| Show t j. j i it r ti W I e n a s t 7 issi CD t f a BY FREDERIC F R RDE R IC F. F VA VAN N DE WAT WATER WATE-R fR w v v t 1 f SYNOPSIS David Mallory In to search of newspaper work York In n New York is forced to accept a ajob ajob job fob as switch board board operator In to a swank apartment house managed by officious Timothy There David meets Miss Agatha Paget a crippled old lady and her charming niece One day talking with HIggins In n the tho lobby David Is b s alarmed by a piercing scream David finds the scream came from the Ferriter apartment not far from the The Include Lyon and Everett and their sister lone Ione Everett a Is helping Agatha Paget write a book about her blue blooded blue blooded an an- ancestors Inside the apartment they find finda a black black bearded bearded man man dead No weapon can be found The police arrive HI gins gins who actively dislikes David In ln In forms him that he Is s fired ed David Is s called to the Paget apartment There he ie finds elderly prim appearing prim appearing Agatha Paget sipping a cocktail and smoking a cigarette She otters offers him a Job fob helping write her family history which history which will wW unearth a few family skeletons CHAPTER IV IV Continued 5 A muckraking raking genealogy I Isaid Isaid said eald hoping Id I'd plague her Agatha nodded it u more of ot it was raked every generation there'd be less muck Ill I'll 11 give you you you- She stopped and looked toward the door The maid said Bald Captain Shannon Shan Shan- Shannon non maam ma'am He held his hat and wore his over over- coat I saw his eyebrows go up a little as he looked at me but there was no surprise in n his voice when he be spoke to Miss buss Agatha Thank you for your help Miss buss Paget Im I'm leaving He Ho looked from the fragile old lady to the cards and the emptied glass and grinned Youre swell he said Miss bliss Agatha beamed I wont won't argue it with you she told him Anything new Everett Ferriter came in In Shan Shan- Shannon Shannon Shannon non reported briefly Ive been talking to him across the rho way I tried Tied to get g i- i ian an identification out of ot him And what did he do Miss Aga Aga- Agatha Agathe the ha asked He wrung his hands said Shan Shan- non Hed He d never seen Blackboard Blackbeard Hadn't any idea who it wa was Wal Hes He's over there Were now if it you want to see him I do not said Miss Agatha My niece gave him an alibi That's That enough And he cant can't bother his Ister sister tonight either Weve We've dosed her ler with sedatives and she's asleep What about Lyon Shannon's eyelids puckered and a 8 sullen sound came Into his voice Were looking for f r him he said laid Small chance of ot his hs getting clear Every cop in town has his description description tion by now Its It's only a matter of ot time before we pick him up And the We knife knie the We old lady asked He scowled No sign of it it he lie confessed Weve tossed the We whole place and its it's not there Were Feet came heavily along the hall The maid appeared at the We doorway and started to speak but two men stood behind her and one of them Wem the detective Jake said proudly to Shannon Heres the We guy Cap Miss Agatha AgaWa was the We first to find Md her voles voice and In hi it was no hint of surprise Come In she invited Cap Captain Captain Captain tain Shannon this WIs is my neighbor Mr bit Lyon Ferriter She turned to me hesitated and then Wen her eyelids puckered I dont don't know she told the We gaunt figure in the We doorway whether you have met Mr Mallory formally be be- fore Do come in Ferriter was still the We lank brown figure in worn tweeds that Wat I had seen striding through the We foyer and andI I 1 felt again as he stood in the We door and stared the odd charm of his leathery person His black hair was stippled with gray like a silver fox pelt and if it he were alarmed he hid it well He bowed to the We old lady and said in a pleasant faintly Eng English English lish fish voice Good evening Miss Paget Im I'm sorry to intrude but but but- butHe butHe He shifted his attention to Shan Shan- Shannon Shannon Shannon non and his tone was less agreeable I understand Captain that Wat I must get your permission to enter my own apartment Who Vho brought you in W Shannon snapped Ferriter nodded to his cigar chew chew chewing ing companion This gentleman he replied with a a slurring gap between the words The Captain beamed on Jake Youre not so dumb at that Wat he told his underling Where did you find him Jake said I He walked right in on us next door Miss bliss Agatha AgaWa seemed amused but Shannon was not He lie found the undeterred un un- undeterred undeterred deterred return of Lyon Ferriter more affronting than Wan his absence Came back the Captain Captan feted Walked In in with all the cops caps In this town town town- He choked and color blurred the rho freckles on his obstinate face Lyon shrugged wide stooped shoulders Perhaps he suggested politely someone som one will tell me why I shouldn't Jake storied started to speak but gagged and was silent under und r Shannon's Sha ns n's glare The Captain had got him him- himself himself self in hand band Now he asked with a a. a stealthy courtesy