“Blast it all to hell!”
“You’ll find it, it has to be here somewhere.”
“We’d have it by now if you would just put things back where you found them.”
Ralph rolled his eyes. He’d heard this time and time again, but arguing the point wouldn’t bring them any closer to finding the notes. “You’re sure you actually wrote the notes down this time?” His mentor had a distressing habit of taking notes mentally, then forgetting he’d done so.
“99% sure. Maybe 89%. Yes, I’m sure. Probably. Check under that bunsen burner.”
“Ahhh! Here they are!”
“See? Bunsen burner.”
“Actually it looks like you used them to wipe up spilled coffee. And I think this page must’ve been a filter.”
“Hrmph. If that’s quite enough, my dinner’s getting cold. I’m going home. Finish up here.”
The crotchety old man left, leaving Ralph to sigh in relief, then in dismay at the state the notes were in. He settled in for hours of deciphering.