“What’s the good word?” he asked.
Tim shook his head glumly.
“There isn’t any. ‘Mr. Seven’ checked out last night but left his baggage at the hotel.”
“Then he’s coming back?”
“Undoubtedly, but that is another question, and what’s more, he may be doing something right now that is big news.”
“Why don’t you go to Carson and get a couple of days off. That would give you a real chance to run down this story.”
“The managing editor would probably laugh at my hunch. Nope, I’ll keep my eye on the story and try to grab on to ‘Mr. Seven’ when he comes back to the hotel.”
Ralph had an assignment in an outlying district of the city and he left the office at once while Tim sat down to write a column of aviation news.
The chief copyreader left his desk and joined Tim.
“I overheard what you were telling Ralph,” he said. “Too bad that ‘Mr. Seven’ got away before Inspector Prentiss could see him.”