Why not begin at the beginning ?" The note was unsigned, but in the spot where a signature might have been there was a rough pen drawing of two hands, with fingers extended, talon fashion, menacingly, as though poised to strike at some unseen enemy.
Quest, after their first moment of stupefaction, whistled softly.
"The hands!" he muttered.
"What hands ?" Lenora asked.
"The hands that gripped Mrs.Rheinholdt by the throat," he reminded them.
"Don't you remember?
Hands without any arms ?" There was another brief, almost stupefied silence.

Then Laura broke into speech.
"What I want to know is," she demanded, "who brought the thing here ?" "A most daring exploit, any way," Quest declared.

"If we could answer your question, Laura, we could solve the whole riddle.

We are up against something, and no mistake." Lenora shivered a little.

The mystery of the thing terrified her, the mystery which only stimulated her two companions.
"The hand which placed that box here," Quest continued slowly, "is capable of even more wonderful things.