“At my... at a number I’d given him where he could call me.”
“Not at your apartment?” Mason asked.
“No.”
Alden Leeds said slowly, “Until yesterday afternoon, I had no idea L. C. Conway and John Milicant were one and the same. I thought John Milicant was acting as my friend. He told me that he knew Conway, that Conway was a crook, but that he could handle him.
“I gave John Milicant a check for twenty thousand. The check was payable to Conway, and endorsed so Conway would accept it. John said Conway wouldn’t go to the bank himself.”
Emily Milicant said confidently, “And then last night, John gave you back the money, didn’t he, Alden?”
“Gave me back the money!” Leeds said in surprise. “I should say not. Last night, he wanted more money.”
“Wanted more money!” Emily exclaimed. “Why, he promised me that he was going to return the money to you.”
Alden Leeds said dryly, “He gave me an ultimatum last night, told me I had to have another twenty thousand within twenty-four hours. I gave him fifteen more in cash.”
Emily Milicant sat staring at him with wide, surprised eyes. “Why, he called me last night, just after you’d left, and told me everything had been fixed up, and that he’d returned all but two thousand dollars to you.”