Perhaps you wouldn't mind tell tell- telling tellIng ing ng us where youve you've been Perhaps Lyon replied and his long nose twitched humorously but why should I His Zits calm irked Shannon who blurted Why was man ma was killed tilted In J your riot fiat J this afternoon Air Mr cr cr- cr titer riter at about three Wree Wirty Just I where were you then eh Oh Ohl Ferriter said and was still stilla a moment I thought it was not fear but surprise that silenced him At last lest he said simply I I dont don't t know Dont know Shannon echoed Exactly the gaunt man said standing wholly at ease in the door door- way I was walking in n the We Bronx i His mind ran ahead of Shannon's I like a staghound before a terrier As the Captain hesitated Lyon said still easily costly but with a shade of ot wor wor- worry worry ry If It youre you're looking for an alibi sir were we're wasting time Ive I've been alone all day Its It's been sunny and andI I wanted to stretch my legs So I went for a tramp Perhaps if it f I ad ad- admit admit mit I have no alibi you'll be goodenough good goodenough goodenough enough to tell me who was killed in fn my apartment His last words were strained Miss bliss Agatha understood and said Your brother and sister are In noway no noway noway way involved Mr bit Ferriter The Captain frowned but Lyon ducked his grizzled head again and smiled gratefully Thank you Miss bliss Agatha said he Then Im I'm entirely at your service service servIce ice Captain Perhaps I can save nave you time He leaned against the door Jamb iamb and hooked one thumb into his vest The other long brown hand hung easily at his side His pleasant voice was unruffled as he told how with sandwiches hi to his pocket he be had tramped north to Bronx Park and wandered most of the afternoon through wintry woods a good deal of a walk Isn't it Shannon purred what I wanted Lyon an an- And you spent the whole day without talking to anyone the Cap Cap- Captain Captain tain tarn asked I 1 said Lyon reminded him that Wet I had no alibi I had the soli soli- solitude solitude so tude rude you can get only In New York New York or beyond the We Arctic Circle No Nov he exclaimed suddenly that Wet isn't quite right I helped a lady fix her car When Sometime in W the We afternoon I re re- really really really ally dont don't know She had ignition trouble trouble-I I mean her car had I fixed it for far her He spread his hands and showed his still soiled palms The grease sticks he pursued She was driving a last years year's Ford sedan New York license I dont don't recall the We number She was stalled near where Parkway swings over Into the We Bronx River Parkway I didn't ask her name You see see she was not exactly beauty in In- distress An elderly person p person but but ison-but but not at all like Miss Paget Miss bliss Agatha caught my eye and winked shamelessly Then she re re- resumed resumed resumed her careful regard of Lyon Lyoa And then Wen Shannon prodded I 1 walked south to the We Street subway station It was dusk when I reached it I got off at Grand Central scrubbed off some of the We grime in to the We washroom had supper at Mines Mine's 22 East second Fifty Fifty second and came on home He paused and blinked calmly at Shannon who scowled and bit his lip Ever the We Captain lunged know a man with a black beard Lyon smiled Ive spent a winter In Alaska he said Ive known beards of all colors About your size Shannon said glaring carried a knife under his left armpit It be better Ferriter asked if it you let me see him He bowed to Miss Paget and with Jake tailing falling close behind and Shannon glowering in W the We rear led the We way from the We room Their foot foot- footsteps footsteps footsteps steps went down the We halL The door opened and closed The old lady folded her hands on her lap and looked at me Well she asked I found chal chal- challenge challenge challenge lenge in her voice Well Nell I answered We seem to agree she Jeered I did not understand her and after waiting a moment she went on briskly When we wc were interrupted I was about to offer you the We Job lab of writing the We Paget book for tor me inc Would fifty dollars a week be satisfactory I needed it badly yet I found the We offer hard to take Its charitable flavor gagged me I said No and she looked lo ked at me hard work for tor it It it she assured me Dont think Wink you wont won't Or it if fifty really isn't enough sixty then Wen Miss Paget Paget- I began and then Wen stopped and stood up Allegra Allegro and Grosvenor Paget came in They were like creatures from a world that Wat knew no poverty or sorrow He was smoothly hand handsome some in evening clothes cloWes with little I thought between his blond face and his shining hair His sister had the We spark he lacked They had breeding or else long acquaintance with the We whims of their Weir aunt for they spoke to me mc as easily as though hallmen were usually ally to be found in Miss bliss Agathas Agatha's room and then addressed the We old lady with irreverent hilarity both talking at once They were off oR to toWe the We Groesbeck ball Bertha would listen for lone Ione in case she roused but the doctor had said she would not They did not know when