CHAPTER 14
FORGOTTEN TREASURE
Pat swiftly untied Taggart’s feet. “Get up,” he ordered. “Your pals are waiting for you in a nice shiny prowl car in front of the Lodge.”
“The police,” Phil gasped. “But how—?”
Pat grinned. “The whole hold-up was a washout. Oh, some of the ladies got a little scared when we all suddenly found ourselves facing those cowboys and their guns. And I was pretty worried about you myself when I saw the door close and guessed you were trapped down here with the ringleader.” He chuckled. “Penny saved the day. Just before the hold-up was to take place, she happened to notice that two of the cowboys, who were loitering out in the hall, were carrying real guns. She raced upstairs and called the police.” He laughed at the chagrined expression on Taggart’s face. “The police arrived shortly after our friend’s pals had collected their loot. In fact, they walked out of the door and right into the arms of two of the biggest cops I’ve ever seen.”
“Those fools,” Taggart snarled. “I told Jerry and Rick not to let anyone out of their sight once the secret door was open.”
Pat, as he deftly emptied Taggart’s pockets, told him, “They didn’t exactly let her dash upstairs to the phone in her room. She went so quickly and so quietly they didn’t even know she wasn’t among those present downstairs. When it finally dawned on them that none of their victims was dressed as a bride, I imagine they guessed that the game was up and decided to scram without waiting to see what had happened to their boss.” He gave Taggart a push. “Get going,” he said gruffly. “There’s a nice shiny pair of bracelets waiting for you.”
It was after one when the men returned from the precinct station after preferring charges against the three men. The girls were waiting excitedly for them on the porch.
“Oh, Phil,” Marjorie yelled, running down the steps. “To think that Graybeard was Mr. Taggart our laundryman, and none of us saw through his disguise.”
“Well,” Phil said, “it was a good disguise for one thing, and he was careful to spend most of his time with Adra who had never seen him.”