There was a long silence, then Doyle said, "General Forrest, we need to talk to your security chief, and all the guards from last night."
The guards were brought in but had nothing helpful to say. There had been three of them on duty the previous night, two on foot with guard dogs and one in a jeep patrolling the road around the facility, and none of them had seen or heard anything.
"Do the guards have a schedule, so many sweeps an hour, regular round of patrols?" asked Bodie.
The security chief, a jowly man named Ben Alda, said, "Yes, of course. I find it easier to keep track of my men that way."
"And easier for someone to study their movements and know when there's an opportunity to get in!" Doyle said exasperatedly.
Alda looked taken aback. "There are still the dogs. They would never let a stranger pass."
The two guards, their big German Shepherds on short leashes, nodded. The dogs did look alert and tense, ready to spring into action, and Bodie reached a hand to the nearest one, then pulled it away as the animal's hackles rose and its lips writhed back, showing the gleaming teeth. He regarded the dog thoughtfully. "Are they that aggressive with your staff, General Forrest?"
"No, they've been trained to know the regular employees." Forrest allowed himself a wry smile. "Can't have the staff constantly being threatened with attack."
"I am reminded," said the dark-haired man, "of the Sherlock Holmes story where a dog was on guard when a valuable race horse was stolen.* Holmes called attention to the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime, and when he was reminded the dog did nothing, he said that was the curious incident. It turned out someone the dog knew was involved in the theft."
The general frowned. "Are you saying someone here at this facility participated in the break-in?"
"It's certainly a possibility," said Doyle. "Have you accounted for the whereabouts of all your personnel last night?"
"No, but…" The general paused, then looked at the security chief.
Alda said quietly, "I didn't like to suggest it myself, sir, but it's hard to see how a stranger could have gotten past the guards, entered the facility without damaging any of the locks, and taken something from the bioweapons lab. You know the precautions for Section 10."
"I think it's time we saw the lab ourselves," said Doyle.
The general said stiffly, "I fail to see what good it would do for you to visit Section 10. Neither of you have the training or experience to understand what you would see."
Bodie said suavely, "It's true that our expertise in the area of medical research is as slight as your expertise, General Forrest, in investigating crime." Forrest's eyes blazed but Bodie went on as if he had not noticed. "Since my partner and I specialize in catching criminals, it is entirely possible we may collect some crucial piece of evidence that you or your staff might not even notice." He gestured towards the lift with a courtly bow. "Shall we proceed?"
*The Adventure of Silver Blaze