Chapter 14 Magic Department July · Snowball

In moments of humor, Diamond Jim Grady likes to refer to himself as a magician, a title no one would dispute -- at least to all the cops out there.Grady's specialty was jewelry heists at gunpoint by the police.This criminal sideshow was elevated to an art form by him.His heists are marvels of a combination of advanced information, precise timing, teamwork and guile.Once, when his hand reached for a piece of jewelry he was looking for, it disappeared as quickly as if it was still with the jeweler, unshaped, never seen. One of Grady's most notable tricks is that no one can catch evidence of his and his artists' crimes.Not by mercy, but by wisdom.When they commit crimes, they always cover their faces, wear gloves, and do not carry personal items that would reveal their identity.There is nothing wrong with his performance.If one of them is discovered, that person disappears.Like Diamond Jim said: "What witness would point out a fool who wasn't here?" Grady might have gotten away with it forever if the same trick hadn't been played too many times -- collecting people's favourites. , driving judges and insurance companies crazy.

Also, before we tell the story, it's worth taking a look at Diamond Jim's love life.Lisbeth had been his most important person, and their relationship lasted two years and ten months.Lisbeth was a slender and attractive girl, as precious and sparkling as any of Grady's many collections.Today, in low society, a three-year romance is the equivalent of a grandiose epic, so Lisbeth's stupid delusion of permanence is forgivable.Unfortunately, Grady was not aware of the attraction to Grady, including her appetite for pizza and French ice cream, as well as her charm. One night, when Grady's drunken eyes looked at the beautiful body of Maybelle, the soul of the Schwahili Club, in fact, all he saw in his eyes was Lisbeth's figure.One of Grady's friends, a lovesick jeweler, mistook it for Grady's cheating.So when Diamond Jim was about to take Marybelle home, the jeweler tipped Lisbeth the sad news through the phone booth next to Schwasili's men's bathroom.

Lisbeth refuses to accept a man who is unfaithful.At the same time, she realizes that if she doesn't get away quickly, her life will be worthless, not even worth the worst 50 cent bracelet in the scrap store.She knew too many career secrets about Diamond Jim, and she even knew where the dead bodies of a pair of poor douchebags were buried.But before she disappeared of her own accord, Lisbeth used the little time left to quickly grab an old summer mink and a few unchanging keepsakes from Grady's recent personal collection. Lisbeth is suddenly the most popular girl in town.Everyone wants to find her, especially the police and Grady.Grady even used a large sum of money to find out about her, which was comparable to his previous operations.However, this time the money did not play a substantial role.Lisbeth wasn't in town at all, she was in Canada.According to the movies she has seen about the Northwest Royale, the RCMP is huge and every cop is clean, and Lisbeth thinks that if she stays there, she won't have to worry about a knife dangling from her back, threatening took her life.With this in mind, Lisbeth draped the mink fur over her shoulders, took a taxi to the nearest police station, and asked for protection and immunity in exchange for a promise to testify in court upon her return and tell everything she knew.

She insisted on staying in a back room when Montreal police contacted New York.The long-distance negotiations went on for a full day, just long enough for the news to get out and fill the front pages of the New York papers. "Now Grady knows where she is," said Officer Quinn, who was in charge of the case, angrily. "He's definitely going to find her. She told Biggert and Hans that she knew enough to put a first-degree murder noose around Grady's fat neck." "I," said Inspector Willie pessimistically, "I don't think the missing woman will have a chance to make a splash in New York."

"And what's he going to do? A jet pilot?" Ellery asked. "Crash her?" "She can't fly because she's afraid of heights." His father interrupted his speculation suddenly. "It's true, Ellery. Lisbeth—Gridy's only girlfriend, Don’t even want to live in a fancy penthouse.” "Then it's a train or a car," said Ellery. "So what's your trouble?" "First of all, he will try his best to attack her on the train," Inspector Willie said, "but if she is in a car, he will definitely try to drive her car into an abyss thousands of feet."

"Are you telling a story?!" "Boss, you don't know Grady." "Then you know him pretty well," Ellery said casually. "Papa, can we find some reason to lock up Grady and his gang first. That way they're not a threat, The lady is safe somewhere in Manhattan Island. The diamond is safe, too." "Forget about diamonds. Diamonds turn her on." Inspector Willie. When Ellery discovered that Diamond Jim had expected them to do this, and that he and his entire company had disappeared before they could, including Marybelle, there was a glint of admiration in his eyes.

"Let's play a little trick too. Grady is going to assume you're going to get Lisbeth to New York as soon as possible. He knows she's not going to fly, and you're not going to risk her taking a coach, so He'll think she must have taken the train. Since the through train is the fastest, the Montreal Express is what he'll be looking for. Has he seen Biggert and Sergeant Hans?" "Let's assume he has." Officer Quinn came alive again, with his old enthusiasm. "I see what you mean. I'll fly Johnson and Goldberg to Montreal, along with a female police officer of Lisbeth's size and appearance. Biggert and Hans will be on the special train with the woman officer." , and had the female police officer veiled and pretended to be Lisbeth; meanwhile, Goode and Johnson took Lisbeth into a slow train."

