The Mystery of the Death Trap Mine - M. V. Carey [27]
“I don’t think a little iron grillwork would be much problem for a determined crook,”
Bob pointed out.
“Then Thurgood’s got the dough!” cried Allie. “If it was hidden in the mine, Thurgood’s got it! No wonder he didn’t let on that the body was there. He probably planned to get rid of it so no one could ever guess he found the money. But we got there first!”
“That is possible,” said Jupiter. “But let’s not worry about who has the loot just yet.
There’s another reason why Gilbert Morgan might have chosen to come to Twin Lakes.”
“What’s that?” asked Bob.
“Suppose that Gilbert Morgan knew more about Death Trap Mine than what he read in the Lordsburg newspaper. Suppose he knew someone who told him all about the played-out mine — and the abandoned mine property. Suppose that person was one of his accomplices!”
“What are you getting at?” demanded Allie.
“After years of working in a little shop in Phoenix, Mrs. Macomber returned to Twin Lakes — several months after the robbery. She had enough money to buy a sizable piece of property. Perhaps she was an accomplice of Morgan’s!”
“You’re nuts!” cried Allie.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” said Jupe airily. “Records, give us that description of the driver of the getaway car again.”
“Golly!” exclaimed Bob. “It was a woman, between fifty-five and sixty years of age, with slightly graying hair and tanned skin. Approximately five feet seven inches tall, and weighing about a hundred and thirty pounds. And she was wearing Indian jewelry!”
“Does that sound like anyone we know?” asked Jupiter.
“But … but there must be millions of people who look like that,” Allie declared. “And Mrs. Macomber’s such a nice lady.”
“Nice is not the point. She was living in Phoenix at the time of the robbery. She had lost her nest egg and was working at a job that couldn’t have paid very much. Yet somehow she had enough money to buy the property here, soon after the robbery, and now she lives comfortably without working at all. She’s vigorous, calm, and self-reliant, which one would have to be to take part in a daring robbery. And she fits the description of the getaway driver perfectly!”
“So what!” snapped Allie. “Jupiter, you haven’t got one shred of real evidence against Mrs. Macomber!”
“No, I don’t,” admitted Jupe. “But I see a lot of strange coincidences, and we can hunt for evidence.” He looked slyly at Allie. “There’s still another possibility we must consider.
If Mrs. Macomber was in on the robbery of the armoured truck . . .” Jupe paused dramatically.
“Go on, go on,” Allie ordered.
“Then it’s quite possible that Gilbert Morgan did not come to Twin Lakes alone.
Perhaps … perhaps he never had a chance to hide his money… .”
“You mean Mrs. Macomber shoved Morgan down that pit?” screamed Allie. “You’re out of your mind, Jupiter Jones! I won’t listen to another word you say!” Allie jumped up and stormed out of the barn.
Bob looked at Jupiter. “You don’t really think Mrs. Macomber murdered Morgan and stole his share of the loot, do you?”
“No,” said Jupiter. “I simply couldn’t resist suggesting it to Allie. But I wouldn’t be surprised to find that Mrs. Macomber did have some connection with the robbery!”
Chapter 13
The Widow Disappears
AT THE END OF BREAKFAST the next day, Allie and the Three Investigators were sitting alone in the kitchen. Jupiter had devoured his food almost absent-mindedly. When he finished, he stared at his plate for a moment, then said to Allie, “What was the name of the shop in Phoenix where Mrs. Macomber said she worked? Do you know?”
“Not that it’s any of your business,” replied Allie, “but the shop was called the Teepee.
Mrs. Macomber told me a lot about it. Some woman named Mrs. Harvard bought it from her and kept her on as a saleslady. Mrs. Harvard was a real tightwad—Mrs. Macomber once said she’d have paid her help with Confederate money if she’d had any.”
“Oh?” said Jupe. “That makes it even more curious that Mrs. Macomber was able to amass enough to buy her property. Well, that part of her history