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Bloeser spoke fine English with just a trace of a German accent In Bell’s estilish in school but spoke German at home He had a German’s barrel chest, eyes as blue as Bell’s own, but his hair was dark and thinning Bell estimated he was at least fifty years old And had the smoother hands of someone orked indoors
“I a, Mr Bloeser?”
The stranger indicated to the bar
“Your reputation as an investigator is known far and wide, Mr Bell, but it seeue description of your blond hair no one seems to know you The man at the Van Dorn office here in Denver didn’t know you were in town until the arrest thisat the post office hit the afternoon papers”
“I prefer to keep my anonymity as best I can, Mr Bloeser It helps in ents for this ’s activities, I find it best not to let satellite offices think I’ator, I find my presence sometimes distracts rather than benefits”
“A wise choice, and one I wish I could follow through on I own a bank with six branches and I find ers must believe that I think they are incoood men, but I can’t help but watch over their shoulders” The man smiled at his own foible
“If you are in need of Van Dorn agents, I assure you that Charles Post, our man here, is more than qualified, and he has access to additional men as the need arises For ”
Bloeser leaned in conspiratorially “Would you be willing to listen to a story that ht convince you to remain for a while?”
Bell smiled He liked Bloeser instinctively “A man who buys me a drink is entitled to tell me a story”
Bloeser stood and indicated that Bell should follow him to a dark and secluded corner of the bar He offered Bell a cigar from a leather case Bell deh the ritual of cutting its tip, war it with the candle in the center of the table, and puffing the thing to life The srant
“Have you heard about the disaster at the Little Angel Mine and the nine fatalities?” When Bell nodded, Bloeser continued “My brother, Ernst, owns the mine, Mr Bell When word reached him in Golden about your presence here in Denver, he cabled me to find you”
“I’ine why your brother sent you to me”
Bloeser nodded “But you do knowthe disaster” The banker saw skepticism on Bell’s face “The papers didn’t tell the half of it For one thing, Joshua Hayes Brewster, the lead el”
Bell drew back involuntarily There was a ti resulted in swift and usually fatal justice It was a crime that miners saw as more loathsome than just about any other To theso them the murderer of children
A reht into question Bloeser’s assertion “Didn’t I read that the mine had shut down back in ’81?”