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Show Hanvcy folded his hands on his huge stomach. "You object If I ask you a personal question, Welch?" "Go ahead." "You're pretty keen for Miss Peyton, Pey-ton, aren't you?'' Larry flushed. "I admire her very much." "Nothing more?". "I don't see . . . No, It's no more than hat." Amazingly enough, Hanvey did not pursue that topic. It seemed to Reagan that Jim was constantly MYSTERY U Jrt p Octavas Roq Cohere Ccpifi-iqLt L Ottb.Yut ft?y CckJ rM I,5ftviCfc. "My sister." "Miss Ivy Welch?" "Yes." "What was wrong there?" "Nothing . . . that 'is. I didn't want an$ thin; to be wrong. I told Thayer that I preferred that he see less of Ivy." l: "Did you tell him why?" MI told him that there was too much difference In their ages, tie was twenty-three and Ivy Just a seventeen-year-old kid. I didn't think It was a very good Idea to let the friendship continue." "How long had Thayer been go-lug go-lug with your sister?" . - "I don't know exactly. Several months, I guess." :" "Anything special happen recently?" re-cently?" Larry's eyes were focused on the floor. "Nothing." "You Just made up your mind to see Thayer without anything special spe-cial happening, oh?" j "Yes. When I say nothing special spe-cial I mean. . . ." , lie rose, walked across the room., and then returned to stand In front of the huge detective. "1 spoke to my sister sis-ter first. I told her to lay off Pat Thayer and she said she wouldn't I said that forced me to see him. And so I went to his fraternity house." "You saw him?" "Yes." "Alive or dead?" Larry's eyes widened, and Instinctively Instinc-tively he drew back as though to ward off a blow. "What do you mean?" he asked and his voice trembled. - "Gosh I Son 1 don't mean nothln. You told me to ask questions, and I'm Just doln' what you asked." "It was such a queer question." "Maybe so. I dunno. Of course you know he's dead now, don't you?" "Yes," bitterly; "I understand they're holding me for his murder." "Well, then what would be more natural than what 1 asked you? It i Km HIE "Ilmph I I think you're foolish and generous." I Jim Ilanvey spoke, but without turning. "Thayer was stabbed?" he asked over his shoulder. "Yes." "What sort of a knife?" Reagan shook his head. "That's one of the queerest things In the whole case, Jim. We've looked high and low for that knife and we can't find it anywhere." any-where." CHAPTER VII LARRY WELCH was lying full length on the bed when the door opened. He stared with amazement amaze-ment at Reagan's companion. Hanvey was mopping at his forehead with a purple nnd white handkerchief and puffing like a porpoise. His little, fishy eyes turned protestlng-ly protestlng-ly toward Reagan. "You shouldn't have done It, John." "What?" "Walked me all the way down here. I'm all In." The turnkey In the corridor closed CHAPTER VI Continued 9 "And this ain't less, Jim. There's still more. I arrested Welch the minute I could get my hands on him, and had a long heart-to-heart talk with him, and all I can tell you, Jim, Is that that feller lied to me like a sonovagun." "No?" "Yes. Absolutely. It was positively posi-tively shameful the way he lied . . . and you know as well as me, Jim, that when a suspect lies all the way through he's either pretty deep or knows who Is. Am I right?" "Right." "When I first arrested Welch," Reagan continued, "he blanketed everything with lies. He started oS by denying that he had been to see Thayer. I proved that up on him In less time than It takes a goat to eat a shirL After admitting admit-ting that, he said that he'd never been anything but the best of friends with Thayer. Then I told him there was a chance for him If he wns Innocent because we al-I al-I ready had two other people under ' arrest He asked who they were and I told him. The minute I mentioned men-tioned Miss Peyton's name his whole attitude changed." Reagan paused and chuckled. "And howl" "Well how?" "He wanted to know right away why we should think anything so ridiculous as that Tony Peyton killed Thayer. I told him it was because be-cause she had visited Thayer's room Just before he Welch got there. 