Show BROWN MATURES fE Duke McCale private detective II li in tn the murder ol ci Curt Villain Valla In court who sho I ho hoUI w was UI i about to marry Veronica to thirty million dollari dollan McCale McCall tome corns clues from Shari Lynn former forme I wife wile and from Irom Victoria Veronicas Veronica's ill III let ler Veronica the No 1 I I Is II lulled called again to headquarters McCali McCale questions the Ute members ef of the family Stephen Veronica Veronicaa brother telli leU how bow lie lo met In Chicago when I Us sister Victoria was wai running around with JUt the adventurer It was wai Victoria who Introduced U to 10 Veronica McCale McCall this leant Stephen also aha reveals that he be knew harl bari Lynn In ID Chicago I CHAPTER XII I II rd Td met her We We all met once or 01 I I twice But he divorced her you know He shut his mouth and his brooding eyes half hall closed lie He looked I at McCale with an expression that thai i said aid as 88 plainly as words could And that that's all you'll get from me McCale changed the direction of ol his next questions strategically and said laid with the suddenness of a 0 cats cata catapult I You were spying on your wife i and nd Curt Valla In court at The White WhiteAbbey WhiteAbbey Abbey night before belore last weren't you He thought he had exploded ed rd a bomb with that but curiously enough Bigelow was waa ready for It No indeed I Just happened to tobe tobe tobe be there I saw them Ulem talking What I of ci f it Karen comes and goes as she the pleases I You didn't then suspect her I say lay of having an affair or some omo secret connection with him say him say something she wished to keep from you ou laughed hollowly the watchfulness gone from him Not at all aU Mr McCale He lie accented the mister disdainfully Whatever gave you that absurd Idea McCale thought thought thought-he he has been ly lying ly- ly lyIng lying ing to me now for the last three minutes These were the questions he was 10 so sure I would ask first Arst the ones he was not sure lure he Will was ready for And I like a fool tool have gone all around the barn allowing him to collect himself He Ue shrugged You haven't a athing athing thing to tell me that might help the growing ease case against Veronica then he be asked a reasonable barb barbIn In his question Nothing at all Stephen rose well aware that he bad had acquitted himself in his hi own mind anyway with some success success- that the Interview was over lie He paused at the door Who is next for the inquisition he asked mockingly You might ask your mother to step tep in for tor a moment McCale an- an answered wrapped in sudden fury Sorry to bother you Mrs Bige Bige- Bigelow low he said somewhat tied Oh no I 1 mustn't be spared she sighed Its all so sordidly necessary Why did you go to the White Whits WhiteAbbey WhiteAbbey Abbey the night before befort last lasU he asked without preliminary Why I I-I I I wasn't there I I- I IThe The unexpectedness of the attack made her forget momentarily her role Quickly she sank into a chair You were seen you know he went on Your altercation with your our law in and your en en- entrance entrance trance into the club Ive got a right to go anywhere I want ant As for my law in I often oUn have to be a bit harsh with her She neglects my son fion I But you were heard not to be be- believe believe lieve e her when she assured you Oll that the man you OU came to see was not there A hard beady bendy look came Into her eyes Her face sagged as If it the veneer were about to crack Did you ou see him McCale prod- prod deJ ded Sybil Sy Admits She Saw Sau the lie Shooting I told you ou I 1 did not go o to that to-that that thatis I is Is I did go inside the lobby but decided not to go upstairs I returned re re- returned re- re returned turned home You didn't see Curt ts IS you had planned then I tell you ou I 1 didn't go upstairs Besides I went there to get my ny ion son He lie had quarreled with ith Karen and Ind I was afraid he had started out outon outon on en a a-a a a binge She said it very defiantly McCale wondered what her an an- answer iwer would have been if she had hadnot hadnot hadnot not known already that he be knew Stephen had been there He lie felt he would get nothing of Importance from her now that she was as back in the groove groo of the tragic role she was wu determined to 10 play pia One more snore question then he said aid to her surprise and I What did you see yes yes- yesterday yesterday es afternoon when you OU were in 1 front of this house at the time Ume of 01 the murder I The blow of It visibly staggered I her Again there was the automat automatic ic reaching out for her glass of sher ry 17 r She gasped Her eyes