Finally, Rawlins rose to go and was saying good night when the front door opened and Mr. Pauling, Mr. Henderson and the detective Murphy arrived.
“Didn’t wait dinner for me, did you?” cried
Tom’s father, a note in his voice that his wife knew meant relief and elation. “Glad you didn’t. Sorry we were so late, but couldn’t get away a minute sooner. Didn’t even have a chance to telephone to you. But we’re as hungry as bears. I suppose there’s a bite to eat.”
Then, seeing Rawlins, hat in hand, he continued, “Don’t go, Rawlins. Soon as we’ve eaten we’ll try to satisfy your curiosity and the boys’ and,” he added mischievously, “the wife’s, even if she does say she hasn’t any.”
“They’re in mighty good spirits,” declared Rawlins when the three men had disappeared in the direction of the dining room. “So I guess everything’s come out O. K.”
“Yes, Fred’s had a great load lifted from his mind, I know,” agreed Mrs. Pauling, “and I’m very glad. I’ve really been worried about him lately.”
“Well, we’ll soon know what ’tis,” said Tom. “Gosh! I can scarcely wait.”
At last they heard the voices of the three men, laughing and chatting, as they left the dining room, and an instant later they entered the library.
“Now I suppose you four want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” laughed Mr. Pauling, as he motioned the others to seats and settled himself in his own favorite chair. “I don’t think there’s much that I cannot reveal now—except a few matters which have no direct bearing or interest on the part you boys and Mr. Rawlins have played. Well, let’s see. I guess I’d better begin at the garage—you know already that Henderson identified the prisoner and how we had a hunch that the affair centered in that block where the boys’ radio compasses located the phantom speaker. I had an idea our men would have to surround the entire block and make a house-to-house search, but the rascals saved us that trouble. Evidently their friends had warned them that something was wrong and Reilly’s men arrived just in time. They found a truck just leaving the garage, and, remembering my orders to hold every one and everything that looked suspicious, they stopped the truck—when the driver put on speed as soon as he glimpsed the police. That was suspicious and when they overhauled it they found it loaded with liquor. Inside the garage, they
found four more trucks and a crowd of men and Murphy here tells me they put up a mighty good fight. That, of course, drew a crowd and East Side crowds have no use for the blue coats. The result was a free for all until another wagon arrived with reserves and in the fracas several of the men in the garage broke away and disappeared in the crowd.