“I am so sorry! That is all I can say,” and Bob turned to go. “Good-by, all of you. I fancy you won’t want to see me in your shop any more.”
“Oh, well, we may have to see you to try and clear up this matter,” said Josie, brusquely. She followed him to the door and out into the hall. Her manner suddenly changed.
“Shh!” she warned. “It is all right. Don’t worry a minute. I have the notes all safe. You must forgive me for being so rude. Don’t ask any questions now but come back in a few minutes. Wait across the street until you see Mrs. Markle is gone, or better still, go to the back of the house and come up in the elevator and wait there until she is out of the house. We need your help. Understand?”
“No, but it is all right if you say so,” was Bob’s relieved reply.
“Well, young man, you come back here as soon as the coast is clear and, if you are sharp, you are going to assist in the biggest haul of fourflushers of this century. Also, you are going to get the scoop of your life for your paper. But don’t move without letting me know.” With that Josie turned back the collar of her middy blouse and disclosed a badge that made Bob whistle.
The young man carried down those old stairs a much lighter heart than he had carried up.
“Who would have thought it?” he muttered. “A chip of the old block, that’s sure—but what has the beautiful Mrs. Markle to do with it? Gee! But life is interesting!”
When Josie went back in the shop, Hortense began with a bitter invective against Bob Dulaney. Of course, he had purloined the notes. He very well knew their value and was simply trying to pull the wool over Josie’s eyes. Empty and blank papers indeed! She had seen the sheets all covered with notes with her own eyes and had seen Josie tie the ribbons around the little book in the hardest kind of a knot. Dulaney had simply sold them to some collector. For her part she had no faith in him. Why didn’t Josie send for the police? Josie told her perhaps she would but, after all, she doubted the papers being so very valuable. She only prized them for sentimental reasons. Irene sat like a frozen girl during the conversation. She longed for Hortense to go, which she did soon, and then Bob came whizzing up in the dumb-waiter and there was general rejoicing in the Higgledy-Piggledy Shop.
“We must lie very low and keep very quiet,” warned Josie. “Remember we are all novices and dealing with hardened criminals. We must not make the mistake the Markles are making in underestimating the intelligence of our opponents. Father always said to give the enemy credit for having more sense and ingenuity than you possess yourself and try to make up for your possible lack by eternal vigilance. Do you realize, Elizabeth, that our shop has been drawn into this net, that we are receivers of stolen goods? Every one of these trinkets has been stolen, also the rugs she is to send up on approval. Of course, she hopes we will buy them outright and hand over the money in case she and her rascally husband may have to vamoose in a hurry. We will keep her waiting for a few days, eh, partner Elizabeth?”