Part 12 (2/2)
”He's right,” Scotty agreed ”We'll get there soon enough”
Within a few moments they were back at the hotel Rick paid the driver and thanked him for the help, then they ran in and confronted the clerk
”Is Dr Briotti back?”
”I haven't seen hientlemen Just a moment please” The clerk looked in Tony's box ”His key is not here Have you called his room?”
”Not yet Would you have seen him if he came in?” Rick asked
”Perhaps Perhaps not I've been doing soht not notice him”
The boys nodded their thanks and hurried up the stairs to Tony's room
They tried the door, then knocked loudly There was no answer They knocked again, waited, then stared at each other bleakly
”Nohat?” Rick had a feeling that Tony was in danger He didn't knohy he felt that hen the only news they had was that he had gone off in a sedan with three ht, or that he had been pulled into the car He voiced his thoughts as he followed Scotty to their roo,” Scotty pointed out ”He probably wouldn't argue with a gun pointing out theat him The workmen probably wouldn't have noticed a pistol barrel”
”You're right, as usual Well, what now?”
”Call the cops?”
”What would we say? Tony hasn't been gone more than an hour or two, so far as we know That's not reason enough to call the cops We couldn't tell them about Chahda and what he said They wouldn't believe any such stories about their assistant Secretary of the Interior, and if they did, they'd probably be afraid to do much about it If Tony doesn't show up in another hour or te probably ought to call the police But not yet”
Scotty had worn a jacket because thewas cool But now the roo it up
”Hey, Tony must have taken the earth scanner with hi down on his bed He bounced up like a rubber ball ”What? He couldn't have!”
”Well, it's gone And who else would have taken it?”
”Tony didn't He hasn't been in this rooht when Chahda was here, and he didn't take the scanner then”
Scotty snapped his fingers ”You gave Angel your key and told hiain That was it, of course It had to be No one else had had the chance to get the equip the possibility that the hotel personnel were dishonest, and there was no reason to suspect theht And we didn't notice until now But ould have noticed if it had been gone, wouldn't we? I've been to the closet a dozen ti I don't knohy I noticed just now that the stuff was gone But there was nothing to call our attention to it last night or thissuitcase--I know I knocked the suitcase over when I closed the closet door this , and I didn't stop to pick it up It's still on its side That's why I noticed that the earth scanner wasn't there”
”If we needed any proof that Angel is a bad one, probably in cahoots with Nangolat, we have it Scotty, what are we going to do?”
”Call the cops,” Scotty said grimly ”Noe have a theft to report” He strode for the phone, but before he could pick it up there was a sharp ring Scotty answered ”Yes?” He listened, hung up hastily, and turned to Rick
”The clerk says there's a Filipino in the lobby ants to see us
Says he knows us”