The Shadow - 299 - The Banshee Murders by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781425017613
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 2006-01-30T22:59:17+00:00

No one could, because the Good Wind was sunk too deep.

Thus the treasure situation had remained static while the world progressed until Niles Ronjan, an inventor of peculiar genius, had devised his articulated tube, a water-tight tube that could descend to submarine depths and allow access to sunken vessels.

It sounded simple, this business of shoving a pliable pipe-line down to the bottom of the sea, but the actual process produced complications. Money was needed to finance the undertaking; this, Craig Farnsworth had provided.

In so doing, Farnsworth had invited others to share in the undertaking; Farnsworth’s reason was that he wanted to be sure the project was a sound one. At the same time, economy was the watchword and Ronjan had agreed to abide by it. When the sectional tube neared its goal, Ronjan had hired Dom Yuble, an accomplished Caribbean diver, to go down and steer the creeping tunnel into place.

Dom Yuble should have been hired earlier.

The diver’s report showed that sand had buried the Good Wind. To get at the sunken vessel a new attempt was necessary from the other side. From that point, Farnsworth’s notes became queries.

Would the project be worthwhile?

Could it be that sand had buried the Good Wind completely, making Ronjan’s invention useless?

Was Ronjan entitled to a larger share because of the increased investment, or should the added cost be charged against him because he had failed to hire Dom Yuble earlier?

Farnsworth had answered those questions. In his opinion, he should still receive the major share.

Apparently, Ronjan was agreed, but if so, Farnsworth felt that Ronjan himself should defray the added cost.

This brought up another question: Why not let Ronjan pay it? From that came a further query: Did Ronjan have the money?

Farnsworth claimed yes to both.

Then why hadn’t Ronjan undertaken the entire project on his own?

Easily answered, that question. In Farnsworth’s opinion, Ronjan had wanted others to bear the freight in case of failure. It was time that Ronjan admitted the fault and until he did, Farnsworth wouldn’t put up another penny. That was final and it ended the report.

Amid the clatter of the horse’s hoofs, Margo looked up from her notes and said:

“Do you know what Farnsworth really thinks?”

“I’m interested,” replied Cranston. “So tell me.”

“Farnsworth thinks that he can outlast Ronjan,” declared Margo. “Farnsworth has to pay rent anyway, up at that de luxe apartment of his. But Ronjan can’t live forever at the Chateau Parkview; he’s staying there only while the treasure hunt is on. So Farnsworth thinks that Ronjan will have to come around begging sooner or later - and probably sooner.”

It pleased Margo when she saw that Cranston was responding with a nod. Getting Lamont to admit anything was quite a feather for Margo’s cap, except that she wasn’t wearing a cap and therefore couldn’t put feathers in it.

Cranston proved that when he countered:

“Do you know what I think?”

Margo shook her head.

“I think,” decided Cranston; “that it would be a lot of fun to take a ride on a merry-go-round. We’ll stop right here and try it.

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