“I heard some talk, this morning,” Bob told his brother and Curt. “It’s serious, fellows! Missing parts aren’t half the puzzle—and tampering with airplanes isn’t all the rest.”
“What is, then?” demanded Al.
“They think, in the wing assembling room,” Curt put in, “that the airplane fell this morning because something went wrong with Mr. Tredway. The plant owner was delivering that craft himself. They all argue that he must have had a heart attack, or something of the sort, because the airplane was tested and gone over thoroughly. They say he must have been taken sick and lost control. Is that what you mean?”
“I heard some ‘mechs’ saying they think he deliberately made away with himself because of money trouble or something they don’t know about,” added Al. “Maybe trouble with his family, one says.”
“That isn’t it,” Bob said soberly.
“What is?”
“The talk in the engine plant was that some enemy deliberately tampered with that airplane because—because he knew the owner was to fly it.”
“But—” Curt was astounded, “but, Bob—that would be——”
“Yes,” admitted Bob, very gravely, “yes—it would!”
“That makes the puzzle about missing parts and the rest unimportant,” Curt commented, thoughtfully.