Sue let her face become suddenly thoughtful. You know, she said, I think we ought to try and find your daddy and see if he took your treasure box.
I dont know where Daddy went, Carleton said.
Ill tell you what well do, Susan said. Well ring up the country club. I think we can find him there. I know he was intending to play golf this morning and hes out on the links someplace.
Can we put my treasure in the safe too? Carleton asked.
I think so. I think your daddy will let us. Lets see if we can find him.
Hes coming home tonight.
I know, Sue said, but hes playing golf and you know he cant carry a box with him while hes playing golf. If he traded treasures, hes probably left your box in the car or somewhere and you wouldnt want anything to happen to your treasure, would you?
No.
Well, lets try and find him.
Sue connected up the switchboard and put through a call to the country club.
Is Mr. Endicott Campbell on the links? she asked.
Ill have to connect you with the office of the pro, the operator said. Just a moment.
After a few moments a masculine voice said gruffly, Golf shop.
Is Mr. Endicott Campbell on the links this morning? Sue asked. Id like to speak with him, and its quite important. This is his office calling and if you
But he isnt here, the voice interrupted.
Not there? Sue asked, disappointment in her voice.
Thats right, maam, he isnt here. Hasnt been here all morning. There was a reservation for him as a member of a foursome, but they canceled out... Sorry.
Thank you, Sue said, and hung up the telephone.
For a long moment she sat thinking while Carleton watched her, his eyes wide with childish curiosity.
Then abruptly the switchboard buzzed with an incoming call and a red light flashed on the trunk line.
Sue hesitated a moment, then almost automatically plugged in the line. Corning Mining, Smelting & Investment Company, she said.
A womans voice, sharply strident, said, Why isnt anyone here to meet me?
Im sorry, Sue said in her most dulcet voice. Can you tell me who you are and where you are and?
This is Amelia Corning. Im at the airport.
What! Sue exclaimed.
Didnt you hear me?
I... yes... why... We werent expecting you until Monday, Miss Corning.
Monday my foot! the voice snapped. I sent you a wire. You should have met me. This is an imposition. I had to get someone to wheel me up to a phone booth and dial the phone for me. Now, you get out here! Who are you? Whos talking?
This is Susan Fisher, the confidential secretary of Mr. Endicott Campbell, Sue said.
Wheres Mr. Campbell?
He isnt here this morning. This is Saturday morning, you know.
I know what day it is. Dont tell me what day it is! the woman snapped. All right, get out here. Ill wait. Ive had a lot of problems with baggage and all the rest of it and Im tired.
The receiver was slammed at the other end of the line.
Susan hung up in a daze, turned to Carleton, said, Carleton, do you know where Miss Dow was going?
I think to the bank, Carleton said.
To the bank! Susan exclaimed.
I think the bank.
On Saturday morning? Susan said. The banks arent open on Saturday... oh, wait a minute. Theres one branch that is open.
She picked up the telephone book and was looking up the number of the bank when she heard the sound of steady, deliberate steps in the corridor outside; then the door to the entrance room opened and Elizabeth Dow stood on the threshold. Was he much trouble? she asked.
Hes a dear, Sue said. Just a darling. But Ive got to run and Ive simply got to find Mr. Campbell. Do you know where he is?
Playing golf, I think. You better try the country club that is, if its really important. I dont think hed want to be disturbed
Ill be the judge of that, Sue interrupted somewhat shortly. Ive tried the country club. I cant locate him there. I simply have to know where he is.
The governess shook her head.
Do you know the names of the people he was going to be playing with?
Again she shook her head.
Well, I havent time to mess with it now, Sue said. Come on, Im closing up the office. Lets go.
Where are you going? the governess asked.
I have a business matter to attend to, a very important business matter. Its an emergency. If you see Mr. Campbell, tell him that he must get in touch with me at once. At once, do you understand? Its a major emergency.
Elizabeth Dow looked at her curiously. I think I should know more than that if Im to give him a message that will make any sense to him.
Tell him to get in touch with me immediately on a matter of the greatest importance. Tell him its a major emergency, Sue said. Come on now, lets get out of here.
Elizabeth Dow didnt wish to be hurried. She collected Carleton in a leisurely manner and said, Wheres your box, Carleton?
Carleton started to say something, then checked himself and looked at Susan Fisher. Weve hid it, he said.
Miss Dow said, I dont think you should be hiding things like that. Well need to keep your treasure with us. Where is it?
