“Neither does McDowell or I’m very much afraid Tommy would be among the missing.”
“Meaning what?” asked Ralph.
“That it would be comparatively easy for McDowell to arrange a crack-up of Tommy’s plane somewhere on a long hop if he ever became suspicious.”
“That would be unthinkable,” said Tim.
“Not for McDowell. You might as well realize right now that he is ready to go to any length to save himself from arrest. According to information from Larkin, McDowell will receive a new shipment of drugs just before they take off from Charleston on their flight here. McDowell is to keep it in his ship until they reach Nemaha, their next stop after they finish their exhibition in Atkinson. That means McDowell will have the stuff on his ship for at least 24 hours. He flies a four passenger cabin plane most of the time but for one of the stunts he goes aloft in a fast two-seater. That’s when I’ll have a chance to seize the dope in his cabin ship and take him when he lands.”
“Sounds fine if nothing slips,” nodded Tim.
“There’ll be no slips this time,” promised the federal agent.
They discussed plans for the apprehension of McDowell at length and before he left the office, Prentiss promised to see the managing editor the next day.
“I’m counting on you two to be with me Sunday,” he said before leaving. “There might be a leak if I called in the local police or even some of the state troopers at the barracks here.”
When the narcotics officer had gone, Ralph wiped his brow and slumped down in the chair at his own desk.