The Mystery of the Death Trap Mine - M. V. Carey [43]
Where is Mrs. Macomber?”
Thurgood swallowed. “How should I know?” He began to edge toward the mine. Jupe spun around, darted into the sheriff’s car, and grabbed a powerful flashlight. He raced for the mine entrance.
The sheriff pointed at Thurgood. “Watch this man!” he roared to his deputy. Then he and Allie, Uncle Harry, Pete, and Bob followed Jupe into the Death Trap Mine.
Jupe was well ahead, and the others stumbled after his light as he sped down the mine tunnel and turned into the corridor that ran left. He passed the place where golden flecks showed briefly in the light.
Bob and Pete were close behind when Jupe ducked into the passageway that branched off to one side — the passageway that had led Allie to the dead thief. At the end of the tunnel, they stopped and looked down into the pit. There — tied and gagged but struggling mightily — was the missing lady.
Chapter 20
Where’s the Loot?
WHEN MRS. MACOMBER saw the group above her, her eyes sparkled. Sheriff Tait quickly brought a ladder and climbed down into the pit after her.
“High time,” she said as soon as he removed the gag. “I thought no one would ever come.”
When she was untied, she calmly stood up,
brushed herself off, and climbed up the ladder without help. The sheriff followed, carrying the suitcase that had been lying in the pit with her.
“Where is that scoundrel?” she demanded.
“Wesley Thurgood?” asked Jupe.
“He is not Wesley Thurgood!” said Mrs.
Macomber. “I finally remembered what was so
unusual about that Thurgood baby. When he
was born he had brown eyes. Hardly any babies
are born with brown eyes. Most babies’ eyes are
blue, and if they’re going to have brown eyes the
colour changes after a while. But little Wesley Thurgood had brown eyes, and they don’t
change! That man’s got blue eyes — he’s an out-
and-out impostor!”
“I suppose you told him that!” said Jupiter.
“Well, I asked him what he was up to. The next
thing I knew, he was covering me with a
shotgun. He made me get down in that hole and
he threw my suitcase down after me. Where is he?”
“Outside,” said the sheriff. “And he will
shortly be in jail.”
“Jail’s too good for him!” declared Mrs. Macomber.
“I agree, but it’s the best we can do at the moment.”
And, very shortly, the sheriff drove off with Wesley Thurgood as well as Manny and Gasper.
Sheriff Tait returned to the Christmas tree ranch ate that afternoon. Uncle Harry and Magdalena had driven to Hambone to retrieve Mrs. Macomber’s truck. The widow herself sat in the Osborne living room having a cup of tea.
“Well?” she said, when she saw the sheriff.
The sheriff grinned at her, and at Allie and the Three Investigators. “You kids were right,” he said. “Those two hoods confessed to the robbery of the armoured car five years ago. Not that it matters a lot. They’re already wanted in four states for other stickups and we’ll charge them with kidnapping. Like you figured, Gilbert Morgan was one of the gang.”
“But what about that rascal Thurgood?” demanded Mrs. Macomber.
“He’s waiting for a lawyer and he’ll need one. We’ve got his fingerprints on the wire to Washington. My guess is that he’s a professional con artist and he’s probably got a record.
They all do, no matter how slick they are. Of course he isn’t Thurgood. I’ve been in touch with Los Angeles and I talked to the real Wesley Thurgood.”
“I knew he was a phony from the beginning!” crowed Allie. “You guys should have listened to me — especially after he lied and said that his antique car was used in The Fortune Hunters.”
“Never mind about that,” said Sheriff Tait. “I’ve got a search warrant and I’m going to go all through his place.”
“You looking for more evidence?” asked Bob.
“Yes, and I am looking for a quarter of a million dollars!” said the sheriff.
He paused to let this sink in, then went on. “According to Manny Ellis and Gasper —
whose real name is Charlie Lambert — Gilbert Morgan and a woman named Hannah Troy were also involved in that Phoenix robbery. The woman drove the getaway car. She