As questions go, “Why is it always in the last place you look?” is a common one, especially after a search that turned out to be more exhaustive than anticipated. More often than not, the answer turns out to be because the thing was found, and thus the reason to keep searching was void. It’s a self-answering question, as these things go

He, on the other hand, did not stop searching. He had found the thing three hours ago, but was so swept up in the mere act of going through the various semi-forgotten objects and knickknacks that it scarcely mattered any more. Half a life was contained in these boxes, and this afternoon was now firmly devoted to reliving it, one researched object at a time