1 could see he was doing some fast thinking. He finally called me a d n fool, which wasn't very nice, and wanted to know how Miss Peyton could have killed Thayer when he had been there after she had gone and Thayer was alive. I put It up to him that that wasn't a very healthy stand for him to take because if Thayer was alive when he visited the fraternity house, then It certainly put Miss Peyton In the clear but made It rotten for him. I also was thinking think-ing though I didn't discuss It with him that It cleared Mas Vernon, too; because Max left the fraternity frater-nity house before Larry got there." "But surely," snapped Fiske, "a man Isn't going to put his own neck In a noose, unnecessarily. Is he?" "Maybe," auswered Reagan calmly. calm-ly. "Specially If he's a young fool like Welch and Is crazy about a girl and thinks that she did the murder." It Was Reagan Who Was Forced to Remind Hanvey That They Were Supposed to Be Working on a Murder Case. coming to the verge of vital disclosures dis-closures and then going off on another an-other tack. "Were Thayer and Miss Peyton very friendly?" ''I don't think so." "You're not sure?" "No." "She hadn't ever mentioned him to you? You haven't any Idea why she went to visit Thayer at the fraternity fra-ternity house, have you?" Larry seemed troubled. He raised his voice and spoke Vehemently. "You seem more Interested In Miss Peyton than In me," he ac cused. "It's perfectly ridiculous to think that she had anything to do with Thayer's death. She left that fraternity house before 1 got there. When 1 arrived Thayer was still alive. Therefore she couldn't have killed him!" "Dog-gone If that ain't right, Son. I just plumb forgot that. I sure did. Well, good-by. Son and much obliged." "You you don't wish to ask me anything else?'!. ... ... . "Nope. I 'reckon you've told me about everything there Is to tell, haven't you?" "Why why, yes ... I guess so." "Well, by-by, and good luck." The door closed behind them, and Larry Welch, thoroughly bewildered and not a little 111 at ease, stared at the mute panels. In the corridor John Reagan faced his companion. lie could contain himself no longer. "Welch was lying I" he announced." an-nounced." Jim Hanvey smiled. "Sure he was, John ; sure he was. But that ain't what Interests me. What I crave to know Is how much? And why?" Ilauvey's sof drawl b.oke in. "Eow about Max Vernon?" Reapan flushed. "Oh, Vernon ! The darn thing has got me goofy. As soon as I get one of those three crnzy kids tied up with this. 1 remember something about one of the others and start all over agnln. The more I think the less I know and the less I know the nuttier I get." "You've done marvelously," Insisted In-sisted Randolph Flske with consld-. erable vehemence. "It seems to me you've discovered everything you need know " "Except the Identity of the murderer," mur-derer," Dnished Reagan dryly. "Up to that point I've done swell." Ilanvey rose and waddled to the window, where his tremendous the door, and Reagan performed the introductions. "Mr. Welch this Is Mr. Hanvey; Jim Ilanvej'. He's In charge of this case." The youth hesitated, but Han-vey's Han-vey's lleshy paw came out and Larry met It with a firm grip and a quick, friendly smile. Hanvey bllrked, nodded nod-ded and setted himself. "Siddown, Welch. I'd like to talk with you a few minutes." "Whatever you say, sir." "You understand. Welch, that you don't have to talk at all If you don't want to. I'm just tellin' you that so you won't think I'm tryln' to put anything over." "I understand, sir." "1 could say that anything you mentioned could be used against you. Instead I'll just say that If you're Innocent, the more you talk, j the more chance there Is of me helpin' you. If you're guilty well, that's a gray horse of another color. And my name ain't Sir. either." Larry grinned. "I understand." ."I'll spout one thing more. Me and Reagan are out to find out who killed I'at Thayer and we ain't got ! the slightest ambifion to hang an innocent man. Now shall I go on and talk to you or let you alone? j I mean that If you want tt help us, maybe we can help you. If you I don't then there ain't a bit of use j wasting everybody's time." ' Hanvey's tone was gentle, his manner disarming. He seemed so guileless, so transparent Larry paced slowly up and down the room. Reagan followed him with his eyes. Finally, the young man turned and spoke to Hanvey." "May I ask one question?" "Sure, Son sure." "Have you spoken to Miss Peyton, yet?" "No." "Can I believe that?" Hanvey's eyes opened slowly "Gosh, Son 1 dunno whether you can believe It or not. We don't neither of us have to believe nothln'. But 1 haven't seen Miss I'eyton. and that's a fact" Larry hesitated but only for a moment "I believe you," he said, and then added: "I'll talk." JIni yawned. "All right Welch. Go ahead and talk." "I I'd rather that you questioned me." "About what?" "Whatever you want to know."' nanvey lighted one of his oh noxious cigars and grinned at Reagan. Rea-gan. "Maybe that ain't such a bad idea, John. What do you think?" "I guess so; Jim." "You did go to see Pai Thayer at the fraternity house day before yesterday, didn't you, Welch?" "Yes." Larry's voice was low. It was plain that he was weighing words. 