The Garaucan Swindle by Maxwell Grant & Walter Gibson

Author:Maxwell Grant & Walter Gibson [Grant, Maxwell & Gibson, Walter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Espionage, Fiction, Thrillers
ISBN: 9781608771011
Amazon: 1608771016
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1934-09-15T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XII. THE CONFERENCE

FOUR men were gathered in Tobias Hildreth's study. From behind his desk, the president of the Founders Trust Company was speaking to Police Commissioner Wainwright Barth. With the official was Detective Joe Cardona.

The fourth member of the group was a chunky, keen-faced man whose eyes showed a sharp glitter. He was seated beside Hildreth's desk, going over a stack of papers and nodding whenever the banker spoke to him. This was Gorton Jodelle, private investigator who had made a specialty of tackling crimes that concerned banking institutions.

"Heinous crime!" exclaimed Tobias Hildreth. Horror was registered on the banker's portly face. "Robbery was crime enough; but outright murder–wanton murder–is terrible. Rowley was a faithful watchman. Poor Lucas used to greet me when I came out of the bank.

"But the greatest tragedy is that of Zellwood. I was stunned, this afternoon, when that report came in from the South. Zellwood's death was apart from the robbery; yet I cannot help but believe that the same set of dastardly ruffians were responsible for his murder also.

"You must do something about it, Jodelle." Hildreth turned to the investigator. "Don't you understand that Zellwood's death occurred outside of Commissioner Barth's jurisdiction? Murderers must be brought to justice."

"I have told you what I think of Zellwood," put in Jodelle, firmly. "My reports here -"

"Preposterous!" exclaimed Hildreth, with a shake of his heavy head. "Zellwood was a trusted employee. Poor fellow–he was troubled when he left yesterday. Overwork had worn him."

"Overwork?" questioned Jodelle. Then, to Barth: "Listen, commissioner, Mr. Hildreth can't get my viewpoint. He himself feels that Zellwood's death had something to do with the bank robbery; yet he cannot tolerate the thought that Zellwood might be crooked."

"Zellwood was murdered," objected Hildreth.

"Of course," agreed Jodelle. "But why? He was not on the ground, to interfere with the robbery, like Rowley and the cop."

"But he may have known something about the robbery."

"That's just it," nodded Jodelle. "He knew about the robbery. That's why he was bumped."

"Then he is innocent."

"He is guilty!" exclaimed Jodelle, angrily. "If he had been in New York– in the bank–we could say that he was innocent. But he was miles away, traveling South when the crime occurred."

"One moment," interposed Barth. "This news of Zellwood's murder is one reason why I have come here with Detective Cardona. We want to know something about the man. Why do you suspect him of implication in the robbery, Jodelle?"

"I shall tell you," returned the private investigator, "by asking a question of Detective Cardona. Tell me"–he turned to Joe–"how, in your opinion, was that bank vault opened?"

"IT was either unlocked to begin with," returned Cardona, "or else the burglars knew the combination and unlocked it."

"Very well." Jodelle turned to Hildreth. "How many persons beside yourself had the combination to the vault?"

"Only Zellwood," admitted the bank president, slowly. "He had the combinations to both vaults."

"Who locked the vaults yesterday afternoon?"

"Zellwood."

"He could have fixed the time lock, couldn't he?"

"Yes. But I don't believe he did."

"Why not?"

"Because he was trustworthy.

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