'I can't make him stay.'
'I can, ' Ryan replied.
Sloan wanted to argue. 'This seems like a waste of time to me. If
anyone saw anything, he would have spoken up by now.'
'Marshal Ryan wants to follow procedure, ' Cole explained.
Sloan was staring at the blue bag on the desk. 'Where did that come
from? ' Ryan answered. 'It was on the floor under the desk.'
'You think someone left it? ' 'That much is pretty obvious, ' Cole
said.
'We're curious to know who it belongs to.' A gleam came into Sloan's
eyes. 'It had to have been left here on the day of the robbery because
the Stewarts, who clean the place every night, would have found it if
someone had left it the day before. They would have put it in the
lost-and-found box. They're honest people, ' he thought to add. 'You
don't think one of the robbers left it behind, do you? ' 'No, we don't
think that, ' Cole said dryly.
'Which desk was it found under? ' 'Lemont Morganstaff's, ' Ryan
answered. 'We're going to talk to him right away. Do you know where
he lives? ' 'Sure I do. I know just about everybody in town. I'll
take you over to Lemont's as soon as you're ready. Are you going to
ask him about the bag? ' 'Yes, ' Ryan answered.
Sloan's mind was whirling with possibilities. 'Where exactly was the
bag found? Was it right by the chair or was it way under the desk? '
'It was in the kneehole, ' Ryan answered. 'In the corner.' Sloan's
eyes widened. 'You don't think that maybe someone was hiding under the
desk, do you? ' 'We haven't drawn any conclusions yet, ' Cole told
him.
'But it's possible, isn't it? ' 'Yes, ' Ryan agreed. 'It's
possible.
The matter of the bag is confidential, Sheriff. I don't want you
telling anyone about it.' Sloan dropped down to his knees. 'You can
see through here . . . ' 'I want to get started, ' Cole said
impatiently. 'Show us where Lemont lives, and then start rounding up
the people on the list.
We'll use the jail to talk to them.'
'I'll wait out front to take you to Lemont's, ' Sloan said, bolting for
the door.
