CHAPTER XVII
CALEB ANNISTER MAKES PLANS
The rascally real estate agent was more worried over the visit of Roythan he cared to acknowledge, even to himself. The truth was thatCaleb Annister was planning a bold stroke, which was nothing less thanto obtain title of the building belonging to Mr. Bradner and his son.
For a long time, as Mr. Bradner had suspected, the agent had beencheating him, retaining part of the rents. But this did not satisfyMr. Annister. He had begun to steal, and he liked that easy way ofgetting money so well that he determined on operations on a largerscale. Now Roy's coming was likely to interfere with this.
It was Caleb Annister's plan to obtain ownership of the building inthis way. Though he had reported to Mr. Bradner that the taxes hadbeen always paid promptly, they were, in fact, very much behind, andhad not been paid for two years.
Consequently the city had put the property up for sale for unpaidtaxes. A certain length of time must elapse before a title could betaken from the former owner, and given to any one who would pay thetaxes and other city charges.
Mr. Annister planned to pay these back taxes without Mr. Bradner'sknowledge and so become the owner of the building, which was quitevaluable. But it needed about two weeks before his trick could beconsummated, and with Roy on hand in New York it might not go throughat all.
For the real estate agent realized, that as Roy had already begun toinvestigate the property, he might not stop there, but go furtherdiscover that the taxes were unpaid, and have his father pay them inthe two weeks that remained, thus keeping the title of the building andland in Mr. Bradner's name.
"I must prevent that at all costs!" exclaimed the agent, as he sat inhis office, when Roy had gone. "I have gone too far to back out now.And I will not be thwarted by a mere boy. Bah! Why should I be afraidof him? If I can get him out of the way--if I can have him disappearfor two weeks, I can snap my fingers at him and his father too. ThenI'll no longer be the agent for the Bleecker Building--I'll be theowner, and a wealthy man!"
He gave himself up to day-dreams of what this would mean. He wasbrought back from it, however, by the necessity of getting Roy out ofthe way.
"I wonder how I can do it?" he murmured.
At present Caleb Annister could see no way of bringing this about. Hedecided to go out for dinner, thinking, perhaps, some plan might occurto him.
As he was walking along the street he almost collided with a man whowas hurrying along in the opposite direction.
"I beg your pardon!" exclaimed Mr. Annister.
"Certainly. My fault entirely," replied the other. "I--why, if itisn't Caleb Annister," he went on. "How are you?"
"Phelan Baker!" cried Mr. Annister, in a tone of surprise. "I thoughtyou were out West."
"I was, but I arrived in New York this morning."
"And how are Sutton and Hynard?" went on Mr. Annister. "I haven't seenthem since that affair of--"
"Hush! Don't mention such things in public," cautioned Mr. Baker, forwhat Mr. Annister referred to was a swindling game in which Baker andhis cronies had been involved, and the discovery of which had made itnecessary for them to leave the city awhile.
"The boys are all right," went on Mr. Baker. "Tupper is with them. Infact they came on to New York with me. We were delayed on the road."He did not say this was caused by the necessity for fleeing afterrobbing Mortimer De Royster. "We're at the same hotel. By the way,"he went on, "you couldn't lend me fifty dollars; could you? I'm short,and the boys have very little. We haven't had any luck lately. I'dlike fifty dollars for a few days. Can you let me have it?"
"I'm sorry," began Mr. Annister. "I'd like to, but the truth is I havesome heavy bills to meet, and people who owe me money, have not paidme. Otherwise--"
"Well, perhaps I can get it somewhere else," said Mr. Baker. In facthe had very little hope, when he made the request of Mr. Annister, thathe would get the loan. The real estate agent was known to be very"close", seldom lending money, though he was quite well off.
"I'd like to accommodate you," went on Caleb Annister, brightening up,when he saw that Mr. Baker was not going to press the matter, "but yousee how it is."
"You haven't any work that you want done; have you?" asked the man whohad helped to rob Mortimer De Royster, and who had tried unsuccessfullyto rob and swindle Roy. "We could do almost anything you wanted done,if you paid us for it. None of us have anything in view to get a fewdollars at."
Suddenly a thought came into the wicked brain of Caleb Annister. Thismight be the very chance he was looking for! Baker and his men couldget Roy out of the way for him. He would try it.
"Perhaps you might do me a service," he said. "It is very simple, anddoes not amount to a great deal."
Mr. Baker knew the real estate agent well enough to feel that wheneverhe wanted anything done, it was no small matter. But he merely said:
"Tell me what it is. If it's possible we'll do it--for money, ofcourse."
"Oh, it's very possible, and I will be willing to pay you and yourfriends well. Come and have lunch with me, and we will talk it over."
Caleb Annister had intended going to an expensive restaurant andordering a fine meal, for he was fond of good living, but, when hefound he would have to take Baker, and pay for his dinner, he changedhis plans, and went to a cheap eating place.
There, sitting in a secluded corner, Mr. Annister unfolded a plot tothe swindler.
"There is a certain young man, lately arrived in New York," said thereal estate agent, "who is bothering me. Nothing serious, youunderstand, but I have a certain deal to put through and he might spoilit. I want him kept out of the way for two weeks. By that time myplans will be finished, and I don't care what he does. Do you thinkyou can get him, and take him, say to some nearby town, or even someplace in New York and keep him there for two weeks? But I must insistthat no harm comes to him."
With all his swindling schemes, Mr. Annister would not go too far.
"Sure we can do it," replied Phelan Baker. "That's easy. What do weget for it?"
"If you get him away, and keep him out of sight for two weeks all willbe well, and I will pay you a thousand dollars."
"Good enough! We'll do it. Now who is this boy you want taken away?"
"Roy Bradner."
"What? Roy Bradner, the boy from Triple O ranch?"
"That's the one. But what do you know of him?" and Mr. Annister wasvery much astonished.
"This is curious," murmured Baker. "Very curious. I'll tell you aboutit, Annister."