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Agent Nine and the Jewel Mystery
_By_ Graham M. Dean Author of _Agent Nine's First Case_
*
_A Story of Thrilling Exploits of the "G" Men_
The Goldsmith Publishing Company CHICAGO
_Copyright 1935, by The Goldsmith Publishing Company_ _Manufactured in the United States of America_
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE I. AN EMBARRASSING SITUATION 15 II. A NEW CASE 25 III. "GOOD LUCK" 35 IV. TULLY'S CHALLENGE 41 V. ON THE SOUTHERN LIMITED 45 VI. STRANGE EVENTS 54 VII. THE MAN ON THE PLATFORM 64 VIII. TULLY'S PAPERS VANISH 73 IX. BOB GETS A WARNING 84 X. IN CAR 43 93 XI. DOUBLE DANGER 99 XII. A NEW MYSTERY 110 XIII. GOING ON 117 XIV. THE LIGHTS GO OUT 125 XV. IN THE AISLE 132 XVI. FIGHTING FOR LIFE 139 XVII. INTO ANGRY WATERS 144 XVIII. PICKING UP CLUES 149 XIX. THE WARNING 156 XX. MEAGER HOPES 162 XXI. SPECIAL AGENT NINE 167 XXII. A HARD ASSIGNMENT 174 XXIII. SNAP AIM SCORES 186 XXIV. AT THE HOSPITAL 190 XXV. BOB GETS READY 195 XXVI. "DON'T MOVE!" 199 XXVII. SHERIFF MCCURDY TALKS 207 XXVIII. THEORIES 211 XXIX. MORE CLUES 216 XXX. READY FOR ACTION 222 XXXI. A BOAT FLASHES PAST 227 XXXII. LOST ISLAND AHEAD 232 XXXIII. OUT OF THE NIGHT 236 XXXIV. IN THE SHANTY 240 XXXV. REVERSING THE TABLES 245 XXXVI. UNTANGLING THE WEB 248
AGENT NINE AND THE JEWEL MYSTERY
*
Chapter I AN EMBARRASSING SITUATION *
Bob Houston, the youngest agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,stepped out of the Department of Justice Building and turned toward home,his heart beating faster than it had in months. It hardly seemed real buthe was now a full-fledged agent in the greatest man hunting division inthe Federal Government.
Bob paused a moment at the curb. Another man who had emerged from thejustice building joined him. It was his uncle, Merritt Hughes, one of themost famous detectives in the department. He put his arm around Bob'sshoulders and shook him in a rough but friendly embrace.
"Well, Bob, how does it feel to be a real federal agent?" he asked.
It was a moment before Bob replied, and when he finally spoke the wordscame slowly.
"I hardly know," he confessed, "as yet it doesn't seem real, but there isone thing I do know--I'm going to work night and day to make a success ofthis new job."
"Don't worry about making a success," advised his uncle. "You've got thestuff to make good or you wouldn't have been taken into the department."
"When do you think I'll get my first assignment on a new case?" askedBob.
"That's hard to say," replied the famous detective, "but if I were youI'd go home now and get a good night's sleep. In this kind of a gameyou'd better sleep when you can."
"Then I'm headed for home now," said Bob. "Good night, and thanks for allyou've done for me."
With that the young federal agent strode off down the avenue, his lungsdrinking in great gulps of the cool air of the fall night.
Merritt Hughes stood on the curb of the justice building watching hisnephew until Bob turned the corner a block away. Anyone noticing thefederal agent would have seen a slight smile of pleasure on his lips andhe might have guessed that Merritt Hughes was greatly pleased by theevents which had happened in the preceding hours.
As a matter of fact, Bob Houston, a plain clerk in the archives divisionof the War Department, temporarily a provisional federal agent, had beenthe key figure in preventing the theft of some of Uncle Sam's mostvaluable radio secrets.
Through Bob's efforts a daring plot had been thwarted and the menresponsible taken into custody. As a reward for this brilliant work, Bobhad been made a full-fledged agent of the famous bureau of investigationof the Department of Justice.
There were many thoughts in Bob's mind as he strode toward home thatnight. Only that afternoon he had led the raid on the east shore ofMaryland which had resulted in the apprehension of the gang which hadbeen attempting to steal the radio secrets. Then, after the return toWashington, had come eventful hours.
Bob would never forget the scene in the office of Waldo Edgar, chief ofthe bureau of investigation, when Mr. Edgar had informed Bob that he wasa regular federal agent and had presented his credentials to him.
