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October 17th, 1924 The Hotel Ngaio
PAGE knocked on Matt’s door and waited a while before rapping on it more smartly, but still she got no response. He couldn’t be sleeping so late, could he? Perhaps he’d headed out already for some reason, but if so he should’ve let her know. More likely he was in the shower, or listening to the radio with his headphones on, and hadn’t heard. She slipped her hand into her bag to get the key to his suite but hesitated. After yesterday’s embarrassment, walking into his rooms to find Lt. Cross there and what the man must’ve thought about her having that key and waltzing right in, she didn’t want to risk any repeat performance. But neither did she want to wait there in the hall, knocking again and again. So she turned and stalked toward the stairs.
She certainly wasn’t going to return to her suite and twiddle her thumbs. Page had business to take care of, and though she wanted her helper along for that, she was perfectly capable of managing by herself. But her helper would hear about this later.
Checking her watch as she descended the steps, she saw it was five to ten. The bank would be opening soon, and she didn’t want to waste any time beginning her hunt for information about the Riggleston Trust. Her bank might even be partly involved in handling it.
Miranda had been so drunk as to be almost unintelligible, so it wasn’t clear to Page who was actually responsible for administering the trust, though it sounded as if the funds were transferred directly to Riggleston’s account. Somewhere. Miranda had mangled the name of his bank. It might have been American International State, but even if it wasn’t, surely somebody there would know where the man did his banking. Because bankers shared that sort of information, didn’t they? Anyway, it would be a place to start. The problem would be getting them to tell her.
Matt might be useful to have along, though she couldn’t think how exactly, but he often was, and in unexpected ways. So it was frustrating not to have him available to assist her. Probably she’d become too used to it, started to rely on him too much. She would just have to figure out how to handle the people at the bank all on her own.
Nodding at the day clerk lurking behind the reception desk, she sailed through the lobby and had the door held open for her. The doorman flagged a passing cab, which pulled to the curb with alacrity. If things kept going so smoothly, she might end up at the bank before it opened. It was only, after all, a block and a half to travel.
One of the nice things about not having Matt at her side right then was not having to listen to whatever smart remark he might make about riding in a taxi for such a short distance, rather than using her own legs. Well, his might be good enough for him, and they were nice, but Page didn’t want to appear at the bank flushed and breathing heavily from the exertion of wading through those pedestrians pushing their way up and down the sidewalks. She liked to look smart, cool, and in control. And keeping an air of elegance was especially necessary when dealing with bankers.
Of course the traffic on the street was heavy too—it almost always was—but she didn’t muss up her hair sitting in the back of a cab. She might arrive at the bank a little later than she’d wanted, but at least she wouldn’t arrive disheveled.
Alighting from the taxi twenty minutes later in front of the bank entrance, she stepped into the air-conditioned interior feeling fresh and ready for battle. Though this should be a subtle sort of conflict.
Page stood on the plush carpet in the center of the lobby and looked around. She’d been here several times before, usually years apart, but very little had changed. Ahead and to her left was the gleaming transaction counter with its teller windows and a wide workspace for the employees extending behind it. A door in the near side of that space led to the corridor which ran to the back offices. And early as it was, there were already a dozen people lined up impatiently waiting for the two tellers already in place to indicate they were ready for customers.
To her right was an open, inviting area, a sea of carpet on which sat three cherrywood desks like little islands. Peaceful places which provided privacy for customers with more complicated business. Although only one desk was occupied at the moment. Kelvin, a young bank officer she’d met before. He’d already noticed her and was smiling in welcome. A hopeful expression. Yes, young Kelvin could be useful to her.
And ahead of her and behind that big area was the wall of the conference room, opened onto from the first door on the right down that corridor which also led to the workroom behind the teller windows and the branch manager’s office and probably other offices as well. For the rest she wasn’t sure, only had impressions from prior visits, but she thought there was some sort of employee break room. And of course the vault.
She needed to know more, and she sighed over the missing Matt before smiling and strolling across to the desk where Kelvin sat waiting. “Good morning. Everything seems quiet today.”
The young man nodded. “That’s the way we like it, Miss Reader. And a very good morning to you.” He gestured at the two chairs on either side of her, in front of his desk. “What can I do for you today?”
Instead of sitting, she shook her head. “I think my business today must be with Mr. Douglass. I’ve come concerning the Riggleston Trust, and I doubt you know about that.”
Kelvin’s initial look of disappointment at hearing her first words gave way to a brow furrowed by confusion. “I don’t understand. I didn’t think you had any connection with that.”
That had been a subtle way for the young bank officer to show her how knowledgeable he was, and for her to confirm that this bank handled the trust, if he could consider himself so intimate with its affairs as to think he’d know if she were involved. He was proving useful. “I didn’t know you worked on it at all.”
Kelvin sat up straighter. “Mr. Douglass has me handle lots of important and confidential matters.”
She nodded. “I’m sure he does. But what does he have you handle for the Riggleston Trust? I can’t think what that would be.”
He shrugged, his face getting flush. “It’s not as if there’s much to do, even though it’s one of the unusual ones.” Then he looked like he was becoming uncomfortable with discussing it.
