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Authors: Carolyn Keene
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because I usually could get some information from him—but I wasn’t happy that he’d found me sneaking around the back door of the bank. He gets upset with me when he thinks I’m butting into his territory.
I decided the best defense is a good offense.
“I’m so glad I found you—I’ve been looking for you everywhere. I finally figured out that you might be back here.”
Well . . . it wasn’t a total lie, right?
“Re-a-lly,” he said, breaking the word into three parts. I had given him my best smile, but he gave me his best frown —and he had the bushy dark eyebrows to emphasize it. “It looks more like you’re breaking and entering to me.”
“Wow,” I said. “You’ve got this really difficult case to solve, lots on your mind, but you can still come up with a great spontaneous one-liner! Incredible.” I smiled again.
He didn’t say anything, but I could tell by his expression that he was pleased with my compliment. He seemed to relax just a little bit. Within seconds, though, he was frowning again.
“What case are you talking about?” he asked. “And how did you find out about it?”
“How did I find out that the pledge money was stolen? Actually, I’ve heard it around town—from more than one person. I was hoping you could tell me the real story.”
“No, I cannot,” he said firmly, stepping between me and the bank door. He’s half a foot taller than I am, and his middle is much bigger around than his chest. He made an excellent—and successful—barrier.
“Because you won’t tell me, or because you can’t ?”I asked. “Don’t you have anything on the case yet? No suspects, no leads?”
“No information for you—that’s what I’ve got!” he said firmly.
“How about Officer Rainey?” I suggested. “He should be a good source of information. What did he say when you interrogated him?”
“I can’t believe you,” Chief McGinnis said, shaking his head. “Although after all these years, I shouldn’t be surprised that you know so much about what’s going on. Why are you here? Really. ”
“I’m here to talk to you, and to talk to Officer Rainey and Ralph Holman— really, ” I answered.
“Well, you’ve talked to me, and we’re through talking. One out of three ain’t bad. I’m sorry, you can’t talk to Officer Rainey, and you especially can’t talk to Holman.”
“Why especially not Mr. Holman?”
“This interview is over, Nancy. Come on, I’ll walk you back up the alley.”
He rested his hand lightly on my back and gently pushed me away from the bank. As we walked along the narrow alley, I persisted in trying to get a crumb of info out of him.
“Just tell me this,” I asked. “Did you hire Officer Rainey? I mean, was he provided by the RiverHeights Police Department? Or did the bank hire him? Or the race organizers?”
“He’s from a private firm,” Chief McGinnis answered. “Hired by the Biking for Bucks board of directors.”
“Mrs. Mahoney is the chairwoman of that board. My dad is one of the directors.”
“That’s right,” Chief McGinnis replied.
While we were talking, I was being hustled down the alley. He didn’t exactly nudge me, but the way he walked made me keep going in that direction. It was either that or walk straight into the brick wall. I felt like I was a sheep being herded by one of those dogs that are bred to keep the strays in line.
“And if I’m not mistaken, Ralph Holman is treasurer of the Biking for Bucks board,” I said. “That makes sense, of course—he’s a banker. Of course he was also in charge of the money during the race—and during the theft. What did he say about the robbery?”
“Not much so far,” Chief McGinnis answered. “But we hope to change that.”
“Are you saying he’s a suspect?”
“I’m sayin’ only what I’m sayin’.” Chief McGinnis has a tendency to talk that way once in a while. Sometimes I think he’s seen too many old cops-and-robbers movies.
“And you’ve
I decided the best defense is a good offense.
“I’m so glad I found you—I’ve been looking for you everywhere. I finally figured out that you might be back here.”
Well . . . it wasn’t a total lie, right?
“Re-a-lly,” he said, breaking the word into three parts. I had given him my best smile, but he gave me his best frown —and he had the bushy dark eyebrows to emphasize it. “It looks more like you’re breaking and entering to me.”
“Wow,” I said. “You’ve got this really difficult case to solve, lots on your mind, but you can still come up with a great spontaneous one-liner! Incredible.” I smiled again.
He didn’t say anything, but I could tell by his expression that he was pleased with my compliment. He seemed to relax just a little bit. Within seconds, though, he was frowning again.
“What case are you talking about?” he asked. “And how did you find out about it?”
“How did I find out that the pledge money was stolen? Actually, I’ve heard it around town—from more than one person. I was hoping you could tell me the real story.”
“No, I cannot,” he said firmly, stepping between me and the bank door. He’s half a foot taller than I am, and his middle is much bigger around than his chest. He made an excellent—and successful—barrier.
“Because you won’t tell me, or because you can’t ?”I asked. “Don’t you have anything on the case yet? No suspects, no leads?”
“No information for you—that’s what I’ve got!” he said firmly.
“How about Officer Rainey?” I suggested. “He should be a good source of information. What did he say when you interrogated him?”
“I can’t believe you,” Chief McGinnis said, shaking his head. “Although after all these years, I shouldn’t be surprised that you know so much about what’s going on. Why are you here? Really. ”
“I’m here to talk to you, and to talk to Officer Rainey and Ralph Holman— really, ” I answered.
“Well, you’ve talked to me, and we’re through talking. One out of three ain’t bad. I’m sorry, you can’t talk to Officer Rainey, and you especially can’t talk to Holman.”
“Why especially not Mr. Holman?”
“This interview is over, Nancy. Come on, I’ll walk you back up the alley.”
He rested his hand lightly on my back and gently pushed me away from the bank. As we walked along the narrow alley, I persisted in trying to get a crumb of info out of him.
“Just tell me this,” I asked. “Did you hire Officer Rainey? I mean, was he provided by the RiverHeights Police Department? Or did the bank hire him? Or the race organizers?”
“He’s from a private firm,” Chief McGinnis answered. “Hired by the Biking for Bucks board of directors.”
“Mrs. Mahoney is the chairwoman of that board. My dad is one of the directors.”
“That’s right,” Chief McGinnis replied.
While we were talking, I was being hustled down the alley. He didn’t exactly nudge me, but the way he walked made me keep going in that direction. It was either that or walk straight into the brick wall. I felt like I was a sheep being herded by one of those dogs that are bred to keep the strays in line.
“And if I’m not mistaken, Ralph Holman is treasurer of the Biking for Bucks board,” I said. “That makes sense, of course—he’s a banker. Of course he was also in charge of the money during the race—and during the theft. What did he say about the robbery?”
“Not much so far,” Chief McGinnis answered. “But we hope to change that.”
“Are you saying he’s a suspect?”
“I’m sayin’ only what I’m sayin’.” Chief McGinnis has a tendency to talk that way once in a while. Sometimes I think he’s seen too many old cops-and-robbers movies.
“And you’ve
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