Part 15 (1/2)
Thinking it would be useless to remain around the alleyway any longer, the four boys left the vicinity, and, boarding a street car, made their way to the thoroughfare upon which were located the offices of the bankers and brokers who had been robbed.
A crowd was collected about the place and two policemen were keeping those outside in check.
”I want my money!” one old man was shouting. ”This is a game of Charley Rush to do us out of our cash. I don't believe the office was robbed at all.”
”You keep quiet, or I'll run you in,” replied, one of the policemen, and the old man lost no time in slinking out of sight.
”Can we go in?” asked Frank, and told who he was.
”I'll send in word and see,” answered the policeman at the door.
”Oh, Frank!” came from the main office, and Senator Harrington beckoned to his son; and all four of the boys went in.
They found half a dozen men present, including the members of the firm, a detective, and the bookkeeper, a young man named Fredericks.
”You are the only one who had the combination besides ourselves, Fredericks,” Charles Rush was saying to the bookkeeper. ”I hate to suspect you, but--”
”Mr. Rush, you can't think I took that money and those securities!” gasped the bookkeeper, and fell back as if about to faint.
”I don't know what to think.”
”I can give you my word I was not near the offices from four o'clock yesterday afternoon until I came this morning, after you.”
”Have you spoken of the safe combination to anybody?”
”No, sir.”
”Did you put the combination down in writing?” asked Mr. Wilder.
”No, I never did anything of that sort. The combination was an unusually easy one, as you know.”
”Yes, far too easy for our good,” groaned Mr. Rush. Then he gazed at the four boys curiously.
”What brought you here?” he asked.
”We thought we might know something of this affair,” said d.i.c.k, and told his story.
”There may be something in that,” said the detective.
”Especially if those men fail to turn up at that tenement again.”
”Did you mention a man named Mooney?” cried Fredericks.
”I did.”
”Do you know this Mooney?” put in Mr. Wilder to the bookkeeper.
”Subrug, the janitor, has a brother-in-law named Mooney--a wild kind of a chap who used to hang around more or less.”
”We'll call Subrug in and find out where this Mooney is now,”