“Just a minute. Some important papers came through late this afternoon and I placed them in one of the files myself. I want to be sure that they’re here.”
The filing chief stepped to the radio filing cabinet and skimmed through the papers with expert fingers.
Bob saw the frown of anxiety deepen on the filing chief’s face as his fingers sorted the documents expertly. Jacobs shook his head and then bent down and scanned each document on the floor in front of the case.
“Anything important missing?” asked Merritt Hughes.
Jacobs didn’t answer at once, and when he finally looked up, Bob read the answer in his face.
“Yes,” said the filing chief in a voice so low that it carried only a few feet, “the papers which came over this afternoon have vanished.”
Chapter IX
SUSPICIONS
★
Bob and his uncle stared at Arthur Jacobs with unbelieving eyes, and the filing chief saw their doubt.
“The papers are gone—gone I tell you.” His voice rose almost to a frenzy for this was the first time that such a thing had occurred in his usually well ordered and carefully routined department, and he had visions of losing his job.
“Yes, yes, we heard you,” replied Merritt Hughes. “But perhaps you missed them in going through the file. Let’s go through together.”