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“Where’s the hook?”

“The cinder dicks had already found it by the tiot here”

Sanders led Bell to a length of rail that had been bent like a pretzel On one end was bolted a hook that looked like it had been fashioned from an anchor “Is that blood or rust?”

“Didn’t notice that” Sanders opened a pearl-handled pocketknife and scratched at it “Blood Dried blood Looks like he cut his hand on a burr of metal Keen eyes, Mr Bell”

Isaac ignored the flattery “Find out who drilled this hole”

“What’s that, Mr Bell?”

“We can’t haul in every man in California with a cut on his hand, but you can find out who drilled that hole in this peculiar piece of metal Canvas every machine shop and blacksmith in the county Immediately On the jump!”

Isaac Bell turned on his heel and went to talk to the railroad dicks, atching sullenly “Ever seen a hook like that before?”

“Hunk of boat anchor”

“That’s what I thought” He opened a gold cigarette case and passed it around When the cinder dicks had ss and Ed Bottomley, he asked, “If that fellow in the tree happened not to wreck the Liot away after he ditched the train?”

The railway cops exchanged glances

Ed said, “That hook bought him plenty of time”

Then Tom said, “We found a track-inspection vehicle tipped over the side in Glendale Got a report soht depot at Burbank”

“OK But if he got to Glendale by handcar, it ,” Bell ot away from Glendale? Streetcars don’t run that late”

“Could have had a auto for him”