they would be in inI I see sec Grosvenor said de de- why y we w e shouldn't sh s h t go Aft Ait I i I er all it isn't our murder and lone Ione loneis is down under and we cant can't do any good goad by moping at home Allegra Allegro bent and kissed the old woman snorting in n her neck till Miss bliss Agatha giggled and pushed her away Her brother leaned over his aunts aunt's chair as Allegra Allegro moved to to- toward toward toward ward the door She said good night to me inc Her smile was trite but her clear eyes I thought questioned and dared me Her look upset yet lilt lift lilted ed me I bowed and mumbled I Iwas h was afraid she might read my face Her soft laughter came back to us as she and her brother went down dawn the We hall I found Miss bliss Agatha star star- staring starIng ing at me meShes meShes meShes easy to look at the old lady said with willi elaborate ence cure And in to a few years on her birthday she will inherit two mil mil- million million lion dollars Wont that be nice I retorted I knew she had warned me Her chuckle was understanding Were having a hard time she apologized getting this settled Da Da- vid Sixty dollars a week one weeks week's salary in advance and you start work at nine tomorrow morning It wasn't the price she set It wasn't thought of the dark Jobless world outside I looked toward the thedoor thedoor thedoor door where Allegra Allegro had stood and made up my mind Ill be here at nine I told Miss buss Agatha but my price Is forty dol dol- lars They were carrying the body from the Ferriter apartment when I went into the We hall so I walked down down- stairs Fineman at the switchboard hailed bailed me as I went past him What about Lyon I asked you heard asked Fine Fine- man Oh hes he's pinched He done doneit it It Pull yourself together I told him Who gave you that steer Him and the Captain and that dick in Ia the We hard hat went out to to- together together gether Fineman insisted I know 8 a pinch when I see nee it it CHAPTER V The policeman no longer guarded the We Morello vestibule Walters the night doorman kicked his feet to to- together together gether and blew on his fingers as I passed into the We street toward the We service entrance One man still waited before the We Morello front door He followed me I down the We street I wondered whether er Shannon was having me shad shadI shadowed shadowed I owed and then Wen forgot about him I had not eaten since morning Hunger drove away even thought of Allegra Allegro Paget's Pagers beauty In n the We clinging light lightblue lightblue lightblue blue gown and the We ribald gaiety of her passage with old amazing that that- woman I turned into the We first lunch room roam roomI roamI room I passed As I gave my order a aman aman aman man sat down opposite me at the We white topped white topped table Coffee and butter cakes he told the We waitress He was plump and mild but the We eyes in W his wind red wind red face seemed drowsy I met methis methis methis his stare and that Wat made him speak though he cleared his throat several times tunes first Youre Mallory he asked Hallman at the We Morello I had been right then It was an an- another another another other detective So what I asked and he grinned Im Cochrane Jerry Cochrane of the Press Larry Duke was speak speaking ing about you The bowl of soup before me was more interesting but as its warmth spread inside me I looked up and told him Get your dope from Shannon Im I'm out of newspaper work He sipped his coffee and said sad at last It might mean something for you on the We Press if It you and I 1 could bust this Wis case wide open He lie waited while I abolished ham hamand hamand hamand and eggs and when I had finished asked Got time tune to listen to me menow menow menow now At my sulky nod he leaned across the We table and spoke rapidly Duke had cursed me in his hearing It had given Cochrane an idea which he had carried to Milligan his city editor who had approved it You know yourself the We chubby man said bitterly what chance a reporter has at the We Morello Those stuffed shirts have hearts as hard as their Weir arteries If It you'll work on the inside for us while I do the We outside the We Press will have this Wis story by bythe bythe the We slack of the We pants and if it we do break it together therell there'll be a nice piece of change in it for you I keep telling you I said that I dont don't want a piece of change Stool Stool Isn't my line Wie I could use a newspaper job fob but otherwise its it's out out Agreed he said so calmly that he took my breath breaW youre working for far the We Press from now on Youre You're on the payroll at five twenty twenty five a week If you and I can beat the town on this Wis yarn it'll be fifty fitly and a perma permanent nent vent Job He misread my stare Im not kidding he told me Milligan will write you a letter confirming It Only youre you're to keep your present Job fob and say nothing Excitement that Wat had burned me me- me for the We Press had been a newspaper when the We Sphere still had been beell trees In to a forest forest died died and left nothing but ashes I 1 did not feel late laugh laughIng laughIng Ing but I did TO BE DE CONTINUED 1 |
