One way in which the detectives hoped to get a trace of the man who had the million dollars, provided that it was an employee of the bank who had taken the money, was to note who of the institution’s force changed his manner of living.
“For it’s a dead-sure thing,” said one of the officers, “that whoever stole that money took it to use for himself, or his friends. The only way you can use money is to spend it, and, sooner or later the thief will be spending that money. He’ll do it lavishly, too, and then we’ll get a line on our man.
“It would be easier, and we could trace him quicker, if we knew the numbers of the bank-notes that were taken. But they don’t do things here the way they do in England. There the big bills can be kept track of by their numbers, and many a thief has been caught by that method.
“Of course our money is numbered, but no one ever thinks to make a memoranda of the figures, so that it’s almost impossible to trace a stolen note.
“However, there’s one thing that’s in our favor. Thousand-dollar bills aren’t common, and as soon as the thief begins to pass them out he’s going to be looked on with suspicion. It may be a long time, but it’ll come sooner or later,” finished the sleuth.
There was considerable truth in this theory, as Larry well knew. But he made up his mind he could not sit around waiting for the thief to spend some of the money.
“I’ve got to get quicker action than that,” decided the young reporter. “What puzzles me, though, is why the thief hasn’t made a move toward getting away before this. If he’s still working in the bank, and I’m sure he is, he must be as nervous as a cat for fear some false move will give him away. It’s like sleeping over a powder mine, not knowing what minute it may explode. It must be an awful strain.”
Then Larry, in his mind, went over all the employees on whom, by any stretch of the imagination, suspicion might fall. He could recall none who acted as though they feared arrest at any moment.
“Whoever he is, he’s a star actor, and he ought to go on the stage,” decided the young reporter.
The days dragged by. The great bank mystery was all but forgotten by the general public, for other matters filled the newspapers, and it has to be a wonderful piece of news that can keep its place on the front page for more than a week.