“And to your knowledge, no one entered or left the house in the meantime?”
“My wife was here, of course. I don’t recall anyone else, unless one of the Cubs dropped in.”
“Not so far as I know.” Mr. Hatfield was amazed by the question. He could tell that Captain Eggleston was leading up to a climax, but what it was he could not guess.
The police officer withdrew an ornamental button from his pocket. Carelessly, he dropped it on the table.
Dan noticed that the button was an unusual one of black jet, cut in a diamond shape.
“Ever see that before?” Captain Eggleston asked.
“I don’t think so,” Mr. Hatfield replied, examining the button minutely. “Why?”
“Your wife allowed us to examine the study again. We found this button in the drawer where she said you had kept the tin box.”
“It looks like a button from a woman’s dress. But I don’t recall that my wife has one with jet fasteners.”
“So she said.” Captain Eggleston picked up the button and dropped it into his pocket again. “The button may or may not be a clue. It’s not much to go on in any case.”
“You think the box may have been taken by a woman?” Mr. Hatfield asked in amazement.
“This button is the only thing that points in that direction. It may have been in the drawer for a long while.”
“I never saw it before. At least I never noticed it.”
The policemen at last seemed to accept Mr. Hatfield’s word that he had told them everything he knew about the disappearance. They asked Dan a few routine questions and finally left.
“I’ll be jogging along too,” Dan said. “If I don’t get a move on, I’ll be late for supper.”
“Don’t forget your roofing discs,” Mr. Hatfield reminded him. “See you tomorrow. Meanwhile, don’t worry about the money. Sooner or later, police will turn up a clue.”
On his way to the door, Dan asked the Cub leader if he thought the jet button had any real significance.
“I can’t see it myself,” Mr. Hatfield replied. “Though how the button came to be in the desk is a puzzle too. This whole thing is a headache.”
“It was my fault for finding the box in the first place.”
Mr. Hatfield laughed and clapped Dan on the back. “Now, none of that talk, Dan!” he chided. “We’ll get the thing straightened out. Forget about it and let me do the worrying.”