Chapter 5: Arrest and Afterward

I had primed my psychic compass to look for gold, using an old prospector's spell. As Karen had not yet returned; I left a note for her and borrowed a Sheriff's Deputy.

The Deputy and I then went to the Bank, having arranged with Sheriff Earp to follow us in about twenty minutes. Goodman Jones, the Manager, introduced me to the Bank Examiners and the Insurance Loss Adjusters. They told us that the final estimate of the value of the missing gold was of the order of one hundred and twenty five thousand dollars.

"How much would that weigh?" I asked innocently.

"Goodman Roseman," said the Manager, "you have your abacus there. What is the weight of the missing gold?"

Roseman's fingers fumbled for his abacus and pushed the beads up and down.

When his worried face looked up, he said, "About two hundred and forty-five pounds, Goodman Jones."

I looked at my compass. It was locked solidly in the direction of Goodman Roseman's desk.

That was enough for me. I crossed over to the desk. Pushing aside the abacus, I stood square in front of the desk with my hands outstretched, palms down and forefingers extended. Allowing myself to show exertion, I spelled a lift on the desk to raise it a few inches off the floor. Goodman Roseman looked at me in disbelief as I returned his desk to the floor.

"That seems to be the right weight!" I said. Roseman whimpered in reply. I continued "Goodman Roseman, I am arresting you on the charge..."

"No!" he shrieked "He made me. The Healer made me!"

" ... on the charge of murdering Josephine Dawson. Anything that you say may be taken down and used in a Court of Law."

"No! No! No! I took her and used her, but I didn't kill her. I swear!"

"You admit that you raped her?"

"Yes I did, but that's all!"

I turned to my companion. "Deputy, have you got that down?"

"Yes, Sir! All of it!"

"Know this, Goodman Roseman, a death resulting from the commission of a crime is murder. Providing, of course, that the death takes place within a year and a day of the original crime."

I continued, in a commanding tone. "Open your desk drawers!"

He bent to obey me, but then straightened up and asked,"Why should I?"

"Because you're in deep trouble and are liable to get into deeper trouble"

Roseman bent down again and struggled to open his drawers, one at a time, until he had the four lower drawers in his desk open to our gaze. Removing the papers scattered on top, he revealed the gold lying below.

By this time, Sheriff Earp had joined us in the Bank. "Sheriff," I said, "I have arrested Goodman Roseman on a charge of murder. I'm also charging him with the Bank robbery. Please read him his rights and put him in one of your cells until we can take him to Court."

The Sheriff and his Deputy left the Bank with their prisoner.

I turned to the Manager and his companions. "There, gentlemen, is your gold. If you'll leave me to my work, I may be able to release it to you by tomorrow." They took the hint and left me on my own. I carefully examined the bank using all that I knew or suspected to confirm the facts. There was no intent of evil or wrong-doing near the table where Murchison had been sitting. In contrast, the aura of wrong-doing by Roseman's desk was over powering, and it extended into the strong room.

A little while later, a persistent thumping on the front door of the Bank heralded the return of Karen.