Part 2 (1/2)
”What about Europe?”
”That is where the danger lies If he had clever confederates, a large part of the value of the bonds could be borrowed fro buyers on a French or German bourse”
”But this would depend on the publicity you gave their theft”
”Exactly,” Percival agreed with sonize it”
Hulton's tense look softened and he sotten that I am a businessback, and now he expects o In a sense, it is a trifling loss”
”At last, you put me wise,” said Percival ”But to prove that Fred was innocent you must find the thief”
”That's so It must be done with skill and tact by the best New York private investigation ular police”
Featherstone, who had been sitting thoughtfully silent, looked up
”Perhaps it's lucky the wage clerk went into the treasurer's office after I left, though I spoke to the watchman, Jordan, as I went out”
”No,” said Percival sharply ”It wasn't Jordan's week on night-guard”
There was silence for a moment, and then Hulton asked: ”Where did you ht was Jordan? Did he answer you?”
”He was going along the ground-floor passage in front of ht was in the pay-office at the end He stood in the doorway as I passed and I said, 'It's a cold night, Toone a few yards when he answered, 'It will be colder soon'”
”Then as you passed the door he h you could not see his,” said Hulton, who turned to Percival ”Clark was on night-guard and his name's not Tom Where was he when Mr Featherstone left?”
”In the lathe-roo The punch in the check-clock shows it,” Percival replied
Hulton pondered, knitting his brows, before he said, ”Since you thought the ain”
”No; he was about Jordan's height and build, but I only saw his figure
It showed dark and rather indistinct against the light”
”Well,” said Hulton, ”you see the ier was in the factory” Then he got up with a look of keen relief in his worn face ”I thank you and your partner; you have given me hope Some day all who knewto say to Percival, and then he must help o They left the factory in silence, but as they crossed the yard Foster remarked: ”I' very hard”
”I iine the felloho shot Fred Hulton will need your pity most,”
Featherstone replied ”The old y that helped him to build up his business
Money with brains behind it is a power, but I wouldn't like Hulton onrelentless about the man” He paused and resumed: ”Well, he has a clew It's curious I didn't think of ht the felloas Jordan I wonder how the thief will get the bonds across to Europe”
”There would be soh it looks as if Hulton doesn't mean to tell the police ht be afraid to post the papers”
Featherstone nodded ”I think it's in Hulton's favor that he'll be satisfied with one of the private detective agencies to begin with, while the ainst the police
Besides, it's possible that the felloon't take many precautions, since there's a plausible explanation of Fred Hulton's death”
”Do you think the ain?”