“Unusual?” As soon as she’d asked, she recognized the remark might show she wasn’t as knowledgeable about it as she was pretending.
“I really shouldn’t be talking about it with you. We chat among ourselves so freely, but—” Pausing, he sighed before he continued. “You really ought to talk to Mr. Douglass about this.”
Page nodded again. “That’s why I came, to talk to him.” And that’s why she hadn’t sat down. Anyway, she felt she’d gotten all she could out of Kelvin. “Is he in?” Time to go higher up the food chain.
The boy blushed deeply. “Yes, of course. I’ll let him know you’re here.” He turned to the phone on his desk, lifted the receiver, and jiggled the hook up and down. Then he put the receiver next to his ear and his lips in front of the mouthpiece, and waited for a full minute. “It’s me, Mrs. Billings. Please tell Mr. Douglass that Miss Reader is here and ask him if he can see her.”
Amusingly, Kelvin had become so discreet now he wasn’t even mentioning what she wanted to talk to the manager about. He listened for an even longer span of time than before, and when he turned to her again, the young man was giving her an apologetic smile.
“I’m afraid Mr. Douglass is in the middle of important business at the moment and can’t stop until he’s finished, which may be a little while. If you would like to wait, I can show you to the conference room and offer some refreshments.”
She gave him an understanding smile in return. “That would be lovely. Thank you, Kelvin.” It suited her to be left on her own to think, and maybe to have a look around. “And yes, a little light refreshment would be appreciated.”
Grinning, the young man rose and escorted her across the carpet and down the corridor to the first room on the right, even though she knew where the place was from previous visits. But she didn’t want to spoil his fun by pointing that out. Instead, Page paused in the doorway and gazed further down the hall.
The first door on the left, which was quite a distance, would lead behind the teller windows, to the workspace she’d noted before. Tilting her head toward the next door down that side, she spoke to her escort. “Isn’t that Mr. Douglass’ office?”
Kelvin nodded. “You’ve been in there yourself, haven’t you?”
“Yes.” That was how she knew. “But I have no idea what those might be.” She gestured at the two doors further down the right side of the hall, one of which was ajar while the other was firmly shut. But from where she stood, she couldn’t even see inside the room that was open.
The young man grinned. “The second room on the right is our break room, and boy is it great. We have a Hoosier cabinet stocked with stuff and even an electric refrigerator.”
She blinked. They really splurged on their employees then. “I see they treat you well.”
“And you too. I mean, our customers. Because it’s for providing refreshments for people like you.”
Nodding, she returned her attention to the other door, the next one down. “And that room which is right across from Mr. Douglass’ office?”
Kelvin shook his head, still standing there with his hand on the knob of the open door to the room he was supposed to be taking her to. “That’s just a supply closet. For pens and paper and blank forms and stuff.”
Page wondered how many more questions concerning the layout of the bank she could ask before he became suspicious. “Oh, is that all?” She stared at where the hall ended in a staircase heading up to the second and third floors, presumably. And split into two corridors, one heading right and one heading left. “I remember turning down one of those to visit the vault, but I can’t remember which. What’s down the other way?”
If Kelvin was getting restless with her, it wasn’t showing. “Just the records room and an outer door for the employees to come and go. That’s also how we take money in and out, so it’s very secure, and I couldn’t let you leave that way. If you were wondering.” He must think she wondered about a lot, but then of course, she did.
But she’d pumped poor Kelvin enough, so even though she was curious to know what was on those upper floors, she held her tongue. Besides, she had learned what she really wanted to know already. “I must say, you’ve been very patient with me. Thank you for explaining.” She sailed into the conference room and settled into a seat. “Since I have to wait, at least it’s been interesting. But I’m sorry if I kept you from important work.”
Kelvin blushed again. “Not at all. My pleasure. And there’s nothing urgent I need to do.” Glancing quickly over his shoulder, he sighed in relief. Probably worried his boss might have heard that. “And now, if you’d like some sort of refreshment...”
“Oh, I’m sure it won’t be long. A glass of water and maybe some nuts to nibble on should suffice.”
Nodding happily, he zipped down the corridor and back again in less than a minute, bringing her a bottle of spring water and a glass with ice in it, even though the air-conditioning already kept this place at a chilly temperature, together with a tiny bowl of mixed nuts and a nutcracker, all on a small tray he set on the table before her. He waited a moment to see if she wanted to talk some more or had another request, presumably. But when she poured herself a glass of water and started sipping, he simply nodded and left her alone. Then she could think.
Page didn’t know how long she’d have until Mr. Douglass came or whether she’d be able to find out what she needed to know from him. He was an experienced banker, and she couldn’t handle him the way she had Kelvin. The manager would be a tough nut to crack.
She might have to wander her way into the records room and search for something about the Riggleston Trust among the papers there. If it came to that, Matt would be useful for creating a distraction if nothing else, but since he wasn’t there, she’d have to come up with a way she could manage all on her own. Cracking open a walnut, she popped the meat into her mouth and started chewing over the possibilities. And wondering where Matt was.