"Do you think this master trickster like Hounidi can be so easily deceived?" Inspector Willie demanded. "You should have thought more carefully, my officers." "Oh, come on, Willie, he's just a man, not a god," Ellery reassured him. "We'll be more thorough then, anyway. To confuse him completely, we'll stop at a stop along the way. Let her get out of the car and take the car for the rest of the way. In fact, Dad, we can pick her up in person, just the three of us. Does that make sense to you, Willie?" But the inspector just shook his head. "You don't know Grady."

So Detectives Johnson and Goldberg flew to Montreal, along with a female police officer named Bracegaard who was acting as a stand-in.At the start of the action, Detectives Biggert and Hans ostentatiously abduct a veiled, sweating female police officer in Lisbeth's ermine fur, into the lounge of the Canada Express. .Half an hour after that express train left, Detectives Johnson and Goldberg, dressed as backwoods men, stalked behind Lisbeth on a dirty, Suffocating local train.On the timetable, this train has a ridiculous name—Snowball.Lisbeth wore scruffy clothes, her hair was dyed dark blue, and her face was wrinkled and wrinkled.Her outfit would fool anyone, including Grady.

The game is in progress. On a scorching July morning, two unmarked cars set off on Central Avenue in Manhattan, bound for upstate New York.The Quinns and Inspector Willie sat in one of the cars, and six detectives sat in the other. The inspector drove gloomily. "It's not going to work," he predicted, "Grady's movements are almost as precise as radar, and he can spot and hit a mange on the palm of his hand from 9 kilometers away. I tell you, now Grady You must have grasped all this clearly." "Why are you always like this, muttering like a witch doctor with a stomach ache." Officer Quinn said impatiently, he kept wriggling in his wet clothes. "You have to remember that if we want to get to Weyborg as soon as possible, we don't have time to waste time on the road."