'What about?" shapes up kind of queer, Son. If Thayer was dead when jou got to his room, why it's a cinch you couldn't have killed him, ain't it?" "Yes. ..." "But If he was alive when you got there, It don't look ' very nice because everybody knows that you were the last person In that room before the body was found. So I ask you again: When you got to his room, was he alive or dead?" The boy's face was white, but he answered In a level voice. "He was alive." "You're sure you didn't quarrel?" "Positive." "Thayer didn't get sore?" Again that strained, haggard light flashed In Larry's eyes. "No-o ... he didn't get sore." "Not at all?" "I don't know. 1 was only there for a f,w minutes." "And there wasn't any quarrel?" Larry whirled on his Inquisitor. "How many times do I have to tell you that we didn't quarrel?" "None," murmured Uanvey gently. gen-tly. "Gosh I Son you don't have to tell me a thing. Any minute you get tired of my questions, I'll quit. I ain't aiming to get you peeved up. Now, if you'd rather I wouldn't ask you no more questions" "I'm sorry, Mr. Hanvey. Please I go on." I "Thanks, Son. And any time I step on your pet bunion don't hesl-tite hesl-tite to say so. It ain't my Idea to get any man riled at me." "1 understand. What else do you wish to know about that Interview?" "Nothing." The boy was surprised. "Nothing." "Noth-ing." "Not a thing. You're told me all I need to know. According to the way I understand It: Thayer was alive when you got there and you and he had a nice friendly chat-that chat-that is, It wasn't exactli friendly but you didn't quarrel. Then you left Ain't that the way it was?' "Yes. . . ." Larry was non plussed. "Yes It happened just that way." "Good. That clears things up In my mind. Now can I ask you something some-thing else?" "Surely." "Do you know Miss . Antoinette Peyton?" Reagan saw Larry's figure stiffen defensively, and there was the briefest brief-est hesitation before he answered "Yes." "Do you know Max Vernon?" "Yes." "Like him?" "He's a nice chap." "When you were at the fraternity house to see Thayer did you happen hap-pen to see Max Vernon anywhere about?" "No." "Or Miss Peyton?" "No." CHAPTER VIII SUMMER had settled down upon the Marland campus. While every man and woman connected with the college was vitally Interested Inter-ested In the Thayer killing, their Interest could not very well be termed excitement The students, as a whole, could not believe any of the three suspects sus-pects guilty. It was a nasty mess all around the college agreed on that. A half dozen undergrads who were lounging on the lawn In front of the Lambda Theta PI house saw John Reagan drive up In his shiny little car. They saw someone else, too an astounding fat man who lay back In the seat next to the driver and complained bitterly about the heat. Later someone passed the word that the fat man was a famous 'detective and was greeted with an outburst of derisive laughter. T" at bird a detective I Ha-ha ! Hanvey's fishlike little eyes looked everywhere and appeared to see nothing. Reagan waited for him to do something and was' dlsap pointed. Jim merely stood In one spot breathing audibly aDd mopping mop-ping the back of his neck. He finally turned, and Reagan prepared for a pronouncement of Importance. "One thing I'm sure of," said Hanvey. Han-vey. "What?" "I never have felt no hotter weather I" It was Reagan who was forced to remind Uanvey that they were supposed to be working on a mur der case. He directed Jim's attention at-tention to certain chalk marks on the floor. "Who made those, Reagan?" "I did." "What for?" "They outline the position of Thayer's body as It was when I got here. That straight line where you're standing is the mark to show how far open Carmiclno says the door was when he spotted the feet of the body from the hall." (TO BE5 CONTINUED.) ppw (Iff He Stared With Amazement at Reagan's Rea-gan's Companion. bulk nlmost blotted out the light. Flske spoke to Reagan In n guarded voice. "Is he really good, or Just a bag of wind, Reagan?" The eyes of the Marland detective detec-tive .sparkled, ' lie's the best In the world, Mr. Flske make no mistake mis-take about that, lie knows more jibouf. this case right now than I do." |