to dinner. But of course all us big financiers are acquainted. As for Madden, I did him a service only a couple of days ago.”
“Elucidate.”
“This is just between us. Madden came in here Wednesday morning with a hundred and ten thousand dollars’worth of negotiable bonds—mostly Liberties—and we sold them for him the same day. Paid him in cash, too.”
“Precisely what I wanted to know. Spike, I’d like to talk with somebody at Madden’s bank about his actions there Wednesday.”
“Who are you—Sherlock Holmes?”
“Well—” Eden thought of Chan. “I am connected with the police, temporarily.” Spike whistled. “I may go so far as to say—and for heaven’s sake keep it to yourself—that Madden is in trouble. At the present moment I’m stopping at his ranch on the desert, and I have every reason to believe he’s being blackmailed.”
Spike looked at him. “What if he is? That ought to be his business.”
“It ought to be, but it isn’t. A certain transaction with my father is involved. Do you know anybody at the Garfield Bank?”
“One of my best friends is cashier there. But you know these bankers—hard-boiled eggs. However, we’ll have a try.”
They went together to the marble precincts of the Garfield Bank. Spike held a long and earnest conversation with his friend. Presently he called Eden over and introduced him.
“How do you do,” said the banker. “You realize that what Spike here suggests is quite irregular. But if he vouches
