“Uncle Charlie, when does that ninety-day time limit expire?”
“Tomorrow afternoon, Biff. At four o’clock.”
“What!” Biff exclaimed. “Then we’ve got to act fast. We’ve got to find Derek!”
“Don’t worry, Biff, we’re still ahead of the game.”
“I don’t think so,” Uncle Charlie said, smiling as he shook his head.
“You, Biff. Couldn’t you play the role of Derek Zook once more?”
Biff was taken aback by his uncle’s last statement.
“You mean if we don’t find Derek, you want me to substitute for him?”
Biff shook his head. He knew he looked like Derek. But Uncle Charlie was really asking a lot.
“Gosh, Uncle Charlie. It’s one thing for me to substitute for Derek when it’s only a joke. Like at the airport. But to do this—this is for big stakes.”
“I know, Biff. But, considering the fact that you will actually be doing this so the just rights of a man will be established, I don’t think you would be doing anything morally wrong.”
“No, I guess not. We would be stopping Dietz from stealing what belongs to someone else.”
“Still—suppose I have to sign something? That would be forgery. I couldn’t do that, Uncle Charlie.”
“I know you couldn’t, Biff. And I wouldn’t ask you to. But I’ve looked into this affair as closely as I can. I don’t think you’ll be required to sign anything. The signing for the actual working permit to the claim will take place in Martinique.”
“I’m rather certain that I am, Biff. Otherwise there wouldn’t have been much point in my having you come down here in such a hurry.”
“And my being here gives you more time to find Brom Zook.”
“I wonder why he didn’t get here sooner,” Biff pondered.
“You can bet that really had me worried. I waited until just over three weeks ago before I cabled for Derek to come here. That would be plenty of time, now that the Atlantic can be crossed in hours instead of days.”
“No. That didn’t worry me too much. I just figured that Derek would know how serious things had become. His father must have given him a clear picture of the situation when he wrote him.”
“Why didn’t Derek come as soon as you cabled?”
“I got a cable about ten days after I sent for Derek. It was from his grandfather. The cable informed me that Derek was in the Swiss Alps for winter skiing. The grandfather had tried and tried to locate him. It seems Derek was off on a long cross-country ski race. You know, where the winner is the one who covers the most miles in a given number of days.”