Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-06-13
CHAPTER u

1
"Harmer engineered the whole
transaction. Acting through Har-
ker, he beught both the Harker and
Iarmenter properties and sold the
Farmenter place to Horwitz and
Neddick. lie had been approached
~ their lawyer in the matter Of Sc
| curing a victualer's license as a sort
Of guarantee Of good faith on the
part Of the selectmen-'
"That bears out your suspicious,
Stella said Homer. lib, So old
joe il tangled up with those birds,
eh!"
"Not exactly. II isn't simple. And
my information isn't complete. He
paid something like sixteen thousand
dollars for the two properties, and
seld them for twenty-eight thousand,
tive hundred.
Twelve thousand, five hundred BY
way Of profit, eh?"
Eyes. He did very well. Under
stand, he doesn't appear anywhere IN
the transaction. lie worked through
Aarker. But after he got himself
rather nicely involved, there appears
IN have been a catch. IL was to
Lave been a cash transaction. But
NeddiUk and H0rwitz refused to pay
i'm full. haven't the exact figures,
Tut think they put up in the neigh
terhood Of t~hirty-five or forty per
cent. Something like seventeen thou
sand dollars is still owing to Mr..
harmer."
"Good Lord" muttered Homer. He
| snrang UP and paced about. THAT
nearly makes him a partner Of those
queer birds. doesn't it,"
"Not quite. Their only hope OF
| real protection lay in drawing him I'M
They tempted him with u neat profit.
AS soon as he committed himself,
they had him. They just put en- the
screws. He couldn't give them a
mortgage without involving the bank
and exposing the whole transaction
w he simply took their notes, and
is keeping them in his personal safe
a. home"
why doesn't that make him a
%rartner?" .
because he isn't in business with
them. He is outside. holding the bag.
But he's got TO protect them until
they pay off the notes or he'll lose
money. And Mr.. Harmer doesn't
Ike 10 lose money. He doesn't do
| business that way. There are sew
cral notes, maturing at different
PERIODS. / haven't been able TO learn
the dates or the exact amounts"
Look herel" exclaimed Homer.
We've got him where we want
nim!"
ooh, no we haven't"
"But We only need to expose these
facts to the town TO ="
"Wait a minute, Mr.. Pcwl We're
still a long way from having a case
that would stand up in court. ! am
counting on YOU and Miss Bagot to
cooperate with me-"
But good God! Don't you see ?
tie has a financial stake in the place
Fe IL involved Even after that
dsmnable murder he goes on pro-
tecting the sc%nundrels, Covering up!
Why . ="
"Waiti Waltz Please. Mr.. Pewl
You must understand that while I've
been able 10 develop several sources
Of information. very little Of what
I've picked UP so far j. in the form
~ legal evidence. Probably the per-
sons who have given un a little could
he easily frightened into swearing
Just the opposite IN court l haven't
those notes. or even a photostatic
copy of them. / haven't even a let
ter"
"Joe Harmer doesn't write letters.
~. Look here. you'll admit that
we could easily get him on the run ?"
'I'm not az all sure hat we could"
II think" Stella remarked, thought
FULLY, that ! see what Mr.. Wilbra-
ham means. Mr.. Harmer is in some
thing Of a fix. He doesn't want to
lose his money. And he doesn't want
the fact that he's tied up with Jazz
land exposed 10 the town. But ever
II il were, il would take a good deal
~ exposing to urn people here actu-
lily against him."
Exactly" The detective flashed
= keen glance az her. "Let me try
and picture his situation as | see it.
In the first place, he is a very strong
figure. not only in the town here,
I ut in the county. Even, modestly,
ID the state. People respect his char
sster and his judgment. and they
tank y lot af his family background.
Ne Is quite q force politically. He
las been a member Of the state COM
rittee Of his party, a delegate "a ma
tfcnal conventions. all that sort of