Its safe for the time being, Sue said. Ill get it later.
Sue all but pushed the governess out of the door. She pulled the door closed, bent down to give Carleton a hug, then literally flew down the corridor to the elevator, and rang the bell.
The box, Miss Dow called after her. Hell want it and
The cage slid smoothly up to the floor. The operator smiled and said, All finished, Miss Fisher?
Sue could hear Miss Dows steps around the bend in the corridor, prayed that the attendant would not hear them. Yes, she said, and Ive got to get a cab in a hurry.
All right, the attendant said, lets go. The door slid shut just as Elizabeth Dow, holding Carleton Campbell firmly by the hand, rounded the bend in the corridor. The assistant janitor who was operating the elevator didnt see them, but for a swift moment Elizabeth Dows eyes locked with those of Sue Fisher. And, as the door started to close, an expression of angry indignation flooded the face of the governess; then Sue saw only the lights marking the floor numbers as the elevator descended.
She hurried across the lobby and found a taxi at the cab stand near the corner. She jumped into it and said, Ive got to get to the airport. Please get me there as quickly as possible.
After she had started, Sue looked in her purse, wondering if she would have enough money to pay the cab.
It was, she decided, going to be touch and go. She pulled out four one-dollar bills and then removed keys, lipstick, and compact so that she could count out the silver change in her purse.
Having decided she could just about make it, she settled back against the cushions, closed her eyes, and tried her best to get the situation clarified.
Miss Corning was an irascible but exceedingly clever businesswoman. If she could be stalled off until Endicott Campbell could be located, she would ask her questions of the manager. But Sue had a sinking feeling that Amelia Corning was going to ask questions of her; questions that it might be very difficult indeed to answer. In fact, Sue had been asking herself questions during the last few days while they had been getting statements ready in anticipation of Miss Cornings arrival.
Miss Corning was an irascible but exceedingly clever businesswoman. If she could be stalled off until Endicott Campbell could be located, she would ask her questions of the manager. But Sue had a sinking feeling that Amelia Corning was going to ask questions of her; questions that it might be very difficult indeed to answer. In fact, Sue had been asking herself questions during the last few days while they had been getting statements ready in anticipation of Miss Cornings arrival.
There was, for instance, the question of the Mojave mine known as the Mojave Monarch. The company books certainly showed the Mojave Monarch was operating on a twenty-four-hour basis, three eight-hour shifts a day. But a week ago Sunday, when Susan had taken a drive out by Mojave, she had seen an old weather-beaten sign on a dirt road which said simply: MOJAVE MONARCH. Sue had followed this road out to a place where unpainted buildings were sprawled in the sunlight on the side of a mountain.
Not only did the buildings seem unoccupied but they had about them an unmistakable aura of abandonment: the peculiar atmosphere which surrounds buildings in the desert that have not known human occupancy for some time. Only the managers cabin seemed occupied, but no one had answered her knock.
Puzzled, Sue had driven back to Mojave and asked at a service station about the Mojave Monarch. The man she had asked had no personal information, but had relayed the question on to a grizzled miner who had driven up to the station.
The miner had told her there was only one Monarch mine in the vicinity as far as he knew, and that hadnt been worked for more than two years.
At the time, Susan had felt certain there was some mistake, that there must be a Monarch mine the old miner didnt know about, and the mine she had found was simply another mine bearing the same name. After all, Monarch was a name which could easily be duplicated simply through coincidence.
During the past week, Sue had taken occasion to consult the records on the Monarch mine. There was an office in Mojave where the business affairs were administered. The Corning Mining, Smelting & Investment Company simply made regular checks covering expenses.
There were reports from the mine in the files. These reports indicated that engineers felt they were due to break into a big body of high-grade ore. The technical terms meant little or nothing to Sue Fisher when she had given them a hasty perusal. She barely knew the difference between a hanging wall and a foot wall. She did know that the main vein had faulted out and at the time the fault had been encountered, the vein was fabulously rich and getting wider.
Sue knew that there had been something in Amelia Cornings correspondence about the Mojave Monarch records. Geological reports had been forwarded to her in South America. That, however, was only one of several matters that had caused Amelia Corning, after a five-year absence from the country, to return to make a personal check on the affairs of the company.
Sue dreaded the barrage of questions which might be asked. She decided to refer everything to Mr. Campbell and play it just as dumb as she knew how.