Their search of the room neared an end and Arthur Jacobs looked even more downcast.
“I knew it was missing when I failed to find it in the file,” he groaned. “This is where I lose my reputation.”
“Don’t worry about that. We’ve got to find this paper first,” said Merritt Hughes. “Go through the file once more.”
With the federal agent on one side and Bob on the other, the filing chief examined every paper in the cabinet, but without success.
Merritt Hughes turned on his nephew.
“You’re sure that you were the only one in this office until this fellow got in?” he asked Bob.
Bob hesitated, wondering whether he dared implicate Tully Ross by mentioning his name. But Tully had been there and the disappearance of the radio document was too important to let anything like that interfere, he decided.
“Well, Tully Ross dropped in for a few minutes,” said Bob.
“Why didn’t you tell me this in the first place?” asked the federal agent, and Bob felt the color in his cheeks mounting at the rebuke which was implied by his uncle’s words.