The Mystery of the Death Trap Mine - M. V. Carey [42]
“As we searched the hills for Pete and Allie last night, I started thinking about those two bits of gold. I knew that gold is often found alloyed with other metals — such as copper or silver — but I doubted that two completely different alloys would be found so close together. I also began to think about the shot we had heard in the mine . . . and all the blasting. So I took a closer look at that bit of greenish gold. If you do that, Sheriff Tait, you will see that it was not always lodged in the wall of Death Trap Mine.”
The sheriff held up the bit of metal and squinted at it. “It’s … it’s got a design on it!”
he exclaimed.
Jupiter Jones nodded triumphantly. “A pattern of orange blossoms. That gold was once part of a wedding ring!”
Thurgood stepped forward. “Where did you get that?” he demanded. “Where did you really get it? And don’t tell me you found it in my mine!”
“I don’t need to tell you,” said Jupe. “I’m sure that if you were careless enough to use pieces of old jewelry in your confidence game, there are other bits in the mine wall that can be identified. The sheriff has only to go and look at them.”
He turned to the sheriff. “Mr. Thurgood has been pulling a very old swindle,” said Jupe. “He has been ‘salting’ his mine. He loaded a shotgun with bits of gold, fired the particles into the wall of the mine, then brought in prospects to show them his ‘strike.’ He had his Mexican labourers set off dynamite whenever he brought in visitors, so that it would appear that the mine was actually being worked. I assume that the suckers flew to Lordsburg, where they were met by Thurgood. He then drove them to the Death Trap and persuaded them to invest in the mine.”
“Something doesn’t make sense,” Uncle Harry broke in. “Wesley Thurgood has already made a fortune in real estate. Why would he get involved in a crooked scheme like mine salting?”
Thurgood sneered. “That’s simple. I wouldn’t. The very idea is ridiculous.”
“But when we go into the mine, we will see—” Jupe began.
“You will go nowhere!” shouted Thurgood. His face was now flushed and angry. His eyes darted to the entrance of the mine. “I am going to call my lawyer. In the meantime, anyone who sets foot in my mine had better have a search warrant, or they will be prosecuted.”
“You can call your lawyer from jail,” said Sheriff Tait. His eyes were cold. “I’ve got enough evidence to hold you on suspicion — and to get a search warrant.”
“Are you going to believe that crazy kid?” cried Thurgood.
“He doesn’t seem crazy to me,” said the sheriff.
“Thank you, Sheriff Tait,” said Jupe. “And now there is one more thing I’d like to get cleared up.”
He turned to Manny and Gasper.
“Where is Mrs. Macomber?” demanded Jupiter. “Is she waiting to meet you somewhere?”
“Mrs. Macomber?” said Manny, his face blank.
“The old dame who owns the house across the way,” Gasper explained. “Her name’s Macomber.”
A look of complete astonishment appeared on Jupe’s face. “You mean … you mean you don’t know her? You really don’t know her?”
Manny shrugged.
Jupiter pulled hard at his bottom lip. “We suspected that Mrs. Macomber was the fourth member of that Phoenix holdup gang. But we had no real evidence to connect her with the robbery, except that she fit the description of the driver of the getaway car. She fit it perfectly. And she disappeared from Phoenix about the same time as the robbery. Then, after she learned we were investigating Morgan, she disappeared again.”
Thurgood shouted, “I told you that kid was nuts! Who could ever suspect Mrs. Macomber of being involved with those hoodlums!” Again Thurgood’s eyes darted unconsciously to the mine’s entrance.
“If I’m nuts, why are you sweating, Thurgood?” demanded Jupe.
Suddenly Jupiter struck his forehead with the palm of his hand. “I’m an idiot!” he cried.
“I thought Mrs. Macomber disappeared because she was involved in that holdup. But that wasn’t it at all, was it, Thurgood? She disappeared because she knew you! She knew something about you that you