I flipped Tommy a quarter when he gave me the message. It was from Ooverholm. “Douster is in the office.”
Quickening my pace I went into the bank and straight to Billington’s office. As I went through the door I saw Douster trying to move Billington’s desk. He looked at me, then sneered at Ooverholm who was standing behind me in the doorway.
“Mind tellin’ me what you’re doin’ in here?” I asked.
“Don’t have to tell you nothing!” he shouted. “You have no call to tell me what to do in this bank.”
“I can tell you that you’re under arrest for disturbing a possible crime scene and interferin’ with an ongoin’ investigation. Let’s go!”
He shoved me away. I reached out and tapped him with the barrel of the Greener. Not hard, just enough to get his attention.
“You have no call…” he started to say until I lifted the shotgun again. He got quiet and I grabbed him by the shoulder of his tailored coat and began to drag him out of the office.
“Secure this room again,” I said to Ooverholm. “I’ll be back as soon as I lock him up.”
“You can’t take me to jail! I demand my lawyer!” he began to whimper. “What will people say when you see me being drug down the street?”
“No what? I really don’t care,” and pulled him outside in front of a couple who were entering.
“Why, Mr. Douster,” said the woman who was part of the couple. “What in earth is going on?”
“Mornin’ ma’am,” I said. “He has a visit with the local jail.”
Her hand flew to her mouth, eyes wide as I continued to half drag him along.
Charlie Gold was coming up to meet me. “Charlie, can you lock him up? I need to get back to the bank.”
Charlie grabbed him as I turned to hurry back. I trusted Ooverholm, but who knows if he went in to just check and happened to come upon something.
I saw the woman glance at me as I returned so this time I tipped my hat. She might think I was half genteel then. I waved at Ooverholm and went into the office.
Was there something with the desk? I wondered. It sat upon a rug that covered enough of the desk and to the back wall. That would make it so the chair could roll over the rug and not on the wooden floor. I flipped the rug back to the desk. There was nothing unusual. I started to put it back down and noticed that there was a horizontal cut over the vertical pieces of flooring. I didn’t want Ooverholm to know anything so I put the rug back.
By that time Charlie had come into the office. “What happened?” he asked.
“I found Douster in the office. He was doin’ somethin’ ’round this desk.” I completely trusted Charlie, but I had an idea. “Charlie, can you get me in the bank after closin’?”
“Sure, I’ll come back and tell Ooverholm that I have to secure the building since Douster had interfered with the investigation. Show up here around 6:00.”
“Mister Ooverholm,” said Charlie. “Lock up that office door and give me the key. That room is to remain locked until the investigators from Denver get here.”
I walked on out letting Charlie handle it from there. I would meet him later in the evening. There was something gnawing at my guts so I figured I’d act on it.
I went about my daily business, talked with Foster and he said they were having a meeting this week over the vacant position.
After supper at the diner, I told Molly that I was spending the night at the bank and would be doing so until the agents showed up. She didn’t like it, but after telling her what Douster was doing she understood.
Charlie was there to let me in and he opened up the office. I took the cushion off the chair and went and put it in the corner that was behind the door. When the door opened, whoever came through would not be able to see me.
“You’ll be okay?” questioned Charlie.
“Sure. Just a feelin’ I have. May be nothin’ but I decided to stay here until the Secret Service arrive. They are supposed to show up tomorrow. Lock the door on your way out.”
After darkness fell, I decided that it would be allright to sleep. I knew I would sleep light anyway. If they tried the window I would hear it, and I put the chair under the window. If they somehow got in the bank and tried to open the door I would here so I figured that it was allright that I slept.
It was after midnight, by my reckoning that I heard steps in the bank. Shortly I then heard someone working to lift the window. I cocked the Greener…