Free Murder on Nob Hill by Shirley Tallman Page B

point me in the right direction.
    I found Mr. Potter considerably shaken over Annjenett's arrest.
    “Mr. Hanaford would turn in his grave if he could see his wife in such a place,” he said, ushering me into a small but well-ordered office. He offered me a chair, then sat down behind an equally tidy desk. “What can the police be thinking?”
    “They seem to feel they’ve discovered a reason why Mrs. Hanaford might wish to see her husband dead.”
    “You mean the actor?” Potter's tone clearly indicated his disdain for members of that profession. He shook his head. “I don’t believe it for one moment.”
    Realizing that Potter's loyalty to the young widow made this line of inquiry unproductive, I changed tactics. “Can you think of any reason why Mr. Mills might go alone to Chinatown?”
    He gave an involuntary shudder. “I can’t imagine why anyone would venture into that dreadful place, especially after dark.”
    “I believe you were well acquainted with Mr. Hanaford,” I said,
    trying yet another tack. “Do you know if he, too, made a practice of frequenting Chinatown?”
    Potter looked stunned. “Really, Miss Woolson, I think you’re wasting your time pursuing this line of inquiry. What possible business could Mr. Hanaford have had in that part of town?”
    “The same might be said for Rufus Mills,” I commented. “And it's necessary to cover every possibility.” Again I shifted focus. “I know Mr. Hanaford and Mr. Mills were old friends, and in the past had been mining partners. Do you know if they continued to have business dealings? I thought perhaps Mr. Mills might have used the bank to finance some of his projects.”
    “Quite right, he did.” The bank manager looked relieved to be on more certain ground. “Cornelius—Mr. Hanaford—provided most of Mr. Mills's financing which, considering his many successful enterprises, returned a nice profit to the bank.”
    “What about the other partners, Senator Broughton and Mr. Wylde? I understand you’ve known all four men since your school days.”
    “Mr. Hanafordand Igrewuptogether. Imet theotherswhenhe was attempting to finance a trip to Nevada. Rufus Mills, Benjamin Wylde and Willard Broughton had agreed to accompany him.”
    “I’m surprised you didn’t go as well.”
    “Cornelius urged me to go, but it wasn’t my sort of thing.” He smiled. “I’ve never been particularly adventurous, I’m afraid. In any event, my wife was expecting our daughter, Louisa. Even if I’d been inclined, I couldn’t have left her at such a time.”
    “No, of course not. You say Mr. Hanaford assumed responsibility for financing the venture?”
    “Yes, Cornelius was always good at that sort of thing. People trusted him. He even convinced me to invest. And I had little enough put aside in those days.”
    “You must have been happy that you did, given their success.”
    “Cornelius more than repaid my original investment. And the money couldn’t have come at a better time.” He hesitated. “There were complications during childbirth and my wife never recovered her health. She passed away soon afterward.”
    “I’m sorry, Mr. Potter. I didn’t realize—”
    “Please, don’t distress yourself, Miss Woolson,” he broke in with a kind smile. “You couldn’t have known.”
    When I rose to leave, the manager took hold of my hand. “If you see Mrs. Hanaford, please assure her that I don’t for one moment believe the charges against her. Surely the police will realize their mistake and release her from that appalling place.”
    “I sincerely hope so,” I agreed wholeheartedly.
    Apologizing for taking up so much of his time, I thanked Eban Potter for his help and took my leave of the bank.
     
    I arrived at Mr. Paulson's office promptly at six o’clock to find Robert Campbell already present.
    He nodded his head with stiff courtesy. “Miss Woolson.” “Mr. Campbell,” I returned with equal formality and accepted the chair Mr. Paulson