Chapter 4
I continued to inspect the desk, remarking to myself meanwhile, “Of all the blank blink blonk blunk luck.”
Since nothing more helpful than that occurred to me, I finally straightened up for a comprehensive survey. As far as I could see, everything was as before with the single exception of the suitcase. I went over to the corporal.
“Anyone been in here since Colonel Tinkham and Wolfe and I left?”
“No, sir. Oh yes, Colonel Tinkham came back shortly afterward. General Fife was with him.”
“Oh,” I said casually, “then I guess they took that chair.”
“Chair?”
“Yeah, one of the chairs Wolfe wanted me to examine — it seems to be gone — I’ll go and see—”
“There can’t be a chair gone, sir. Nobody took any chair or anything else.”
“You’re sure of that? Not even General Fife or Colonel Tinkham?”