At his first opportunity to talk to Mr. King, on the following day, Willie set forth his suspicions concerning Habib Mahaleb, with his reasons for those suspicions.
“I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if you are correct in your guess,” said Mr. King. “Are you going any further with your investigations? Or do you want our special investigators to take up the case now?” There was a smile on his face, but it was a pleasant smile.
“I’d like permission to look over some import records,” said Willie, “and find out what that fellow is shipping in.”
“We’ll look the records over all right enough,” said Mr. King, “but it will be best to have the work done by one of the clerks who is familiar with those records.”
When Mr. King saw that Willie looked disappointed, he went on, “You needn’t feel bad about it. You’ll get the credit if anything is turned up. But it is better to have them do the work because they can do it so much faster and also because I cannot spare you from that gate.”
“Very well, sir,” said Willie, but he was plainly disappointed.
Mr. King at once ordered an inspection of the list of goods imported from the Near East. The records showed nothing to confirm Willie’s suspicions. The name of Habib Mahaleb appeared relatively few times on the record of shipments from Turkey.
Willie was as much puzzled as he was mortified. For he hadn’t the least doubt in his own mind that he was right about the matter. Yet for a time he was completely baffled. He saw no way to get any farther with his investigation. But one day a secret agent of the department came in, who seemed to know a great deal about goods from the Near East. Willie overheard the man explaining to Mr. King about some shipments from Constantinople. As soon as the agent was done talking to Mr. King, Willie put some questions to him.
“Mr. Easterly,” he said, “is there any way in which the shipment of goods from the Near East can be covered up?”
“What do you mean?” asked the agent.