Shooting For Justice, G. Tilman [best historical fiction books of all time .txt] 📗

is an operation against the government of the United States of America, Mr. Shelby. I am not at liberty to say more. I need to ask you some questions to take back to the attorney general. He will decide what further information we can give you based on your responses. We are attempting to do this informally without taking you to Washington, deposing you and making it an interrogation. I will tell you the crime is a serious one, probably with capital punishment.”

Pope saw Shelby fidgeting and beginning to perspire. Instead of waiting for permission, he pushed ahead.

“What sort of institution is this? A bank? A trust?”

“It’s a private bank and trust. Our assets are related to a blind trust. Most recently, we have evolved into a philanthropy organization.”

“You mean you give money to deserving charities?” Pope asked.

“Precisely. Orphanages, church missions and the like.”

“Most admirable, Mr. Shelby. Was charity always your mission?”

“No. We were an expansionist movement originally. The expansionist movement ended during the war. Our assets were devoted to the Confederacy’s efforts. I am afraid it did not work out well for us or the effort. So, we evolved into a charitable organization,” Shelby said.

“Mr. Shelby, what did you say was the source of your assets?”

“I didn’t actually. The source is a blind trust. It and its trustees are protected under very tight trust law from being identified. The trustor wrote it into the trust document.”

“So, if the attorney general subpoenaed you for the information, he could not get it?” Pope asked.

“It would be tied up in court for years. Well past his term as attorney general. I suspect it would go to the Supreme Court in four or five years. We could tie it up until then.”

“The secrecy sounds like illegality, Mr. Shelby.”

“I am sorry you think so, Marshal. Nothing we do does anything except help people who need help. I am required as a trustee to exercise due diligence to protect the tenets of the trust document. Hence my reluctance to speak further.”

“Would you be willing to tell me under oath your organization is not involved in any operation against the United States?”

“I can tell you with all honesty I am unaware of any operation against the United States. I have been here for six months. Before then, I was a Dallas bank president. I cannot swear to anything my predecessor may have concocted before he left.”

“How might I contact him?” Pope asked.

“Very conveniently. He is near you. He has a small estate east of Charlottesville, Virginia. It’s called Topping. His name is Michael Kane. You might be careful approaching him.”

“Why should I be careful?” Pope asked.

“He is quick to shoot.”

“A banker?” Pope was confused.

“He ran the organization from more of an operational standpoint. I run it as a financial professional.”

“Is your father still chairman of the board of trustees?”

“I am not at liberty to say under the constraints of the trust,” Shelby said.

“Thank you, Mr. Shelby. If we have more questions, someone from the office will be in touch. May I give you a bit of advice?”

Shelby said “yes” with great hesitation.

“The man out front could get you and him killed. He’s not very good with a gun.”

“Kane met him on a rare visit after resigning and laughed. I guess I should have taken my predecessor’s reaction seriously.”

Pope unloaded the man’s gun, a Smith & Wesson Schofield, and laid it and the six cartridges on his desk. He said, “Only a fool has a loaded round under the hammer in this type of gun,” and left.

The man stood menacingly as Pope walked out. Pope walked past him aware, but not showing his disgust with the man’s incompetence.

On the street, he turned and walked back to his hotel. He believed Shelby. He also thought Shelby had told him much more than either his father or this Kane person would. Regardless, Pope knew Kane would be his next visit once he got back to Washington. He avoided the Wells Fargo office and opted for the Western Union Telegraph. He sent a coded telegram to Sarah for the two secretaries. It outlined his findings and plans to call on Michael Kane at Topping in Charlottesville when he arrived back in Washington.

The weather and ride were smoother on the return trip. He sat thinking the whole time. The talk with Shelby had been an interesting conversation. Depending on the board of trustees, the Knights of the Golden Circle probably did have the power and money to pull off a coup against the government. Certainly, an assassination.

No matter where the case took them, Pope knew he would not dismiss the group readily. They would be on the suspect list until the very end of the case.

He got off the train in Richmond and found a westbound train to Charlottesville.

The conductor was walking through forty minutes outside of the former capital of the Confederacy. He stopped and looked at his pocket watch and announced to the passenger in the car, “We will be having a big bump in the tracks soon. Nothing to worry about.”

A few minutes later, there was a bump and the whole train rattled as each car went over it.

“We used to stop at a watering station there. Newer equipment makes it all the way to Charlottesville without a coal or water stop. The pronunciation of the place is ‘bumpas’. It was a bit of humor by the railroad. The official name of the station and little community is Bumpass. You can see why!”

Pope grinned. He had seen some pretty crazy place names traveling around the country for Wells Fargo. So far, Bumpass was on the top of his list.

He got off at Charlottesville and went to the post office, again avoiding Wells Fargo during this secret investigation.

“I am looking for a nearby estate. It’s called Topping,” he said to the postmaster.

“Actually, it’s Topping Castle. Take Richmond Road east for five miles. You will see a sign for it on the left. It’s owned by the Kane family. Has