“The hiding place can’t be too obscure,” he continued. “Burckhardt wasn’t a man of great subtlety, and I don’t imagine he intended to find a permanent hiding place. Only his sudden death prevented him from disposing of the shrine.”

“I’ll bet he didn’t plan to give it to the church.”

“It’s a safe bet. Why hide it, if that was his intention? Now there aren’t that many places where it could have been hidden. I’ve made a list. Maybe you can think of some more.”

Tony pulled out his notebook.

“The crypt is one place. I don’t see why the old boy should have removed the treasure from one tomb only to put it in another, but it won’t take long to check. I’ll examine the other tombs this afternoon. The chapel was remodeled in the eighteenth century, so that’s out. You’ve looked at the library, and didn’t find anything. Burckhardt wouldn’t choose his wife’s room, or the servants’ quarters, or any of the public rooms such as the kitchen, scullery, etcetera. It seems to me that the best possibilities are Burckhardt’s room and the cellars. I’m going to check the cellars first because of the fact that the plan of that part of the Schloss is missing. Does this make any sense to you?”

“It does. But I can think of one other place.”

“Where?”

“The Wachtturm.”

“We looked there.”

“Not thoroughly. Another point. The Schloss seems to be riddled with secret passages. Maybe there is one from the crypt to the tower. Or the crypt to—almost anywhere. I can’t see Burckhardt carrying an object the size of the shrine through the public corridors on that fateful night.”

“It’s a point. Well, we won’t find anything sitting here drinking beer.”

He stood up and the waitress swooped down on him with the bill. I stayed put.

“Do I understand you are inviting me to join you in your investigations?” I inquired.

“Understand whatever you like.” Tony hesitated. Then he blurted, “I don’t want you poking around in those lonesome places by yourself. You’re dumb enough to go exploring on your own, even after what has been happening. If I have to take you with me to keep you out of mischief, that’s what I’m prepared to do.”

“Oh,” I said. “You’re so sweet to little helpless me. I don’t know how to thank you. I’m just all a-twitter….”

“I’ll even put up with your smart-aleck remarks,” Tony said shortly. “Come on.”

I had been trying to decide whether to tell him about the secret passage and my discovery of the missing armor. I decided not to.

A little later, dressed in working clothes and equipped with flashlights, we descended into the crypt. After an hour of eyestrain and general wear and tear, Tony rose stiffly to his feet.