CHAPTER V
THE FOG CLEARS
A week later Tom brought Roland a letter which he had received from hiscousin. "My dear Tom,--The plot begins to thicken, and I think we are onthe right scent. I was taking drinks with some other stock exchange menthis afternoon, when I said, 'Does anyone know Westerton of Chicago?'
"'Yes, he is a client of ours,' one of them replied. 'He speculatespretty heavily in all sorts of stock and has dropped a lot of money thelast six months. Do you know him? Because if you do, it is more thananyone in Chicago seems to. The chief has asked lots of men there abouthim, but no one seems to know the name. Of course it does not matter tous, because there is always ample cover, so we cannot burn our fingers;but it does seem rum that a man who can go in for such heavyspeculations should not be known to anyone there.'
"'No, I don't know him,' I said, 'but a man was asking me about him. Ifancy he speculates with him too.'
"'Likely enough, these fellows always have two or three agents. We thinkit rather probable that it is a false name. There is many a man whodabbles in speculations, that none of his friends would ever believe didanything of the sort, such as clergymen, and merchants with solidbusinesses, whose credit would be injured if men thought that theyspeculated, and so on. We who are behind the scenes would astonish theworld if we were to tell all we know.'
"However, I turned the subject, as I did not want him to suspect that Ihad any particular interest in Westerton. So, you see, Tom, the firststep is gained, and we have found out that the respectable president ofBrownsville Bank speculates largely under an assumed name. I don't knowwhat Partridge's next move may be, but if I can give any furtherassistance you can rely upon me."
"What are you going to do next?" Tom said as he closed the letter.
"I haven't the least idea, Tom; but at any rate, I will consult yourfather. It is something to learn as much as we have, and we certainlyseem to have got on the right clue. I never quite despaired, but I feelnow pretty certain that we shall get to the bottom of it at last."
"It will do Percy Johnstone a world of good to take down his conceit abit--a stuck-up monkey!"
"Don't say that, Tom. I felt it myself so much that I am sure I couldnot wish my worst enemy to go through such a thing."
"I don't wish Percy Johnstone any particular ill, Roland; but ifsomebody has got to suffer, I would rather it was him than anyone elsein Brownsville. The insufferable airs that fellow gives himself aredisgusting."
Mr. Fernlea was greatly interested when he heard the news. "I have nodoubt whatever that you are on the right track now, Roland. Taking yourfather's letter, the points we noticed when we read it, and the facts weknow now, that Johnstone is a heavy and unsuccessful speculator, seem toshow without doubt that he is the real thief. His conduct in notarresting your father at once, and in allowing him without pursuit toget across the frontier, is accounted for now. He did not want anythinglike a public trial, for in that case the numbers of the missing bondsmust have been made public, and might in that way have been traced tohim. I have no doubt whatever that he is the thief. But the question is,how are we to prove it?
"Of course if Johnstone goes on at this game and it continues to beunnoticed, there will be a smash up sooner or later; but even then thewhole thing might not come out. If your father should come back here,they would be obliged to arrest him. But even if he denounced Johnstoneas the real thief, we have nothing to go upon. The mere fact that he hasspeculated would in itself be no proof, or that he did so under anassumed name, for he would urge that many people do the same, and thathe only adopted this precaution because, being in the position ofpresident of the bank, he did not wish people here to know that hedabbled in shares. I own that I do not see what our next step is to be.It seems to me that we must wait and watch."
"That is what I was thinking, sir. Will you kindly give me leave to beaway from your office till this is done? I should like to come here of amorning and go in and out as if I was in your employment, in case Mr.Johnstone was watching me, which is not likely. He would then supposethat I am still working for you, but went out rather frequently onerrands."
"Certainly, Roland, and if you want any money let me know. Anything thatyou may require to carry the matter through I shall be glad to let youhave."
"Thank you, sir! but I hope I shall not be obliged to avail myself ofyour kind offer. My mother still has the proceeds of the sale of ourfurniture, and I need hardly say how glad she will be to spend it if sheknows that there is a chance of proving my father's innocence."
Roland now kept a strict watch upon Mr. Johnstone's movements, and thenext time that gentleman boarded the train at Brownsville, Roland didthe same, but got into a third-class compartment forward. He was closeat hand, however, when the banker presently took out his ticket, whichwas only for a town some thirty miles out; but when the train stopped atthis station the banker ran into the office, and, procuring a ticket forChicago, continued his journey to that city. When he alighted thereRoland followed him. He went to a small house in a retired quarter, andon knocking at the door was admitted without question, and Rolandconcluded that he habitually stayed there. He came out in a few minuteswithout the bag which he had carried in, and as soon as he was fairlyaway Roland, seeing that there was a notice in the window that there wasan apartment to let, knocked at the door.
"You have a room to let," he said. "Can I see it?"
