“Very well,” Mr. Wright was patient, but a little annoyed. “That being settled, we can take up the important matter of—the case!”
CHAPTER V
A DOUBLE PUZZLE
Barney stood up and looked at his watch: also, he frowned a little.
“I wish we didn’t have to waste the time,” he objected. “I’ve went through it all with you, Mr. Wright, and I wanted to take these lads along back to the plant in my car. I wanted to make it look like I just happened on them at the accident—the—well, the accident, and found they were interested in av-iation and brought them back to fill a couple of places in the plant.”
“But how can we solve a case if we don’t know what it is?” remonstrated Bob.
To that Curt nodded and Al bobbed his head rapidly.
“As a matter of fact,” Barney turned to Bob, “I think you would do a whole heap better if you went in to it blind, sort of. If you know all about it, you’ll go out to the plant, all serious and acting like judges or detectives. If you take it the way our youngest friend, Al, does—as a sort of lark—you won’t be suspected so quick.”
“There is something in that,” Mr. Wright admitted. “Al’s face is apt to give him away if he thinks it is really serious. Perhaps——”
“But all the same, Father,” Bob declared, “how will we know what to watch for? How will we know what to report?”
“Watch anything you see. Listen to whatever you hear. Report the whole business!” Barney exclaimed.