Raeburn rose to greet them as they were ushered into his office. “I’m afraid that the situation may be serious,” he said. “We’ve found the van. It was parked and abandor :d.”
Sandy stifled a gasp of fear. “What about the two men-and the crate?” she asked tensely.
“The real van men were found inside, ma’am -bound and gagged. But no crate. I’m afraid the men who came to the hotel were impostors.”
LONDON DRAGNET 71
A short time later a constable brought two husky-looking men in work clothes into the office. They identified themselves as Fred Bristol and Alf Harvey of the Empire Van Company.
“It’s like this, sir,” said Bristol. “We pulled up in back of the hotel, and a gent steps out holding a gun. He didn’t waste no words-just told us to open the van and climb inside. We could see he meant business, so we did.”
“Can you describe him?” Raeburn asked.
“Well dressed. Wiry build. Looked very tanned and fit, he did.”
“And he spoke with some kind o’ foreign accent,” Bristol’s mate added.
Raeburn nodded. “Go on.”
“Well, then, two other chaps showed up-tough-looking blokes,” Bristol continued. “They got in the van with us, took our uniforms, and tied us up. Then the gent with the gun says to ‘em, ‘You know what do-get on with it!’ “
“What happened after that?” Raeburn asked.
“First they made us lie down and covered us up with canvas. Then the man with the gun stood guard while the other two went off-into the hotel, I expect.
After a while they came back again and loaded something into the van.”
“The crate with Tom inside!” Bud muttered.
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