“Eight or nine years?” The banker considered. “That would be Herman Lang. He resigned about that time.”
“Do you know why he resigned?”
“Yes. He had an offer to join a land development company.”
“Where?”
“In California.”
Joe saw Captain Tucker’s mouth sag, but his uncle’s face was impassive. Bryan Smith lowered his voice.
“Ordinarily, gentlemen, we do not discuss our depositors’ business. However, there is something I think you should know. Boothy Wilkes drew out five thousand dollars in cash the day he vanished. Cash!”
The sag that had been in Captain Tucker’s jaw was gone. Out in the car he spoke a positive judgment.
“There’s your motive, Doctor. Find Boothy’s body and Cory’ll soon tell us what he did with the five thousand dollars. Anyway, we all know Boothy kept a tight fist on a dime. Suppose he did rob the boy. Is that any excuse for murder?”
“You haven’t yet proved Jud did commit a murder,” the blind man suggested gently.