Table of Contents

  CHAPTER I

  The Besieged Millionaires

  CHAPTER II

  A Threat

  CHAPTER III

  The Man Who Screamed

  CHAPTER IV

  The Man Who Couldn’t Forget

  CHAPTER V

  Death on the Pillow

  CHAPTER VI

  A Dead Man in an Alley

  CHAPTER VII

  And Then They Were Three…

  CHAPTER VIII

  The Secret of the Vault

  CHAPTER I

  The Besieged Millionaires

  The five men sat huddled around the big directors’ table over which so many dividends had been declared. George Millers, fat, ponderous and wheezy, occupied the chair at the head of the table. Harrison Gale, nervous, dyspeptic, irritable, watery-eyed; sat in the chair on Millers' right. Pitley Simms, shrewd, selfish, grasping, miserly, was on the left. Next to Simms sat C. Wright Delamy, broad-shouldered, open-faced, clear-eyed. Across from him sat Taber Box-man, well-dressed, sophisticated, suave, but with restless, watchful eyes.

  In the center of the table reposed the letter which said these five men would die unless a sum of two million dollars was placed at the disposal of the sender of the letter.

  Harrison Gale cleared his throat

  “We can’t call in the police,” he said.

  “Not the police,” Millers remarked.” They would be out of the question. They would be certain to bungle it. I was referring to a good firm of detectives.”

  Taber Boxman’s voice was high-pitched. The words came from his lips in rapid sequence.

  “Not even a private detective,” he said. " We can’t let the insurance company get hold of this.”

  “Why the insurance company?” C. Wright Delamy inquired. ” What have they got to do with it?”

  George Millers nodded his head in ponderous acquiescence.

  “Boxman is right,” he said. “The five of u$ constitute alt of the partners of the Betterbilt Investment Company. That company, as you know, has purchased some of the larger office buildings in the city, and is holding them against the time when business will pick up and the offices in the better class of structure will be at a premium.

  “Virtually ail of these buildings were purchased at foreclosure sates. We have secured them for the amount of bonds which represent a fraction of their original cost. It is possible for us to make billions when…”

  ” What’s all that got to do with it?” Delamy said impatiently. “Get down to brass tacks, Millers. You’re not making a |political speech to a women’s dub. Good Lord. we. all of us, know the details of our business.”

  Millers flushed. His glassy, bulgy eyes showed resentment.

  ” Apparently, you don’t know the details of the business,” he said, “or you’d remember that the partnership carries business insurance upon each member. We are insured against accident, sickness and death. It’s a form of group insurance under which the companies have the right to cancel the policies, in the event it should appear that business or social conditions have made us an unsafe risk.”

  “Is that clause in the policies?” Delamy demanded.

  “It is,” Millers said. “and was put in against just such a contingency as this. The amount of insurance is too large for the companies to take chances with.”

  “Ridiculous,” Gale snorted. “But remember they have to give us back the premiums if they cancel the policies. Those premiums amount to a pretty penny by this time.”

  ” The insurance is more valuable,” Boxman said. “We can’t let some fool fanatic upset our business plans.”

  “Perhaps Pitley Simms suggested,” some of you gentlemen would like to buy me out. I’d be willing to sell my interest at a considerable sacrifice.”

  ” What’s the idea?” Delamy asked. “Getting frightened over an anonymous letter?”

  “No, I’m not frightened. But you’ve got to admit we’ve been waiting a long time for our profits. We’ve got a lot of obligations to meet when these liens begins to mature. We…

  “Oh, forget it,” Delamy said.” We’re all in the same boat together. The investments are just as good as they ever were. There isn’t any one of us but what can afford to carry his share. I,ook at the list of buildings we’ve got—virtually every attractive business structure that could have been purchased for under thirty per cent of its original cost.”

  ” It isn’t that,” Simms said quietly. “It’s the fact that I want to get out of the country. There’s too much lawlessness, too much social unrest, loo many kidnapings.”

  “It’s your country, isn’t it?” Delamy asked.

  “I’ve made my money in it.” Simms countered, " if that’s what you mean.”

  “That’s what 1 mean,” Delamy said. ” If it was good enough for you to make your money in, stay with it. Taking your money to a foreign country isn’t going to do you any good.”

  Taber Boxman reached out a long, well-manicured finger and tapped the note which lay in the center of the table.

  ” Gentlemen,” he said, “ there’s no use becoming unduly alarmed about this thing, but I suggest wc take reasonable precautions.”

  Harrison Gate laughed nervously.

  ” Undue alarm,” he said,” is all a question of personal opinion. As far as l*m concerned. I’ve seen lawlessness develop from bootlegging to kidnaping. God knows what will be the next step.”

  Millers said, ” Someone has suggested that we get down to brass tacks. We can’t handle this situation by discussing the social conditions of the country. Gentlemen, is it your pleasure we employ the police?”

  “No,” they said almost in chorus. ” Shall we consult some private detective?”