Just to make sure that he wasn't dreaming, Bob pulled a small leatherwallet from an inside coat pocket and paused under a street light to lookat its contents. There was no mistake. There in the wallet was a smallgold badge which denoted his office and the finely engraved card whichmarked his identification. Bob replaced the wallet with a particular glowof satisfaction and continued toward home.
The night air was raw and Bob increased his pace as he neared thebuilding where he made his home. He turned in at the entrance and madehis way up to the third floor where he had a comfortable room in a rearapartment.
Bob unlocked the door and snapped on the light. It was a typical man'sroom with a large chiffonier and a deep clothes closet in one wall. Therewas a reading light near the head of the bed and beside this a large easychair with a book rack. A number of books and magazines were scattered onthis rack, and usually Bob sat down to read for a time before going tobed; but tonight he was too tired to read and he undressed rapidly.
Tired though he was, sleep was slow in coming to him as his mind wentover the events of recent hours. Bob wondered just what Tully Ross wasthinking and doing, for Tully had been his rival in seeking a solution tothe mystery of the radio secrets
.
Tully, also a clerk in the archives division of the War Department, hadan uncle, Condon Adams, who, like Merritt Hughes, was a federal agent.Both Tully and his uncle had worked on the radio case, but by dint ofBob's good fortune and sharp detective work Bob and his uncle had solvedthe case before Tully and _his_ uncle could find the solution. In spiteof this, Tully had been made an agent in the bureau of investigation andthere was every indication that the rivalry which had started when theywere clerks in the War Department would continue in their new work.
Bob was just dropping asleep when the telephone beside his bed rangsharply. He turned on the light and picked up the instrument, all thoughtof sleep now gone from his mind. Could it be his first assignment?
"Hello? Hello?" said Bob anxiously.
But there was no reply over the wire and Bob clicked the receiver hookseveral times, finally deciding that the call must have been the wrongnumber.
When Bob finally did get to sleep he slept with the heaviness of completenervous and physical exhaustion. It was mid-forenoon and the sun wasstreaming in his windows when he finally awakened. There had been noinstructions to him on when to report for his new work and he took ashower and dressed leisurely.
Bob stepped out of the apartment building and took a deep breath of thecrisp air of the mid-fall morning. Then he walked down the street to asmall shop where he usually had his breakfast.
After ordering his breakfast he picked up a morning paper on his tableand his eyes instantly focused on the headlines in the center of thefront page:
"FEDERAL AGENTS CAPTURE GANG OF RADIO THIEVES"
Bob read the story with avid attention. Here in detail was related on thefront page of one of the nation's great newspapers the complete story ofthe part he had played in rounding up the gang of radio thieves. Boblooked up from the paper. His face felt flushed and he knew he appearedhighly self-conscious, but no one seemed to be noticing him and heresumed his reading of the story.
It was evident that the reporter who had written the story must haveobtained his information from a federal agent, but Bob knew that therewas a rule in the department that all information of this type must comefrom the head of the department. He was quite sure that Waldo Edgar hadnot given out the story. As Bob read further the conviction grew thatTully Ross must have supplied the facts for the newspaper story, for agreat deal of credit had been given to Tully for things which he had notdone.
Bob dropped the paper in disgust. That was just like Tully to attempt toclaim credit for something which someone else had done.
Bob finished his breakfast, paid his bill and started walking toward theDepartment of Justice Building. He had gone a little more than a blockwhen a car pulled along the curb and the driver stuck his head out thewindow.
"Want a lift, Bob?" asked a pleasant voice and Bob turned to faceLieutenant Gibbons, War Department intelligence officer, who had helpedhim in the solution of the radio mystery.
Bob climbed into the coupe and Lieutenant Gibbons sent the car shootingdown the avenue, dodging in and out of the heavy mid-forenoon stream oftraffic.
"Quite a story in the morning papers," smiled the lieutenant.
Bob nodded.
"Looks like Tully Ross has been doing a little personal press agenting,"he said. "Personally, I'm not very strong for that sort of thing."
"Neither am I," said the lieutenant, "but some people seem to live on adiet of publicity and I guess Tully is one of that kind."
The lieutenant wheeled his coupe up in front of the Department of JusticeBuilding and Bob stepped out.
"Thanks a lot for the lift," he said.
"Oh, that's all right, Bob. I wonder when we'll be working on a caseagain?"
"That's hard to say," grinned Bob. "Hope it will be soon."
With that he turned and entered the building while Lieutenant Gibbonsresumed his journey.
Bob took an elevator to the top floor where the head of the bureau ofinvestigation had his offices. A clerk in the anteroom took his name andlooked up sharply as he consulted an appointment chart on his desk.
"I think Mr. Edgar is expecting you," he said, "for your name is on hiscall list this morning."
