“Correct. Take a good look at it.”
Mr. King picked up the wax and looked at it. Then he sat bolt upright in his chair. “Looks like the impression of a key in it,” he suggested.
“Let me have the key to your desk drawer,” said the Secret Service man. “I mean the drawer from which those papers were taken.”
Mr. King pulled out his keys and removed one from the ring. He handed it to Sheridan. The latter laid it on the wax beside the impression already there, and pressed hard on it. When he lifted the key two distinct impressions stood side by side in the wax. And the impressions were duplicates.
“I felt certain of it,” said the Secret Service man.
“Where did you get that wax?” demanded the Treasury Agent.
“Found it—in this building.” And that was every word about the matter the Secret Service man would say. “I’ll tell you the sequel the minute I find it.” And the big member of the cleaning force picked up a spittoon, as though that was what he had come for, and hurried down the corridor with it.
A few days later he returned. He did not bring back the cuspidor, however, but in its place came a tall, lanky, swaggering lad, with an evil leer on his face. When Willie saw the lad entering the anteroom he leaped to his feet, apprehensive of trouble. The visitor was his predecessor. The “smart” look had gone from his face, however. In its place was a sullen, defiant, ugly expression that fairly startled Willie. And when the former office boy glared at Willie, with a world of hatred shining in his eyes, Willie was certain he was in for trouble. His heart beat quick and he glanced about to see what he could defend himself with. His alarm was needless, however, for close behind young Smith came a large individual who plainly belonged to the cleaning force. Willie had to look at the man several times before he realized that he was looking at the big Secret Service man. The disguise was complete. A sigh of relief escaped from Willie’s lips when he realized who the big fellow was. But he had no idea what could bring young Smith and Sheridan into the Special Agent’s office together.
Nor did he at once find out, for the Secret Service man and his companion passed into the inner office, after the briefest announcement of their arrival, and the door was closed.
Once inside the door, Sheridan drew from his pocket a thin, flat, narrow strip of metal. One end of it was plain. Little tooth-like projections had been filed along one edge at the other end. On the Special Agent’s desk Sheridan laid the piece of wax he had exhibited during his earlier visit. Beside the wax he placed the thin metal strip. Without a word the Special Agent picked up wax and metal and applied the one to the other. The end of the metal that had been filed into a key fitted exactly into the impressions of the desk key in the wax.