“It looks like a button from a woman’s dress. But I don’t recall that my wife has one with jet fasteners.”
“So she said.” Captain Eggleston picked up the button and dropped it into his pocket again. “The button may or may not be a clue. It’s not much to go on in any case.”
“You think the box may have been taken by a woman?” Mr. Hatfield asked in amazement.
“This button is the only thing that points in that direction. It may have been in the drawer for a long while.”
“I never saw it before. At least I never noticed it.”
The policemen at last seemed to accept Mr. Hatfield’s word that he had told them everything he knew about the disappearance. They asked Dan a few routine questions and finally left.
“I’ll be jogging along too,” Dan said. “If I don’t get a move on, I’ll be late for supper.”
“Don’t forget your roofing discs,” Mr. Hatfield reminded him. “See you tomorrow. Meanwhile, don’t worry about the money. Sooner or later, police will turn up a clue.”
On his way to the door, Dan asked the Cub leader if he thought the jet button had any real significance.
“I can’t see it myself,” Mr. Hatfield replied. “Though how the button came to be in the desk is a puzzle too. This whole thing is a headache.”