"Certainly, sir;" and Roland followed the woman upstairs. "The room willdo very nicely," he said. "I shall not be a troublesome lodger, for I ama great deal away, and shall only sleep here occasionally; but I like tohave a place of my own instead of always putting up at an hotel."
"That is just the case with our lodger downstairs, sir. He does notoften sleep here--not more than one night in the week. He travels, Ibelieve, for some house of business; but, as he says, he likes to have aquiet place to come to when here."
"He is your only other lodger, I hope?" Roland said, "for above allthings I like quietness."
"Yes, sir; we only let these rooms. He is quiet enough. When he comeshere he generally comes in the afternoon, but goes out directly, andcomes back again at seven to his dinner; and he always goes off at sixo'clock in the morning. A quieter gentleman no one could wish to havefor a lodger than Mr. Westerton."
Roland at once agreed to take the room, and, paying a deposit, said thathe would come on the following day to take possession. "My name isRowlands, but it is not likely that anyone will come to enquire for me."
Having watched Mr. Johnstone off by the first train in the morning,Roland went to his lodgings, where he soon became friendly with hislandlady, who was quite ready to gossip. She was full of praise for herother lodger. "I expect he has got a good situation," she said. "Moneydon't seem of any consequence to him. He always has the best ofeverything that is in season, no matter what it costs, and he has gotquite a cellar of wine, and always takes a bottle with his dinner. I amsure the room was furnished nice enough for anything when he came; buthe had all the furniture turned out, and put in fresh himself, and aheap of money it must have cost him, I can tell you; fresh paper on thewalls, and looking-glasses, and pictures. They are nice rooms, indeedthey could not be nicer--except that the sitting-room is spoilt by a bigugly safe he has got, to keep his papers in. It just spoils the room, asI told him. But he don't seem to mind, so there ain't no reason why Ishould."
"I should like to see the rooms," Roland said. "Not that I can afford tofurnish mine like them at present."
"I will show you them with pleasure, sir. Only, if you meets him andgets to know him afterwards, don't you let out that I showed you hisrooms. He is a mighty perticular sort of gent, though he is so affableand pleasant."
The rooms were quietly and handsomely furnished, as Roland had expected.There was nothing whatever in them to give a clue to the identity oftheir owner. No letters or papers were lying about. Roland's attentionwas particularly drawn towards the safe. It was a strong, burglar-proofstructure, by one of the best
makers.
"Yes," he said, "I agree with you. The furniture is very handsome andgood, but I should not care, if it were mine, to spoil it with thatsafe."
"He told me he had lost a valuable lot of papers once, and haddetermined that he would never run such a risk again, and so he got asafe that could be neither carried off nor broken into."
The next day Roland returned to Brownsville and informed Mr. Fernlea ofthe progress that he had made.
"Capital, Roland! I shall certainly employ you in any detective workthat may in future come into the office. The two next steps to be takenare clear enough, but it is not so easy to see how we are to take them.In the first place, we shall have to obtain a list of the missingsecurities, and the next to find out whether any of them are still inthat safe. Those are the steps, but how on earth are we to take them?Your father would hardly be likely to remember the numbers of themissing bonds, and I could not ask one of the directors without takinghim into our confidence, which I am averse to doing, for they all holdJohnstone in such respect that our idea would seem to them altogetherpreposterous."
"At any rate I could write to my father and ask him," Roland said. "Hemay not remember the numbers; it is hardly possible that he should, whenthere are such a lot of them missing; but he might be able to give ussome hint how to set about it."
Accordingly Roland wrote a letter to his father informing him of thesteps which he had taken and the discoveries which he had made.
"You see, father," he wrote, "that while Mr. Fernlea has no more doubtthan I have that Johnstone stole the securities which he accused you oftaking, it is very difficult to bring the matter home to him; and as afirst step it is absolutely necessary to get the numbers of the bonds,and that without there being a possibility of its coming to his earsthat I am moving in the matter. Can you suggest any plan?"
A week later, when Roland had returned to his lodgings after dark, a manwas standing at the gate.
"Roland, my boy, is that you?"
"Good heavens, father, how you startled me! I am glad indeed to see youagain, but it is surely imprudent to venture back just at this moment,for were your presence here discovered it would upset all our plans. Butcome in. I have a key, and you can go up with me. But even if the womanof the house saw you, she would hardly be likely to recognize you, forshe has not been settled in the town very long."
As soon as they were in his room Roland struck a light, and was able tolook at his father. He would hardly have recognized him, so pale andhaggard was he. "Why, father, have you been ill?"
"Not actually ill, Roland, though almost out of my mind at times; but Itrust that it is nearly over. Your letter has given me new life, for ithas made me hope that this black cloud which has fallen over me will becleared away, and that I can again lift up my head and look myfellow-men in the face. I am ready now to give myself up, if Mr. Fernleathinks that it will be the best thing for me to do, and to stand mytrial. Before, I had nothing, save a bare negative, to oppose theevidence against me. Now there is at least a story to tell."