Bob looked eagerly at the clerk.
"Does this mean I'm going to be assigned to a case?" he asked.
"I can't say," replied the clerk, "but I shouldn't be surprised. I'llsend in your name at once. Just have a seat and wait for a few minutes."
Bob was the only one in the anteroom and he sat down on a padded benchbeside the clerk's desk, with a growing feeling that within a few minuteshe would be called in and assigned on his first case as a full timefederal agent.
Chapter II A NEW CASE *
Bob had been waiting in the anteroom less than five minutes when the doorbanged open and Tully Ross almost catapulted into the room. Tully wasabout the last person in the world that Bob wanted to see just then buthe grinned and made the best of it.
"Hello, Tully. What's all the hurry?" he asked.
Tully stopped abruptly and stared at Bob. There was no friendliness inthe glance that swept Bob from head to foot.
"I didn't expect to see you here," he blurted out.
"That goes for me, too," replied Bob. "That was quite a story you gavethe reporters last night."
A deep flush swept over Tully's face but he was quick to deny theimplications in Bob's words.
"What story do you mean?" he asked sharply.
"I guess you know what I mean," said Bob evenly. "I thought it was a ruleof this department not to give out news stories."
"You're on the wrong track," Tully insisted; but Bob knew by theexpression on Tully's face that Tully had given out the news story,thereby violating one of the rules of the department.
Tully sat down on a bench on the other side of the room facing Bob. Hewas silent for less than a minute for he could not check his curiosity.
"Have you been assigned to a case yet?" he asked. There was an enviousnote in his voice.
"Not yet, but I expect to get an assignment soon," said Bob. "Have you anew assignment?"
"I'm expecting one this morning," replied Tully confidently. "In fact,that's why I'm here."
The clerk in charge of the room returned and asked Tully's name andbusiness.
"Mr. Edgar will be ready to see both of you in a minute or two," theclerk advised them.
A buzzer on the clerk's desk whirred and the official stepped to thedoor, opened it and motioned for Bob and Tully to enter the privateoffice.
Waldo Edgar, the slender, wiry head of the bureau of investigation lookedup from behind the pile of papers on his desk. Bob saw a copy of one ofthe morning papers spread out in front of the federal chief and he knewthat both he and Tully were quite likely to be in for some unpleasantmoments.
"Good morning, boys," said Mr. Edgar, but there was little warmth in hisvoice and he left them standing in front of his desk as he pointed to thestory in the paper in front of him. His gaze centered on Bob.
"Are you responsible for this story, Bob?" he asked.
The young federal agent's denial was quick and confident.
"I didn't know a thing about the story until I read it at breakfast thismorning," he said.
"This seems to be a pretty accurate account of what actually took placein the roundup of the gang responsible for the theft of the radiosecrets," said the federal chief. "The information could have beensupplied only by someone in our own department and you know there is arule against giving out such information."
"I know there is such a rule," said Bob, "and I can assure you that Ihave talked to no one."
Bob's straightforward words seemed to satisfy the federal chief and heshifted his gaze to Tully, who was standing uneasily on first one footand then the other.
"What have you to say for yourself, Tully?"
The question was short and pointed and Bob saw Tully's eyes shift awayfrom those
of Waldo Edgar.
"I guess I'm to blame for the story," confessed Tully. "You see it wasthis way--"
But Tully's explanation was cut short.
"I'm not interested in how you happened to talk," said the federal chief."However, I am glad that you have admitted your indiscretion so readily.In the future be sure to keep this rule in mind. It is your job to solvethe cases assigned to you and to keep out of the headlines and off thefront pages of the newspapers. The less publicity we have the moreeffective can be our work."
After delivering that short but pointed lecture Waldo Edgar picked up afile of papers on his desk and skimmed through them hurriedly.
"I called both of you in at this time," he explained, "because I amassigning you on the same case."
Bob glanced sharply at Tully and there was a deep scowl on his rival'sface. The exchange of glances was not lost to Waldo Edgar for he wasaware of the rivalry between his youngest agents.
"I realize quite well that both of you are intensely interested inwinning advancement in this department," he went on. "For that veryreason I know that when I assign you to a case you will leave nothingundone until you find the solution. You may step on one another's toes inreaching your goal but you get results and that is what I want."
The federal chief once more consulted the file on his desk.
"The mission I am going to send you on is one which has baffled some ofthe best men in the customs service. In other words, I am counting on youtwo youngsters, with your enthusiasm and determination, to get to thebottom of one of the most difficult cases that has been assigned to thisdepartment in recent years."
Agent Nine and the Jewel Mystery: A Story of Thrilling Exploits of the G Men Page 1