The Red Seal [51]
indebtedness to their business firms."
An exclamation broke from Kent. "Impossible!" he gasped.
"I would have said the same this morning," declared Clymer. "But on investigation I find that Rochester has over-drawn his account here for a large amount and borrowed heavily. The further I look into his financial affairs the more involved I find them."
"But" - Kent was white-lipped. "I know for an absolute fact that Rochester was paid some exceedingly large fees last week, totaling over fifty thousand dollars."
"He has never deposited such a sum, or anywhere like that amount in this bank either last week or this," stated Clymer, running his eyes down a bank statement which, with several pass books, lay on his desk.
"Does he carry accounts at other banks?" inquired Harding.
"Not that I can discover," responded Taylor. "I have been to every national and private banking house in Washington, but all deny having him as a depositor. Did Rochester ever bank out of town, Kent?"
"Not to my knowledge." Kent drew out a bank book. "Here is the firm's balance, Mr. Clymer; we bank here, you know."
"Yes." Clymer's look of anxiety deepened.
"Did you see McDonald as you came in?"
"Yes, he cashed some checks for me."
"Your personal checks?"
"Yes." Kent looked questioningly at Clymer. What do you mean?"
"Only this; that all moneys deposited here in the firm name of Rochester and Kent have been drawn out."
"That's not possible!" Kent started up.
"Checks on that account must bear both Rochester's signature and mine."
"Checks bearing both signatures have been presented for the total sum deposited to your credit," stated Clymer and he picked up four canceled checks. "See for yourself."
Kent stared at the checks in dumbfounded silence; then carrying them to the light he examined them with minute care before bringing them back to the bank president.
"This is the first I have heard of these transactions," he said.
"You mean -"
"That the signatures are clever forgeries." His statement was heard with gravity. Taylor exchanged a meaning look with the New Yorker.
"You mean your signature is a forgery," he suggested. "Rochester had a peculiar gift of penmanship."
Kent sprang up. "Do you accuse Philip Rochester of signing these checks and inserting my name to them?"
"I do," calmly. "I am not familiar with your signature, Kent, but that Rochester wrote the body of those four checks and put his own signature at the bottom I will swear to in any court of law. To make them valid he had to add your name."
"But, d-mn it, man!" Kent stared in bewilderment at his three companions. "Rochester was honorable and straight-forward -"
"And addicted to drink," put in Harding. "But not a forger," retorted Kent firmly. Harding's only rejoinder was a skeptical smile as he turned to address Clymer.
"So Rochester not only has taken his own money, but withdrawn that belonging to the firm of Rochester and Kent without the knowledge of his junior partner; it looks black, Mr. Clymer," he remarked. "Especially when taken in consideration with his other involved financial transactions."
"Where will we find Rochester, Kent?" asked Taylor, before the bank president could answer the New Yorker.
Kent paused in indecision. What reply could he make without further involving Rochester in trouble? He had not the faintest idea where Rochester was, but to state that he was missing could not but add to the belief that he had made away with all the money he could lay his hands on. The noon edition of the Times had hinted at Rochester's disappearance but had stated they could not get the statement confirmed from Police Headquarters; obviously Harding and Taylor had not seen the newspaper.
Was it just to the men before him to keep them in the dark? If their claims were true, and Kent never doubted that they were, they had already lost money through Rochester's extraordinary behavior. Kent turned sick at the thought of his own loss - his savings swept away. Would Barbara wait for him -
An exclamation broke from Kent. "Impossible!" he gasped.
"I would have said the same this morning," declared Clymer. "But on investigation I find that Rochester has over-drawn his account here for a large amount and borrowed heavily. The further I look into his financial affairs the more involved I find them."
"But" - Kent was white-lipped. "I know for an absolute fact that Rochester was paid some exceedingly large fees last week, totaling over fifty thousand dollars."
"He has never deposited such a sum, or anywhere like that amount in this bank either last week or this," stated Clymer, running his eyes down a bank statement which, with several pass books, lay on his desk.
"Does he carry accounts at other banks?" inquired Harding.
"Not that I can discover," responded Taylor. "I have been to every national and private banking house in Washington, but all deny having him as a depositor. Did Rochester ever bank out of town, Kent?"
"Not to my knowledge." Kent drew out a bank book. "Here is the firm's balance, Mr. Clymer; we bank here, you know."
"Yes." Clymer's look of anxiety deepened.
"Did you see McDonald as you came in?"
"Yes, he cashed some checks for me."
"Your personal checks?"
"Yes." Kent looked questioningly at Clymer. What do you mean?"
"Only this; that all moneys deposited here in the firm name of Rochester and Kent have been drawn out."
"That's not possible!" Kent started up.
"Checks on that account must bear both Rochester's signature and mine."
"Checks bearing both signatures have been presented for the total sum deposited to your credit," stated Clymer and he picked up four canceled checks. "See for yourself."
Kent stared at the checks in dumbfounded silence; then carrying them to the light he examined them with minute care before bringing them back to the bank president.
"This is the first I have heard of these transactions," he said.
"You mean -"
"That the signatures are clever forgeries." His statement was heard with gravity. Taylor exchanged a meaning look with the New Yorker.
"You mean your signature is a forgery," he suggested. "Rochester had a peculiar gift of penmanship."
Kent sprang up. "Do you accuse Philip Rochester of signing these checks and inserting my name to them?"
"I do," calmly. "I am not familiar with your signature, Kent, but that Rochester wrote the body of those four checks and put his own signature at the bottom I will swear to in any court of law. To make them valid he had to add your name."
"But, d-mn it, man!" Kent stared in bewilderment at his three companions. "Rochester was honorable and straight-forward -"
"And addicted to drink," put in Harding. "But not a forger," retorted Kent firmly. Harding's only rejoinder was a skeptical smile as he turned to address Clymer.
"So Rochester not only has taken his own money, but withdrawn that belonging to the firm of Rochester and Kent without the knowledge of his junior partner; it looks black, Mr. Clymer," he remarked. "Especially when taken in consideration with his other involved financial transactions."
"Where will we find Rochester, Kent?" asked Taylor, before the bank president could answer the New Yorker.
Kent paused in indecision. What reply could he make without further involving Rochester in trouble? He had not the faintest idea where Rochester was, but to state that he was missing could not but add to the belief that he had made away with all the money he could lay his hands on. The noon edition of the Times had hinted at Rochester's disappearance but had stated they could not get the statement confirmed from Police Headquarters; obviously Harding and Taylor had not seen the newspaper.
Was it just to the men before him to keep them in the dark? If their claims were true, and Kent never doubted that they were, they had already lost money through Rochester's extraordinary behavior. Kent turned sick at the thought of his own loss - his savings swept away. Would Barbara wait for him -