ees were filled with sheer sher terror Her mouth grew gret slack Oh no she whimpered I was not there I Youre You're mis mis- mistaken mistaken taken His voice oice became hard his hI look insistent You wore a gray rain raincoat rain rain- raincoat coat he said Both Miss Ade Adelaide laide lade and I 1 saw you yu lU No no nO she she couldn't have C didn't I hasn't She would not teU tell you You Yoi know that She has not admitted 1 II IF even to me But I saw you Mrs BIgelow I know It was you lie He waited tense as she pulled herself slowly together She arose with cold determination Very well then she he said Bald a alast at last I was going to protect her Cod God knows knoW why I didn't actual actually see the shooting It was foggy slip sUp slippery pery you know I have very small smal feet and sometimes lose my bal ance I was picking my any way I had my ray head down when the shot sho came I was so frightened and frightened and for foi foia tora fora a moment dazed dared I didn't know i iwas It was Curt I only saw caw a man stag stagger ger a moment He lie seemed to re reo recover re- re recover cover himself and walk on on toward towar me In my shock I stepped off of the sidewalk lk and crossed the street It II was wu only when he tell fell to his knees on our steps that I knew something terrible had happened It was then I saw uw Veronica running across I Ithe the Common path Veronica Veronica- Veronica Veronica-it she drew herself up majestically Why didn't you Immediately come into the house I should have thought thought- Oh but I 1 Dont Don't you see She was Cornell now loyal I I I IA A hard nut to crack was all McCale made of or her ber misunderstood rejected ted If 11 Id I'd Idone gone one right in everyone would have known mown wouldn't they Id I'd have had bad hado to o say Id I'd seen Veronica I couldn't do that-I that McCale wondered why if It she couldn't face telling trUing it then she was able to be so glib about it now I slipped down the other side of the street to the drugstore for cigarettes I met Stephen there you know know or or dont don't you Yes Y es I have ha ve seen the police re re- reports reports re- re reports ports he said gravely Will you OU send your our daughter In please She accepted her dismissal with the he air all of an actress taking a cur- cur curtain aln tain tam call Youre making your our your farewell tour our McCale chuckled to himself his mind busy with her treachery You never would have guessed that hat Victoria had been up most of ot the previous night The circles un- un under ler der her eyes eyE'S were no darker than usual She slunk in her mouth the same insolent gash gas of red redA redA redA A hard nut to crack was all McCale made of her as he smiled to himself Too bad you ont we nt able to find your our letters in Valla In courts court's apart apart- apartment apartment ment last night I he opened She did not nol seem startled She tossed her dark head Oh you ou know that do you ou How did lid that get out My I assistant who helped you ou search lIe He was quite smitten by your our charms That ox Her lIeI lip curled So he works for you ou He lie told me he was a policeman Well hed he'd make a good one at that that McCale chuckled have recognized him If you'd oud been home the night before He lie was on dut duty here all aU that night Where were ivere you ou by b the way my business Those Letters Could lie He Damaging Perhaps its it's mine Or at least the police may ma want an explanation tion Were you OU al a the Valla In court apartment a by any an chance My little romp with Curt was over aver long lon ago Was Vas it he asked quietly hard bunches showing along his jaw aw Yes Who says it wasn't The red wig you wore when you ou impersonated your our stepsister Veronica each time you ou went there have ha to prove that tha Her lIer eyes e es grew hooded and arid he saw sat her hands tremble His Ills shot in the th dark had been a good one Proof he said uti smiling I 1 dont don't ned to 10 prove pro it Its It's sell self evident now know a 5 lot more about aboul the woman 4 Curt knew new than you ou i tor r imagine in your our wildest dreams I A little smile ule curled the he theof edges of at hei mouth I F Oh what does it t matter any any- an j I ww baw w Were We rt ill l sunk Slink I 1 dJ dd want I those letters though You kno know what I 1 think I think you know where they hey are I think you could coul coulet get et them for me rae Why wont won't yo you work for tor me I said Id I'd pay yo yowell you He Her well Ive I've got enough money eyes were bright What good would that do She got up turned her back t to the window and made a quick pleading gesture Lynn Sharl has them She must You