Julian, who seemed extraordinarilygrownup that morning.
　　'No, sergeant - none of us has,' said Julian. 'Not even George here, who knows her father's workbetter than any of us. The only thing we know is that my uncle went to America to lecture a shorttime ago - and he brought back two notebooks, full of valuable diagrams and notes. He did say thatother countries might be very glad to get hold of those. I expect they were in that safe.'
　　'Well - they'll certainly be gone then,' said the sergeant, shutting his own fat notebook with a snap.
　　'Pity when people leave such things in an ordinary safe - and then go off without leaving an address.
　　Can't we possibly get in touch with him? This may be terribly important.'
　　'I know,' said Julian, looking worried. 'We shall have an address in a day or two - but I honestly don'tsee how we can get in touch before then.'

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