"We must not tell it at present, father; we must wait till it iscomplete. If there is any evidence in that safe at Chicago connectingJohnstone with the thefts, we may be sure that it would be destroyed theinstant you appeared on the scene. The first thing, as Mr. Fernlea says,is to obtain a list of, at any rate some of the securities that aremissing. We hardly hoped that you would be able to furnish them."
"No, Roland. I could tell you the stocks to which they belonged, but notthe numbers. And, so far as I know, there is but one way of doing sobesides that of obtaining the list from one of the directors, which, yousaid in your letter Mr. Fernlea thinks would be dangerous to do."
"And what is that, father?"
"It is for me to go to the bank and get the book which Johnstone and Iwent through together that night."
"But how are you to do that, father? It is probably in the safe if it isstill in existence."
"I supposed so, Roland. But when I went away I never thought of leavingthe keys behind me, and found them days afterwards in the pocket of myovercoat. Unless they have changed the fastenings, there is nothing toprevent my unlocking the door, going up to my old room, entering it, andopening the safe as usual. There would be no occasion even for a light,for I know the feel of the book so well, with its locked clasp, that Icould tell it in the dark if I put my hand on it."
"But it would be an awful risk, father, were you detected. You would beaccused--" And he hesitated.
"Of trying to rob the bank for a second time," Mr. Partridge said."Well, if necessary, I must run the risk."
"At any rate, father, before you attempt it I must speak to Mr. Fernlea.He has been so good a friend throughout the business that we must notmove a single step without consulting him. I will go up and see him atonce. Before I start I will tell the woman of the house that I have afriend come to stop with me for a day or two. She has a spare room, andwill get it ready for you. Will you have some supper before I start?"
"No, no, Roland. Go at once, and I will have a nap in your easy-chairwhile you are away, for I have travelled without stopping once since Igot your letter. I am not so strong as I used to be."
Mr. Fernlea listened attentively to Roland's account of his interviewwith his father.
"It is a dangerous step to take," he said thoughtfully, "but I don'tknow that I can propose anything better. Of course, if he is taken, Ishould come forward and declare that he was my client, that he has beenwrongly accused all through, and that he was only going to the bank forthe purpose of possessing himself of the book which was his privateproperty, in order to obtain the list of the missing securities, that hemight, if possible, trace their course. I should reserve suspicion aboutJohnstone until the trial, but, of course, there they would have toaccuse him of the original theft of the securities. I will go back withyou now and talk to him myself."
"My poor friend," he said as he entered the room where Mr. Partridge,too anxious to sleep, was walking restlessly to and fro, "I see that allthis has told upon you sadly. However, I hope that we are in a fair wayof putting matters right at last. I tell you frankly, I thought at thetime that it was foolish of you to run away as you did. But I think nowthat it has turned out the best, for we had little or no defence beyonda bare denial, whereas we could make out a strong case of suspicionanyhow against Johnstone from what we know already."
"Do you approve of my plan for the recovery of the book?"
"Yes, if it can be carried out. But I fear that they are likely to havechanged the locks. That is the first suggestion which the new cashier,on learning that the keys were missing, would make."
"I did not think of that till I was half-way here, but I am afraid thatit is only too likely."
"The best plan, father," Roland said, "will be to give me the keys ofthe door. I can go round to-night and try it. If I find it opens it, youcan carry out your plan to-morrow night; if not, there is no use yourrunning the risk of being detected."
"But you might be taken in my place, Roland."
"Not at all, father. I am not going to enter the bank. I shall simplyput the key in the lock and turn it, and see if the door opens, and Ishall take good care that no one is near when I do it. If by anypossible chance I were caught at it--I don't see, though, how such athing can happen--I should simply say that, having come across the key,I went for a matter of curiosity to see if it was the one that wouldopen the bank door."
"Yes, I don't think there would be much risk in that," Mr. Fernleaagreed. "You had better go at once, Roland, and I will remain with yourfather until you come back. If by any chance you are detected in tryingthe door, it would be far better that it should be at this time of theevening, when you might be passing by accidentally, and have acted uponthe impulse to see if the key fitted, than if you were to go down in themiddle of the night."
In twenty minutes Roland returned.
"A new lock has been put upon the door, father. The key won't go in atall."
Mr. Partridge gave a
n exclamation of disappointment.
"Don't trouble about that," Mr. Fernlea said. "I don't think that itmatters very much. You see, the list would only be perfect so far as thesecurities you went through which was only a small proportion of thosein the hands of the bank. It is essential that we should get the entirelist. It might happen that he has parted with those which you know tohave been stolen, while he may have some of the others still in hispossession. I will think the matter over to-night, and see if I can hitupon a plausible excuse for wanting to get the list of the missingsecurities without being obliged to hint at the purpose for which werequire them."