hinted at It the other night You can act as intermediary Intermediary get ge your cut cut cui anything Only Ive I've go goto got gotto to have them Why She was impatient In her anxiety boldly took another task See Sec here she here she came close t thim to him dropping her voice youre youre working all out fo for Veronica arent aren't you Now listen If It those letters come out it will wil put her In a worse spot than she's she in now Im sorry but I dont don't follow you Oh Lord I thought you said sale you were a detective Look Veron Veron- Veronica VeronIca ica lea found out somehow that I had known Curt rather well Dont Don't ask asli me how I dont don't know that We had a whale of ot a row over it but bul butI bulI I denied dented it Do you see Now If U they get her for his his his-his his death and the letters are found it will prove she was right Dont Don't you get it It will give them a motive If I can get them back I can destroy them He chuckled cynically striking his hands together with a muttered barked not exclamation No he really I Dont Don't tell me In all seri serf seriousness seriousness that you want to protect Veronica Of at course Why Because it Just occurred to me being a that If you had those letters you might Just possibly possibly possibly bly not destroy them They make such a swell motive He lie bowed Not only that my loyal young lady but you seem to think think think-as as a matter of fact youre you're practically convinced yourself that Shari Lynn has possession of those letters Suppose I tell you that the police have them safe under lock and key Evidence you know Its a liel lie 1 Yes he be said so far as I know It is a lie Ill but how did you know She shut her lips together and just glared at him You may go he be said unconcernedly unconcernedly Ill talk to your sister sister- law in-law next See you at ot the in in- quest A few minutes later the sound of the piano playing stopped abruptly Shortly afterward the door opened and Karen BIgelow came in inI inI I II that of I think he observed all the you belong least of all to this house You mean perhaps that 1 I am aman aman aman an acquisition let acquIsition let us say say say-an an or or- ornament ornament ornament Exactly You can tell me more about them than anyone Oh but I She made madea a II slow somnolent motion not so much in horror or disloyalty as of deadly indifference I 1 think you can he persisted Let me tell teU you what I know to be betl tl ue You all were acquainted with Curt in Chicago Chicago Chicago-at at about aboul the same time Stephen Bige Bige- Bigelow low was shall I say rushing you OU OUInto into matrimony You knew his I wife too Sarah Linsky wasn't It It- It I the present Shari Lynn She was watching him covertly ertly from under her long lashes The rhe Ugly U lJ Plot Ilot Resins neill to Show I know you finally consented conser to marry Stephen he continued Ill confess Ive I've wondered why She shifted sh her position imperceptibly imp imperceptibly placing ing her long white hands handson on her knees I had suffered all winter with th a pain here She touched her arm armA armA armA A nervous ailment I thought then that I would never play again I thought thought- She had thought of course that tha I she could forget her music in the bosom of a rich so so- social social cial life How wrong she had been She found herself embroiled be be- between between tween tweet a 8 jealous mother law and anda a jealous husband She had with withdrawn drawn therefore to her Nordic hauteur until boredom and unhappiness had driven her back to the keyboard to find that sheer necessity necessity necessity sity enabled her ber to overcome her Illness forced her to play pia again McCale stood very straight and still before the glacial Karen Bige- Bige low Her lIer hauteur and boredom and complete indifference was beginning to get him Look Mrs Bigelow he said very quietly I 1 know that Victoria knew and that was still going on even after his en en- engagement engagement engagement to 0 Veronica and that he still saw Shari Shul Lynn LYM as well I know too that you ou once had some connection with him because you went vent to the White Abbey the night before last to buy back some let let- letters letters letters from troll Miss Lynn They must have ha been ben old letters ter or Vallain Vallain- court would have bave had th them m and andou andou ou you would have had to deal with Him The fact that he showed fur cur I prise rise when you OU made the exchange hange with his ex wife proved that that else do know What you she asked wearily her OIce voice toneless Well W be he hesitated I knot knO that your husband also saw the Did md you Oll know ow that TO 11 BK SF CO |