“You kids are right at the head of the class in the detective game. Cass bought a brown hat, about 9:30 in the mo’ning. Paid five dollars for it. Wouldn’t let them deliver the old one but took it with him in a paper sack.”
With her lieutenants flanking her Kate went straight to the office of the sheriff. Bolt heard the story out and considered it thoughtfully.
“You win, Miss Cullison. You haven’t proved Fendrick caused your father’s disappearance by foul play, and you haven’t proved he committed the robbery. Point of fact I don’t think he did either one. But it certainly looks like he may possibly have manufactured evidence.”
Curly snorted scornfully. “You’re letting your friend down easy, Mr. Bolt. By his own story he was on the ground a minute after the robbery took place. How do we know he wasn’t there a minute before? For if he didn’t know the hold-up was going to occur why did he bring Mr. Cullison’s hat with him punctured so neatly with bullet holes?”
“I’ll bet a thousand dollars he is at the bottom of this whole thing,” Mackenzie added angrily.
The sheriff flushed. “You gentlemen are entitled to your opinions just as I’m entitled to mine. You haven’t even proved he took Mr. Cullison’s hat; you’ve merely showed he may have done it.”
“We’ve given you a motive and some evidence. How much more do you want?” Curly demanded.
“Hold your hawses a while, Flandrau, and look at this thing reasonable. You’re all prejudiced for Cullison and against Fendrick. Talk about evidence! There’s ten times as much against your friend as there is against Cass.”
“Then you’ll not arrest Fendrick?”
“When you give me good reason to do it,” Bolt returned doggedly.