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Malloy gave her a disapproving look. “Stop trying to change the subject, Mrs. Brandt. Get your jacket. We’re going next door.”
Frank stuck his hands in his pockets, grumbling about the cold, as he made his way through the brisk morning air to the bank where Nelson Ellsworth had worked. Summer was well and truly over.
He supposed he should have humored Sarah Brandt last night and delayed their visit to the Ellsworths. Neither of them had taken the news of the missing money well, and Frank would have been happy to have waited until morning to witness that scene.
Nelson had been stu
Mrs. Ellsworth had been horrified and terribly frightened by the news. While she hadn’t for a moment believed her son had taken anything from the bank, she also knew how bad things would look for him. He would make an easy scapegoat, and he had no way to defend himself. A man under suspicion of murder would have difficulty claiming the high moral ground when it came to mere embezzlement.
Frank was glad he’d insisted Sarah Brandt go along with him. He’d been thinking more of her needing to do some penance for her interference, but when Mrs. Ellsworth started weeping, he’d been pathetically grateful to have her step in to offer comfort. Nothing u
One good thing had come out of the debacle, however. He would now have no trouble at all keeping Sarah Brandt out of the investigation. She’d learned her lesson. From now on she’d be content to look after Webster Prescott and trying to save his miserable life while Frank closed out the case and cleared Nelson’s name.
This trip to the bank was just one more aspect of the quest. He only hoped it wouldn’t take too much time. He still had to track down Harold Giddings, and he also had to at least pretend he was working on his own cases now and then.
The bank was like so many others in the city. Gleaming pillars supported the granite facade outside. Inside, the gilded ceiling rose up like a cathedral over marble counters topped by teller cages, mediocre statuary, and more pillars. People moved quietly, speaking in hushed tones, as if this were really a house of worship. Maybe it was, Frank, reflected, considering how some people felt about money.
The guard approached Frank almost the instant he entered. “May I help you?” he asked in a voice that was less than friendly. Apparently, he didn’t think Frank met the standards of their usual clientele. Or else he recognized him as a policeman and wanted to get him out as quickly as possible.
“I want to see Mr. De
The guard’s eyes narrowed. He was taking his job very seriously. “Is this about Ellsworth?” he asked in a whisper.
Frank gave him a glare that told him he had no intention of discussing his business with anyone less than the boss. The guard’s attitude changed instantly.
“I’ll… Wait here just a minute,” he advised and hurried off to whisper something urgent to one of the men sitting behind desks at the rear of the lobby.
This fellow came forward, and a few more minutes of negotiation were required to convince him he’d be well advised to a
De
De
Frank broke the silence between them as soon as the door was closed behind him. “I need to talk to you about Nelson Ellsworth.”
De
He hadn’t asked Frank to sit down, but he did anyway, settling into one of the comfortable chairs in front of De
De
“I think you do. Ellsworth learned last night that he is under suspicion of having embezzled ten thousand dollars from the bank. He claims that he’s i
“No one has accused him of anything,” De
The casual use of her given name sent a surge of anger through Frank, but he said, “Who’s Sarah?” with credible calmness.
De
But Frank wasn’t ready to be dismissed. “Let me understand this, Mr. De
De
“You’re wrong there,” Frank said. “If Ellsworth stole money to pay off A
“I’m sure I have no idea,” De
“But on the other hand,” Frank said, as if he were just considering possibilities, “if he’d paid her off with that much money, he really wouldn’t have to kill her, would he?”
“I’m glad to say I know very little about blackmail and murder.” De
“Well, I do, and I’ll tell you something, Mr. De
“No!” De