Tintin Forums

Just curious about this as at the start of The Calculus Affair Wagg does the whole 'Hands Up' gag to surprise them.
How did he know they were in Calculus's Lab?
As it's only his 2nd time at their place I would have assumed he would have gone straight to the front door and knocked?
Perhaps he did but then Nestor would not have known exactly where Haddock and Tintin were. All Nestor knew was that they were outside somewhere in the gardens.
It seems a big call that Wagg turns up suddenly in the lab, Marlinspike must be quite a huge place with plenty of gardens and it seems unlikely that he simply wandered around by chance and found them.

I think the Bordurian agent Boris must have quickly directed Wagg after he was running out of the area.
It would have went like:

Wagg: Say there you old Humbug you! You seen the Captain around? You know the boss man round here?
Boris: I'm in a hurry, he's out back behind me, he just tried to stop me leaving. You don't know a good tailor do you by any chance (points to ripped pocket)?
Wagg: Haha playing hard to tie down is he? Don't worry you may have failed in getting the insurance business from him but that's not the case from the number one rep from Rock Bottom Insurance!
Boris: You don't smoke by any chance? I lost mine (continues running)

Well, since the whole crowd was gathered watching Marlinspike, and Wagg can be seen among the crowd a few pages earlier, he probably saw Tintin and the captain walk around back, and when he got in, (however he did that)he followed them.
Or:
"Tracking, you know. It's an old hobby of mine. I'm quite good at it actually. 'Jolyon,' my Uncle Anatole used to say, 'Being able to track people is one of the most important skills you can learn.'"

I agree with you cigars, that's a very plausible explaination.