“Now we’re getting somewhere!” Bud exclaimed. “Let’s go.”
Fifteen minutes later Police Captain Rock greeted them in his office. “Sit down and I’ll have the men brought in.”
Their wrists handcuffed, the two men entered the room with a husky state trooper as guard.
“How about it, Tom?” said Captain Rock. “Are these the men?”
Tom got up from his chair and went over to study the prisoners closely.
“No doubt about it,” he announced. “I can identify this fellow by the small scar over his left eyebrow. And the other one was wearing the same belt he has on now.” The belt was unmistakable. It had a large fancy buckle studded with colored stones.
“All right, Bank, and you too, Dutt,” Captain Rock said. “Start talking. And you’d better make it as convincing as your police records!”
“We got nothin’ to say,” mumbled Bank, the one with the scar.
“Oh, no?” Bud clenched his fists. “Maybe you two would like the same kind of a going-over you gave my pal!”
“Take it easy, Bud,” Tom said quietly, putting a THE WHISPERED CLUE 45
restraining hand on his friend’s shoulder. “It’s true they tied me, but they didn’t try to rough me up.”
The prisoners shot him a grateful glance as the young inventor continued speaking.
“Look,” he said, “there’s no sense in taking the rap for someone else. I’m fairly sure the whole thing wasn’t your idea, anyhow. So why not tell us who put you up to it?”
“Why should we!”
“Because that gunman who stole part of my invention is a foreign agent. If you want to cover up for him, you may both end up in prison on charges of treason and espionage!”
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