Weypogue is a temporary stop on the Canada to New York rail line.There are only a few coal piles on the station, a one-way street, and a small oven-like house.The two cars pulled up in front of the little brown building, and the officer and Ellery went inside.In the waiting room, there was only one old man, wearing a sleeve and an eye mask, fiddled with a broken electric fan. "How is the Snowball?" "113? Will be there on time, sir." "Then when will it arrive?" "10:18." "Three minutes," said Ellery. "Let's go." Two cars were parked at both ends of the platform.Two detectives leaned hard against an empty trolley.Otherwise, the train would not stop at this station. They all faced north and waited eagerly. 10:18 is here. 10:18 passed. By 10:20, they were still waiting. The station master also stood at the entrance, looking north. "Hey!" yelled Officer Quinn, who was slapping a mosquito, "what station did that train last arrive on time?" "At Greifer Jackson." The station master stared at the rails, which seemed to be melting. "And what about the workshop and the roundhouse? Those two stations are where all the trains going south must pass." "The 113 stopped at that station to the north, didn't it? Marmont? Did you get a report that it arrived at Marmont?" "I'll ask now, sir." They followed him back to the waiting room, where the station master put on his headset and was busy sending a telegram. "The station master at Marmon said the train came in on time and left on time at 10:12." "It's also on time in Marmont. But it's only 6 minutes from Marmont to Weyborough," Ellery said, wiping the sweat off his neck. "Funny!" his father said irritably.It's 10:22 now. "How could it be four minutes late on a six-minute journey?" "There must be something wrong," said the station master, wiping the sweat off his blindfold.He changed his statement abruptly. Quinn and his son returned to the platform and looked in Mamon's direction.After a while, Ellery quickly returned to the waiting room. "Station Master, is it possible for it to divert to the express route at Marmont? So that it can pass directly through Weyburg without stopping." I know the answer.His brain is now active. "Since 7.38am this morning, not a single train has traveled southbound on these routes." Ellery hurried out of the waiting room and flicked his collar.He saw his father run full speed from the platform to their car.The detectives were already in another car, roaring down the road. "Come on," Officer Quinn yelled at him.Before Ellery could figure out what was going on, Inspector Willie was on the road. "For some reason, Grady knew about the trap—he must have been bribed. He intercepted the Snowball somewhere between Weyborg and Marmont." They continued to think about the connection.The road and rail run parallel, about 20 feet apart, with nothing in between but gravel.There was no sign of a passenger car on the tracks, whether moving or stationary, parts of cars or entire trains.Not even a wagon, or a hand cart. Before they knew it, they had covered the entire distance between the two stations, and they had almost missed Marmon.Another car was parked in front of a house that was smaller than the waiting room at Weibog Station.As they were about to turn back, four detectives emerged from the house. "It left Marmon at 10:12, officer," one of them yelled. "The station master says we're crazy—we must have missed it." The two cars quickly returned to Weiboge. On the way, Officer Quinn stared thoughtfully at the shining rails outside the window, "Missed? A whole train of passenger cars? Willie, slow down!" "Oh, that Greedy, it's made us miserable!" moaned Inspector Willie. Ellery stared intently at his knuckles, but said nothing.He kept looking at the gleaming rails.They were blinking and backing away, as if they were taunting him.It is remarkable how straight the line is between Weyborg and Marmont, and how orderly the scenery along the tracks is.On the left side of the railroad there are no buildings or trees nor water -- nothing bigger than a rain-hole, no curves, no undulations, no sidings or spurs of the railroad, no tunnels, caverns, bridges, ditches, ravines or The mountain stream, and no wreckage of the train was seen... The rails stretched perfectly along the valley without any obstruction.To any possible ambush or treachery, this stretch of road was like continuous parallel lines drawn with a ruler on white paper. Now they were back at Wyborg's fiery little station, but there was no Snowball in sight. The officer's voice cracked. "It got to Greifer Jackson on time. It got to and left Marmon on time. But it didn't make it to Weyboger. So, it must be somewhere between Marmon and Weyboger .What's wrong?" He challenged the rest to find out what was wrong. Willie continued, "There's only one thing," he said in a hollow voice, "and it doesn't exist." But it does exist. "Ah, I think Grady stole it," his superior screamed, "the train is, must be somewhere between Marmon and Wyborg, and I'm going to find it— —Otherwise, buy me a Ouija board." So, they turned around again and drove towards Marmon, slowly driving along the railway at a speed of ten kilometers an hour.Then they turned around and drove back to Wyborg.They shuffled despondently into the waiting room and looked pitifully at the station master.The station master sat in his private office, propping his head listlessly, looking out the north window of the office at the shimmering valley. For a long time, no one spoke. So, when a voice suddenly came up, everyone was startled. "Station Master!" said Ellery. "Send another telegram to Marmont's men to confirm that the Snowball left Marmont at 10:12 and never returned." "Go back?" The old man became active. "It must be like this." He was busy sending a telegram while talking. "I get it, Ellery!" yelled Officer Quinn. "It did leave Marmont and head south. Then, for repairs or something, it turned back north and passed Marmon again. I Bet it's in Greifer Jackson, the factory, or the roundhouse station by now." "But Greifer Jackson said," whispered the station master, "it wasn't in their place, or in the roundhouse. And it didn't come back after it left—just passed on time. Ma Meng Zhan also said that after leaving the station 113 times, he never went back." Everyone fell silent again. Lieutenant Quinn hopped to his feet, slapped a group of dive-bombing bluebottles, and growled, "How did a train just disappear like that? Snowball! Snowball in July! What did Grady do, melt it into Is there ice water?" "And drank it." Inspector Willie licked his lips. "Wait," said Ellery, "wait... I know where the Snowball is." He rushed for the door. "If I'm right, we'd better hurry—or we'll have to say goodbye to Lisbeth's body." "But where the hell is it?" Officer Quinn asked again as the two cars sped toward Marmon. "In Grady's throat," said the inspector loudly. "Then that's what he wants us to think," Ellery went on. "Hurry up, Inspector! The train left Marmont, but it didn't turn up at Wyborg, where we were waiting to pick up the train." Lisbeth. That train just disappeared between Marmont and Wyperger without a trace. There's no reason why what happened to it. It didn't fall off the bridge, it didn't fall Into a canyon or stream, no cave to hide it, nothing—just a straight paved road in unsheltered flat country. Such an incredible illusion that seems to be explained only by magic... No, Willy, don't Slow down!" cried Ellery as the gloomy little Marmont station loomed before him, "Keep going north—directly past Marmont." "North via Marmont?" said his father, puzzled. "But the train goes south via Marmont..." "But the Snowball hasn't been seen anywhere south of Marmont, has it? So she can't have been somewhere south of Marmont. So it can't be south of Marmont. Papa , it never passed Marmont." "But that's what Marmon's station master said!" "That's because Grady paid him off to say that. It was a trap to have us running back and forth between Marmon and Wayne Borg while Grady and his gang were in Marmon Somewhere between Greifer Jackson and Greifer Jackson! Is there a bombardment ahead? We're still in time." At the place where the canyon meets the hills, 4 kilometers away from Marmon, the Snowball parked there curled up, and a huge trailer lay across the rails, blocking its way.Judging from the bullets passing the train, there were six armed robbers hiding in the woods beside the railway. There were two figures, one fell down and lay on the ground, the other was crawling towards the woods with a wounded leg.This scene told them that the situation of this battle was not one-sided.A stream of bullets flew from two shattered car windows and poured into the woods.What Grady and his accomplices didn't expect was that Johnson and Goldberg, posing as backwoodsmen, carried two submachine guns and a large amount of ammunition with them in the battered suitcase. When Officer Quinn and the others took out their weapons and were about to join the battle, Grady and his gang dropped their weapons and walked out slowly with their hands raised... When Detectives Johnson and Goldberg were about to enjoy a Big Mac, Officer Quinn and Ellery found Lisbeth among the assorted passengers lying prone on the car floor.She was hiding in a pile of hot bullet casings. "Are you all right, ma'am?" the officer asked anxiously. "What can I do for you?" Lisbeth looked up from the mess of dyed hair, her face covered with tears, sweat, and cannon fodder. "You said--the witness stand."