There was no answer.
Bud went to the closet and jerked open the door. Empty. So was the bathroom. Feeling more foolish than ever, Bud peered under the beds.
Apparently Tom was nowhere in the suite.
“Unless he’s stashed himself in the crate as part of the gag,” Bud thought suddenly. “That’s probably it-the wise guy!”
But as he stood up, Bud noticed that the crate was no longer in the room! He felt a pang of alarm.
“What goes on here?” Bud muttered. He called the desk. “Do you know if Mr.
Swift went out?”
“I don’t recall seeing him leave. One moment, please.” The clerk checked the rack. “No, sir, his key wasn’t turned in, so I assume he is still in the hotel. In fact, I spoke to Mr. Swift just awhile ago when the van men arrived.”
“What van men?”
“The ones who came to take the crate to the airport.”
Bud’s heart sank. “Did they take it away?”
LONDON DRAGNET 69
“They must have by now, sir. Of course they used the service lift, so I didn’t see them go.”
“Could you try to find out for sure, please?”
“Certainly, sir.” The clerk sounded puzzled as he added, “Is anything wrong?”
“I don’t know. I’ll be down to talk with you.”
After hanging up, Bud paced back and forth trying to decide what to do.
Finally he telephoned Sandy. The girls met him in the lobby.
“Bud, what could have happened to Tom?” Sandy asked anxiously.
“No telling-he may have gone out somewhere, I suppose. But it sure seems funny that the wax figure wasn’t taken in the crate.”
The desk clerk, who had been talking on the telephone, beckoned to them.