Chapter 9

We didn't want to startle Bennett into doing something stupid, so we decided to back off and see what developed. Also, we didn't know if there was any connection between Bennett and the bank robberies, so we needed more information there, too. All-in-all, there was really something screwy going on here, and I wanted to know more before we messed things up.

It seemed to me that the thing for us to do was to go easy on this whole case until we could get some solid information. Ann suggested we see if Bennett's name was in that latest book. The easiest way to do that was to ask Lars to check the data base at headquarters to see what he could come up with.

We returned to our hotel room, and I called Lars on the communicator. "Hi, Abe, what have you got for me now?"

"Hello, Lars. Sorry, I don't have anything new from this end, but I need some information that you may have handy. Please check the database of that book we just brought in for the name of Harold Bennett. We think that he is part of whatever is going on here in San Antonio."

"OK, just hang in there for a minute. Ah, here he is. Harold Bennett, lawyer, number 1, San Antonio. There's nothing else in here on him. Is that all I can do for you?"

"Yeah, that's very interesting. Now, please check on George Hudnut. He's the banker that appears to have engineered the four robberies."

"Got it. George Hudnut, banker, number 2, San Antonio. Say, does that mean that Bennett is the leader of the local ring and Hudnut is his lieutenant?"

"Can't tell for sure, yet, but it sure looks that way. Thanks for the help, Lars. We'll be back to you when we have something more definite. So long, for now."

Ann said, "I smell a plot to drive the other banks out of business and to make Hudnut's bank the only one in town."

"Yeah, it looks that way to me. Listen, tell me what you think of this idea..."

We put on our best Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes and went by to see John Walker, one of the bankers who was not an obvious member of the plot. We had to wait for about half an hour, but we finally got into Walker's office. We had come up with a cock and bull story to get into his office, but once there, we gave him most of the information that we had on the robbery.

We claimed to be private investigators who had been hired to look into Hudnut's business practices and had tripped over the robbery plot. Walker wanted to go after his bank's money right then, but we calmed him down and asked him to help us make sure that the money was returned to the rightful owners. Specifically, we needed to know exactly how much money was stolen from his bank and each of the other two banks. He gave us the numbers, and we promised to keep him informed of our plans to recover the money.

Now, if worse comes to worst, we can still return the proper amount of money to each of the banks. That should be all that is needed to keep them in business.

We went back to the hotel room, and I called Lars. Truthfully, for an unknown reason, I was getting cold feet about leaving the money at Hudnut's ranch. My intuition had worked so well, lately, that I was hooked. I wanted that money removed from Hudnut's grasp, and the sooner the better. When Lars came on the line, I asked him, "Can you transport the money from that safe in Hudnut's barn to a safe place, preferably at headquarters, where nothing can happen to it before we are ready to return it?"

"Yes, we could do that, but why should we?"

"I've got a bad feeling about this whole caper. But it also occurred to me that it would be good to know if there was somebody in the hierarchy above Bennett. If there is, having all of their money disappear should shake them from the trees real fast! If you guys go in and spirit the money away, there's no way that they can tell where it went."

"OK, that's a compelling reason for us to take the action you want. I fire off the request in the next few minutes. Hopefully, we can get a quick response. I'll let you know what the decision is as soon as I hear anything. Is there anything else you need?"

"I don't know of anything else right now, thank you. Good bye for now." I hung up and waited to hear what the response from management would be."

This is another brilliant idea from Hofmann! This is the first time we have ever had any sort of lever to find out how these operations hang together, if they do. Get that money out of Hudnut's vault yesterday, if not sooner! I want that valut wiped clean of every bit of gold, jewels, and negotiable paper that can be found. Put people on overtime if you have to, but we have to strike as soon as possible!

Also, sent Hofmann my personal thanks. I wish that I could do more, but I don't know what it could be."

"Abe, this is Lars. Your request has created a firestorm here at headquarters! The place is going crazy doing what you asked for. The Chairman of the Board has instructed me to give you his personal thanks for coming up with this scheme. Man, I never heard of that happening before, and I've been with the Organization for 763 years! Whatever you are doing, please keep it up! You are hot and on a roll! If this thing keeps breaking right, there's no telling what good things could happen for you. I must tell you that I am glad to be associated with you, because I will catch some good stuff, too, just in the crumbs that fall around your table."

"Lars, thanks for the information, but know this. You are one of the good guys, too, and you deserve some good things. I just hope that they break for you. Please keep me posted from your end, and we'll keep a close eye on Bennett and Hudnut. Be seeing you."

Well, now it looks like the boring stuff is about to start. Ann and I will just have to follow Bennett and Hudnut around to see what happens. There was no way to push things too hard, because we really needed to let the discovery of the missing money come in its own natural time. We don't want to spoil things by getting too over anxious.

Wait a minute, let's make use of some of that glorious technology that the Organization has. It seems to me that we can save ourselves a lot of aggravation if we put camera monitors in as many places around Bennett and Hudnut as we can and let computers or at least some body else go through the boredom of just watching them write in their ledgers and go for a piss. I'll give Lars an hour to do whatever he does, then I'll call him with my camera idea.

"Hey, Lars, I just had another brainstorm!"

"OK, what is it now? This place is already like a disturbed ant hill, so I doubt that you could stir us up any more."

"Ann and I are going to be a trifle conspicuous if we start sticking close to Bennett and Hudnut. Instead, I wonder if there is a way we could just follow them with cameras and have a computer look for deviations from normal activity."

"Yeah, we can do that, but it will take a couple of days to set it up. We'll need some place to put an on-site controller if we're going to get maximum return from our effort. You will need to find us an out-of-the-way place for us to stash a control center."

"OK, we can do that. Just tell me how much of what kind of space is needed for the control center. How many people will be at the control center to monitor it?"

"I'll get back to you with the details, but not a whole lot of space will be required. Just give me an hour or so to dig up what we need. I'll see you later."

An hour later, Lars called me back to say that he wanted to visit me. What we needed was small in volume, so it could be set up in a hotel room without arousing suspicion. I told him to come ahead, and POOF! there he was. He had what looked like a steamer trunk with him, and he was dressed pretty much the way I dressed in this day and age, except that he was not wearing a gun.

Lars looked a little sheepishly at me and said, "Abe, ole buddy, do you mind if I butt in on this operation. I have always wanted to do some field work, but no chance has ever come up. This machine (he put his hand on the trunk) is really self operating, but the powers that be require that it have a person on site to supervise its operation. I took a quick course to learn what was needed, and I am presenting myself as your assistant for the duration of the job." He grinned as said, "May I, please! Pretty please? Pretty please, with sugar and butter on it?"