  There was a moment of hesitation; then Boxman leaned forward and said with quiet force: ” Let’s use our heads. This letter is obviously written by someone who has been misled by the extent of our operations. Because we have purchased a large number of important buildings he evidently has the idea we have a large surplus of ready cash available.

  ” I guess there’s no question but that the five of us could scrape up a great deal of ready coin, if we were m a position where we had to do it. However the point I’m making is that this man picks on all five of iu, not one of us, but all five. He is, therefore, someone who has a general idea of the partnership arrangement under which we are working. He is, therefore, someone who may be dangerous.

  “We own and operate a string of high-class buildings. Among others is the Midwick. You will remember that recently, in order to cut operating expenses, we closed up the top five floors of that building—the forty-sixth to the fiftieth inclusive.

  “Gentlemen, my suggestion is that we move into the top five floors of that building. With the facilities at our command we can fix up very comfortable living and office quarters. We can arrange for proper guards. We will close up the stairs from the forty-sixth Boor. We will operate only one elevator above the forty-sixth Boor. We will station guards in the foyer of the building. Wc will see that two men arc always on duty in the elevator, Wc will have our meals sent up, or, if you prefer, we can have them cooked on the premises. We will hold ourselves virtually in a state of siege. We will have ample office space to provide for living quarters for such personal help as we wish to employ.”

  Boxman looked around the table and saw, from the expressions of those about, that his words carried weight.

  ” Will that cause newspaper comment?” asked Millers.

  ” Absolutely not,” Boxman said quietly. “The newspapers will be told that the Betterbilt Investment Company has taken over the top five floors for its executive offices.”

  ” Suppose some of the reporters try to interview us?” Simms suggested.

  ” Anyone who wishes to come to the offices of the Betterbilt Investment Company wifi be welcome,” Boxman said with a quiet smile. ” But, when he leaves the elevator he will find himself in a reception room which is fitted up with comfortable chairs, couches, deep carpets, and a supply of the latest reading matter ready to his elbow. He will be asked to wait.

  “What be will notice is that the walls of that room are of steel; that the doors are of steel and electrically controlled; that a guard, with a machine gun in a concealed cage, will be able to spray the room with lead at a moment’s notice. One of the secretaries will watt upon that visitor. He will be politely informed that the person he wishes to see is busy. That person will, however, consent to an interview over the telephone, if it is a matter of importance,"

  Millers looked about him.

  “You, gentlemen, have heard Director Boxman’s suggestion,” he said. “Is it your pleasure…”

  Four heads nodded in solemn unison. There was no necessity to put the question.

  ” That’s settled, then,” Millers said, glancing at his watch.” We will leave the construction details to Frank Menloe?”

  “He can put on a force to work day and night,” Gale said. ” It won’t be necessary to do a great deal of changing around. The main thing to do is to sec that the reception room is proof against any sort of a surprise attack, and I presume we’ve got to watch out for a bomb. We can…

  A knock sounded at the door, which was opened a moment later. A tall, slender individual, with a modest, self-effacing manner, extended a telegram.

  “This,” he said, “is important, and…

  George Millers pounded the table with his fist

  ” Damn it, Crail,” he said, “I to
ld you that we weren’t to be disturbed! This conference talus precedence over any and all individual business. A telegram, bah! What the hell do we care about telegrams?”

  “I beg your pardon, sir,” Ashley Crail said. “but if you’ll notice the contents of this telegram, Mr. Millers, you’ll see that it’s vitally important to this conference.”

  Millers jerked the telegram out of the titan’s hand, read it, then let his mouth sag slowly open.

  “Good heavens!” he said.

  “Well,” Harrison Gale demanded, “what U it?”

  He reached over and snatched the telegram from Millers’ hand.

  “We’re all interested, you know,” Delamy suggested affably. ” Suppose you read it.”

  In a high-pitched, piping voice, Gale read the telegram: “Members, Better* bill Investment Company. Gentlemen: I am listening to your plans with a great deal of amusement. Go ahead, by all means, and adopt every precaution which your fear suggests. You have ample money at your disposal to surround yourselves with every reasonable safeguard; if my communication causes you to start spending this money, it will have put that mud> more coin into circulation. I am sorry to say, however, that the precautions you contemplate are woefully inadequate. In order to show you my power, I will give you forty-eight I tours to prepare to avoid my demands. At the expiration of that time I will demonstrate to you the complete futility of your plans. After all, I can deal with four much more easily than with five.”

  The telegram was signed, “I. B. Letterman.”

  C. Wright Delamy spoke without the slightest trace of emotion.

  ” That,” he said, “would not sound like a fictitious name to a telegraph company. To us, however, it would indicate that the sender had also sent us the anonymous letter.”

  “Observe,” Boxman said, “that it is general in its terms. It doesn’t say what we are planning. It merely runs a bluff by trying to make us think that he knows.”

  “Nevertheless,” Harrison Gale said, clearing his throat nervously,” it does show that the man has some knowledge of our activities. He knows (hat we are engaged in a conference on this thing at the present time I don’t like it.”

  “Hell,” Delamy said with a wry grin, ” we’re none of us crazy about it.” Millers turned to Ashley Crail. ” Trace this telegram,” he said.

