Tintin and the Will of Hartley Manor

by crayonsruletheworld

Tintin is given a new assignment - the will of Mr. Hartley. His money and estate was supposed to have gone almost entirely to charity, but distant cousins are now the sole inheritants. Is there a later will? Why are there men tailing Tintin? And what does the beautiful girl who just moved in across the hall have to do with this?

16. Chapter 16

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Chapter 16 – The Identical Room

Eva and the journalist didn't even look at each other, instead immediately going through the doorway. It was a study identical to the one they had just come through, except cool and dark.

Eva let out a breath. "It's the same room. But why –" she broke off, and shook her head. "It could be anywhere, and we don't know how much time we have until they find we're missing. Let's just start looking." She walked right over to the desk, and began to open the drawers.

Tintin moved to the paintings, taking them off the walls and seeing if there was anything hidden in the frames.

They worked steadily for an hour, going through the entire desk, all the frames, and the bookshelf. Finally, at the end of the last shelf, Eva sunk into a chair. "Why. Why is there this extra room, that's just the same? Why would it be here, but it not have the will? Why? Where else could it be?" With that, she buried her face in her hands.

Tintin sighed too. "I was so sure it was here. But we have a few more hours, surely. We could look –" He was cut off with a bark from Snowy. "What is it, boy?"

Eva looked up. She saw the dog pawing at a table. That's odd, she thought. That table shouldn't have – she stood up. "Tintin, I've got an idea. Help me move this table."

The journalist nodded, not needing explanation. They picked up either end of the small table, and with Eva's direction, moved it across the room.

"Now, that one. Let's move it back to where this one started." Picking up the same table, they began to move it back. When they got it across the room, Eva exclaimed "Look! There are grooves in the floor!"

They lowered the table and set it down, where the legs for perfectly into the shallow grooves. As the weight of the table rested on it, they heard a faint click.

"That's it!" Eva cried. Moving across the room to where they had abandoned the first table, she pointed to the floor. "There are grooves here too, and they match this table! Help me move it into place!"

Tintin crossed the room, and sure enough, they heard another faint click as they set the table down in its proper spot.

"I didn't notice it before, but there are a bunch of little things not in order – these chairs are switched, and so are those lamps. I only noticed it because of the legs on that table. Here, help me move them all too where they belong!"

Racing around the room, they moved things into their proper positions with satisfying clicks at every movement. As Eva set down the last lamp, they paused as five clicks sounded in quick succession.

Suddenly, an extra drawer in the woodwork opened from the desk. Eva slowly crossed to it, and pulled out a large manila envelope. Opening it quickly, a smile sprouted on her face. "The Last Will and Testament of Arthur Hartley."