Part 13 (1/2)

Chapter Twenty

THE ADVENTURE ENDS - AS IT BEGAN!

It was a moment of great disappointment for all the children. Although they had talked about the possibility of the bag being empty, everyone had secretly felt certain that something exciting would be inside.

The Inspector was astonished. He looked round sharply. 'Where did you get this bag? What made you think it had stolen goods inside - and what kind of blue-prints were they?'

'Well, sir - it's rather a long story,' said Julian.

'I'm afraid you'll have to tell it to me,' said the Inspector, taking out his notebook. 'Now - how did this all begin?'

'Well - it really began with Timmy hurting his ear and having to wear a cardboard collar,' said George.

The Inspector looked most surprised. He turned to Julian. 'You'd better tell it,' he said. 'I don't want to waste time on cardboard collars!'

George went red and put on a scowl. Julian grinned at her, and began the story, making it as clear and short as he could.

The Inspector became more and more interested. He laughed when Julian came to the weird noises and lights.

'They certainly wanted to get rid of you,' he said. 'You were plucky to stay on. Go on - there's something behind all this, that's certain!'

He jotted down the name of 'Paul', and 'Jess', the name of the woman. He noted that one man had a drawl. 'Any other clues to them?' he asked.

'Only this, sir,' said Julian and handed his drawing of the crepe-soled shoe to the Inspector. This was carefully folded and put into the notebook too. 'Might be of use. Might not,' said the Inspector. 'You never know!'

He listened intently to the tale of the underground pa.s.sages, and picked up the bag again.

'I can't understand why it's empty,' he said. 'It isn't really like a crook deliberately to mislead his friends when they know quite well where he is and can get at him whenever they like.' He shook the bag hard. Then he began to examine it very very carefully.

Finally he took out a sharp knife and gently slit the lining at the bottom of the bag. He turned it back.

Something was there - under the lining! Something blue, folded very carefully. Something covered with thousands of minute figures, thousands of lines, thousands of queer little designs!

'Wheeeeeew!' whistled the Inspector. 'So the bag's not empty, after all! Now what is this? It's a blue-print of some project - but what?'

'My father would know!' said George, at once. 'He's a scientist, you know, Inspector - one of the cleverest in the world. Shall I get him?'

'Yes,' said the Inspector, laying out the blue-print on the table. 'Get him at once.'

George flew off and returned with her father, who didn't look very pleased.

'Good afternoon, sir, once more. Sorry to disturb you,' said the Inspector. 'But do you happen to know whether this doc.u.ment is of any importance?'

George's father took it up. He ran his eyes over it, and then gave a loud exclamation.

'Why - why - no, it's IMPOSSIBLE! Good heavens, it's - no, no, it can't be! Am I dreaming?'

Everyone gazed at him, surprised and anxious. What did he mean? What could it be, this blue-print?

'Er - it's important then, sir?' said the Inspector.

'Important? IMPORTANT? My dear fellow, there are only two of these prints in existence - and at the moment I have the second one, which I am checking very carefully indeed. Where did this come from? Why - I simply can't believe it! Sir James Lawton-Harrison has the other. There isn't a third!'

'But - but - there must be if you have one here and Sir James has the other!' said the Inspector. 'It's obvious there is a third!'

'You're wrong. It isn't obvious!' shouted George's father. 'What is obvious is that Sir James hasn't got his! I'll ring him up - this very minute. Astounding! Most disturbing! Bless us all, what will happen next?'

The children did not dare to say a word. They were full of astonishment. To think that the blue-print was so important - and that George's father actually had a pair to this one. What was its importance?

They heard George's father shouting into the telephone, evidently angry and disturbed. He slammed it down and came back.

'Yes. Sir James's copy has been stolen - but it's been kept very hush-hush because of its importance. Good heavens - they never even let me know! And to think I spilt a bottle of ink over mine yesterday - gross carelessness. Stolen! A thing like that - stolen out of his safe under his very nose. Now there's only one copy left!'

'Two, sir,' said the Inspector, tapping the copy on the table. 'You're so upset to hear that Sir James's copy has gone that you've forgotten we have it here!'

'Bless us all! Thank goodness! Yes, I had forgotten for the moment!' said Uncle Quentin. 'My word, I even forgot to tell Sir James it was here.' He leapt up to go to the telephone again, but the Inspector caught his arm.