  “I’ve already done so, sir,” Crail said. “It was telephoned in. The per* son telephoning gave a fictitious name and telephone number. That is, he gave the name and telephone number of a banker. I have communicated with the banker. He knows nothing whatever about the message. He insists that it could not have been sent from his tele* phone.”

  Boxman scraped back his chair.

  ” Mr. President,” he said, with a droll smile. ” I have a motion to make in connection with this telegram.” “What is it?” Millers inquired.

  ”I move you,” Boxman said, “that we Me (he telegram with the letter.” He made a rather exaggerated bow to the other partners.

  ” There is,” he said, ” nothing else yon can do about it—not one damn thing.”

  CHAPTER II

  A Threat

  The broad-shouldered man stared about the room approvingly. Behind him five men filed from the elevator.

  “Well,” Frank Menloe said, “there it b, all ready to move in.”

  ” It’s impossible for anyone to rush through these doors?” George Millers asked.

  ” Absolutely impossible.”

  ” They look frail”

  “They’re not. They’re the toughest steel obtainable. The frosted glass is shatter-proof. It’s also reinforced with what appears to be chicken wire. It isn’t—it’s tough steel wire reinforcement. Back of that door is another door. They’re arranged so they can only be opened by an electrical contact. That contact is controlled by the man who occupies the concealed cage back of that fresco work. That cage is steel lined. There are two machine guns in there trained on the room. You folks can’t make them out, but they’re there just the same.”

  “Our furniture is here?” Pitley Simms asked.

  ” The furniture, files, wardrobe, everything is all in. You, gentlemen, have your valets, your secretaries, your private files. There’s a vault room on the forty-eight floor to which you have joint access, it’s not exactly burglarproof, but it’s proof against anything except an expert cracksman with proper material and a good deal of time at his command, and an expert cracksman isn’t going to get in here. You can keep whatever sums of cash you want there, and such private documents as you don’t want to leave in your files. Each one of you has a separate compartment in that vault—each compartment with a separate door and a private combination.”

  Millers nibbed the bead of the police dog at his side.

  ” Weil,” he said,” I’m going to keep Tiger Boy with me at all times. 1 put more reliance in him than I do in all of these other precautions.”

  Menloe stared at the dog appraisingly.

  "I guess he’s alt right,” he said. “Personally, 1 never had much use for police dogs. I think they’re treacherous.”

  ” You’re dunking of Great Danes” Millers said patronizingly.

  “Some of them are treacherous,” Boxman announced. ” Some of them aren’t…But, gentlemen, we’re wasting time here. This b just the position we don’t want to be in. We’re all together here in this room. If anything should happen…

  They nodded, moved with one accord toward the electrically controlled doors.

  Unseen hands worked the electric connections which released the sealed doors. They swung silently open. The besieged millionaires marched through the passageway.

  C. Wright Delamy spoke to Elizabeth Crail, his confidential secretary.

  ” I’m not particularly keen about the idea,” he said. ” We’re virtually putting ourselves in jail in order to safeguard our wealth. Harrison Gale’s got a son. That son doesn’t have any normal play life whatever. He’s constantly guarded as a protection against kidnapers. If our wealth means that we’ve got to endure this sort of an existence I’d prefer not to have wealth.”

  She was in the late twenties, a woman with a willowy figure, quick, alert eyes, chestnut hair, a vivacious manner, and a quick smile.

  ” I wondered if you wouldn’t feel that way about it,” she said.

  George Millers stood in the center of the room.

  ” Sort of a club room, eh?” he asked Menloe.

  Menloe nodded.

  ” I figured you folks could get together and talk things over here,” he said. ” Of course, you each have your private sitting rooms. You can entertain guests there if…

  ” There aren’t going to be any guests,” Millers said determinedly. ” Not until this thing is cleared up.”

  An electric bell sounded stridently in the steel-lined room which they had just left. Fainter reverberations were heard throughout the corridors.

  ” What’s that?” Millers asked.

  “That,” Menloe said, frowning, “is the warning that someone is coming up in the devator.”

  ” I thought people weren’t to come up in that elevator?” Millers said.

  “Only those who can get past the guards on the lower floor,” Menloe agreed, ” but you must remember that we don’t want the general public to fed that you people are in a state of siege. A reasonable attempt is made to segregate callers. People who haven’t business of some importance are told to write for an appointment. And now. if you folks will go to your various rooms I’ll explain the manner in which this thing works out.

  “There’s a loudspeaking intercommunicating telephone system between the various rooms. Then there’s a special amplifier by which the person who wishes to listen to what is being said in the reception room can plug in on the conversation, hear it just as plain as though it were in the same room with him. There’s also a periscopic attachment, so that you can see the person who’s asking for an audience.”

  Millers patted Menloe on the back with a chubby hand.

  ” Menloe,” he said, ” it’s fine work. I don’t think I’ve ever been better organized to live the sort of life I want to live. I think I’ll stay here.”

  C. Wright Delamy gave a shake to his shoulders as though trying to throw away some disagreeable thought.