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'Five hundred dollars for the arrest of Silent Steve Skeels Wait. Make that 'arrest or detention, Got it?" "All right, Mr. Boyne." "'Skeels, gambler, who left San Francisco about one in the afternoon yesterday March sixth. Presumed he went by train; maybe by auto. He is man thirty-eight to forty; five feet seven or eight; weighs about one hundred forty.
I worried not at all over Worth; if he wanted to play hide and seek with Dykeman's spotters, he was thoroughly capable of looking after himself; but in the Skeels matter, I did then what I should have done in the first place, of course; turned the work over to subordinates and headed straight home. I reached San Francisco pretty well used up.
My supposition was that when the suitcase was emptied for division, Skeels, being left to dispose of the container, had stuck it where we found it. But what if the thing worked another way? What if all the money almost a round million which came to the Gold Nugget roof in the brown sole-leather case, walked out of its front door in the new black shiny carrier of Skeels the gambler?
In the most deferential and conciliatory manner he urged that he was entitled to an adjournment until such time as he could produce William R. Hubert as a witness; stating that, although the latter had been in town on December 14th, and had personally given him the deeds in question, which he had handed to Levitan, Hubert's interests in the West had immediately called him from the city, and that he was then in Goldfields, Nevada; that since he had been in the Tombs he, Browne, had been in correspondence with a gentleman by the name of Alfred Skeels, of the Teller House, Central City, Colorado, from whom he had received a letter within the week to the effect that Hubert had arranged to start immediately for New York, for the purpose of testifying as a witness for the defence.
"Just back from the south yourself, aren't you?" I countered. "Sure," airily. "But I wasn't there to butt in on your game. Did you find that Skeels was Clayte?" I merely looked over the flame of my match at that small-town society man, smiling back at me with a show of polite interest. "Go on," Worth interpreted. "Vandeman knows all about it.
Hair, light brown; eyes light blue Make it gray-blue, Barbara." Worth glanced up from where he was jotting down telephone numbers to drawl, "You know who you're describing there?" "Yes Steve Skeels." I saw Miss Wallace give him a quick look, a little shake of her head, as she said to me. "Go on please, Mr. Boyne." "'Hair parted high, smoothed down; appears of slight build but is well muscled.
I started out to find a gang; but Clayte and Skeels are so exactly one, mentally, morally and physically, that I don't see why we should seek further." "Back up, Jerry," Worth tossed it over at me. "Let Barbara" he didn't often use the girl's full name that way "give you a description of Clayte before you're so sure." "How could I?" The girl's tone was defensive. "I never saw him."
He's located Steve Skeels " "Read me the wire," I broke in. "All right." A pause, then, "'Skeels arrived here from 'Frisco this morning shall I arrest?" "Good!" I exclaimed. "Wire him to keep Steve under surveillance and await instructions. Tell him not to lose him. Get it, Roberts? Hustle it. I'll be in by nine. Good-by," and I hung up.
"To my certain knowledge Steve Skeels has had a room here longer than that. Hasn't he been with you ever since the place was rebuilt after the earthquake?" "Steve?" the Kite repeated. "I forgot him. Yeah he keeps a little room up under the roof." "Has he had it for as long as four years?" the young lady asked. "Search me," the Kite shook his head.
"But didn't it ever belong here?" our girl persisted forlornly, and when Louie failed her, jingling Worth's tip in his calloused palm, she wanted the women asked, and we had a frowsy chambermaid called who denied any acquaintance with our sole leather discovery, insisting, upon definite inquiry, that she had never seen it in Skeels' room, or any other room of her domain.
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