Free ALM06 Who Killed the Husband? by Hulbert Footner Page B

Loasby seriously. "In a free country every public official has to keep in with the press."
    So the story was given out. But not the whole story. They took care to omit all reference to Agnes Gartrey and her maid.
    Lee gritted his teeth when he read it next morning. It put him in a ridiculous light with the public. Wounded thus in his professional pride, he hardened his heart anew against the beguiling Al Yohe. I'm going to bring him in, he vowed to himself, if I have to do it singlehanded!
    Fanny and Judy received him demurely at the office. Neither of them made any reference to the story in the newspapers; they were waiting for Lee to speak about it. They fussed about him, with an added affectionateness and care to carry out his wishes. Lee would not speak about the newspaper story and that put the girls in a false position. Finally, Fanny was obliged to say:
    "Pop, dear, I was horrified to read about what happened last night. I didn't like to speak of it because I thought it was a painful subject."
    "Not at all!" said Lee. "I enjoyed my visitor thoroughly!"
    Fanny looked at him, not quite knowing how to take this.
    Just as he was beginning to think about lunch, Lee, to his astonishment, saw Robert Hawkins entering the outer office. The old man was greatly agitated. Fanny brought him into the private office. Hawkins took care to shut the door before stating his errand.
    "Mr. Mappin, sir, an extraordinary thing has happened. It scares me, sir. I don't know what to make of it. I took the first train to New York to consult with you, sir."
    "What is it?" asked Lee.
    Hawkins produced an envelope and from it drew a credit note bearing the heading of the Girard National Bank. His hand trembled. "On Saturday morning, sir, somebody deposited five thousand dollars to my credit in the bank. My first knowledge of it was when I received this credit note in the mail this morning."
    Lee, studying him, thought: If he has learned about my visit to the bank, this is exactly what a clever crook would do. He said: "You have no idea who it was?"
    "No, sir! Who would give me five thousand dollars?"
    "It does seem odd, doesn't it?"
    "Five thousand dollars! It's a fortune! After a lifetime of work I have only succeeded in saving half that sum!"
    If the old man's astonishment and consternation were faked, it was a good piece of acting. Lee made believe to take his story at face value. "Hawkins," he said, "this is an attempt to implicate you in the Gartrey murder!"
    "That is what I feared, sir! What a blackguardly trick to play on an innocent man!"
    "You have been to the bank?" asked Lee casually.
    "Yes, sir! I was waiting when they opened their doors this morning. I asked if there wasn't some mistake, but they said no; the amount had been paid in in cash on Saturday morning."
    "Whom did you see at the bank?"
    "One of the vice presidents, sir, and he sent for the teller who had received the money."
    Lee would have liked to know if the bank people had told Hawkins of his visit on Saturday. He did not put the question, for that would have been to show his hand. "Did the teller describe the man who deposited the money?" he asked.
    "A handsome, fashionable young man. That suggested nothing to me, sir."
    "Well, Hawkins," said Lee affably, "you did right in coming direct to me. It was without a doubt the actual murderer who had the money conveyed to you. Five thousand dollars is a biggish sum; it ought not to be too hard to trace it. This may lead us to the man we want."
    "I pray that it may, sir!"
    "Meanwhile, I don't suppose you want to use the money."
    "Use it!" cried the old man in horror. "I wouldn't touch it with a pair of tongs!"
    "Then I suggest that you make out a check to the order of the Police Commissioner to be held by him until the mystery is cleared up."
    "I'll do that, sir. I have my checkbook with me. I'll leave the check with you."
    "Good! That will clear your skirts."
    Hawkins produced his checkbook and, drawing up a chair to Lee's desk,