Chapter 2: Dodge City

Goodman Jones, first introduced us to his staff and then described the robbery.

"It happened last Friday. We opened at nine o'clock as usual. Friday is usually a slack day, in the morning at least. We had just three customers in by ten o'clock when, suddenly, I passed out. I returned to consciousness with my head on my desk. Feeling a little foolish, for I thought for a minute that I'd fallen asleep, I looked at my watch. I had been asleep, or unconscious, for about twenty minutes. It was then that I noticed that the staff and the customers were all 'asleep', too."

"Were they, like you, comfortably placed or had any fallen to the floor?"

"Wilbur, our Guard, was flat on the floor as was one of the customers, Healer Murchison. The rest seemed to be seated, either reclined or with their heads resting on the counter or their desks. I think old Mistress Bottomley was the next to recover. She woke up, got out of the chair she was sitting on and approached the counter I saw her reach across the counter and shake the teller by her shoulder. The teller awoke and took Mistress Bottomley's check and went to cash it. That's when we discovered that we had been robbed."

"What did you do then?"

"Well by then, Wilbur was coming to. I helped him up and told him to go and fetch Sheriff Earp."

"Had everyone else woken up by then?"

"Everyone had woken, bar Healer Murchison. I think he had hit his head when he fell down. Of course, I hadn't seen him fall, but it's the only reasonable explanation that I can think of!"

"Thank you, and what happened then?"

"That's when I thought to look in the strong room. There were coins strewn about on the floor, but most of the gold and the notes had disappeared. I could only guess at the amount when Sheriff Earp arrived. He asked everyone a few questions and then left the Bank. I continued with trying to assess the actual loss. I have representatives from our Head Office and from the Insurance Company due to arrive either later today or tomorrow."

"Right we'll leave you to prepare for your visitors while we interview your staff."

We left his office and saw that, for the moment, there were no customers. I told Karen to take the teller while she was free. I examined the interior of the Bank for recent traces of magic that might provide a clue. There were none which confused me. I walked up to the Guard, Wilbur.

"Good morning! Have you recovered from your fall, last Friday?"

"Why? Yes Sir! Thank you, Sir!"

"Tell me, Wilbur, in your own words ... what happened?"

"Well sir, I'd unlocked the front door at nine o'clock as usual. By ten o'clock there were three customers. Let's see. There was Mistress Bottomley. Then there was Goodman Cartwright; he's a rancher. Then there was Healer Murchison. He was the first of the three to come in. I reckon he wasn't feeling up to snuff 'cause he sat down over there. Then Goodman Cartwright entered and went to the counter. While he was there, Mistress Bottomley came in. The Goodman was on his way out when I saw the Healer take something out of his pocket. That's the last thing I remember before Goodman Jones was helping me get up. I'm sorry, sir!"

"No, you've done very well, Wilbur! Thank you for all your help!"

I crossed the bank and entered the strong room, where Goodman Jones was adding up his losses. He looked up from his work giving us a sheepish grin.

"It's beginning to look as though I'd over-estimated the loss. It's looking now as though it was something less than a quarter million."

"And how is it made up? Was there anything taken other than bank notes and gold?"

"No! I think that I can safely say that nothing was stolen that could be in any way traceable. We're dealing with a very careful robber Director MacLeod! He went through a number of our safe deposit boxes. There's a lot of valuable jewelry that he didn't take."

"Thank you!"

I then turned to Karen who had joined me. "What did you learn from the other members of staff?"