| Show Telegram m Fiction I Murder a at th the Mocking House ouse I By Walter Brown SYNOPSIS It Il seems scents obvious that the two men found shot to death in Pierre Du Du- fresnes fresne's breakfast room killed each other and that one of them is the crank who has been writing threatening threatening threat threat- ening letters to Dufresne But Sergeant Sergeant Ser Ser- geant Harper hos a different hunch although neither Dufresne his wife wire nor anyone else can shed any light licht lighton lichton on the matter Harper is about to question the household CHAPTER 15 A few minutes later Mrs Dufresne's Dufresne's Du Du- fresnes fresne's sister arrived with her husband hus hus- band Richard Croyden Croydon One had only to glance at Aline Croyden to recognize her as the sister of Sylvia Slvia Dufresne Her hair approached an auburn shade rather than the golden blond coloring of her sister Her features too though of the same distinctive beauty had less o othe or of orthe the fragile and md ethereal quality Her He natural manner was more vl vigorous orous and forthright though not lacking lackin either in poise or graciousness Mrs Croyden excused herself a athe atthe at atthe the first opportunity to go upstairs and see sec if she could be of any ser ser- ser ser- vice Har Harper r continued to talk with wit Richard lichard Cro Croyden den He found this thi law brother of or Pierre Dufresne a I nervous ner impulsive personality but bu with an alert incisive turn of or mind He questioned the detective closel closely along lines which showed that he haca had hac hada a keen grasp of the essentials of th the mystery and a bond of mutual liking and respect sprang up between him and nd the sergeant of detectives at their first contact I I Unknown Man lan ManIt It was not until later that the de- de found out that Croyden w was the he famous concert pianist Croyden was not the only one who exhibited a strong interest in th the strange mystery of the breakfast breakfast- room oom The chauffeur Donaghy listened lis ened intently and said nothing And Am Harper ws W G surprised to glance upward upward up- up ward vard and find Dr Ulrich standing near the h head d of the stairs absorbed in n the conversations below H He caught the detectives detective's look and slowly backed awa away with a sardonic gleam ot of f the eye When Mrs Croyden returned from fron upstairs Harper mustered them al all Into nto the breakfast room They formento formed forme into nto two natural groups facing the theody body ody in the choir chair In one group were Pierre Dufresne and md Mr and Mrs Croyden In the other were the two Andrews and Donaghy The detective gave a brief summary sum sum- mary nary of the situation to which they listened in absolute silence He demonstrated dem demo how bow the features had been altered by the disguise Have any of you ou ever seen this man before Pierre Dufresne looked on in stony slony silence lence Have you ou Mrs Croyden I am sure I have pot cot she answered an m. in a a. very small voice Mr Croyden No Sergeant Sorry Sony I cant can't help you you ou Whitmore Tho The black Mrs Whitmore spoke poke up be before Core her slow minded spouse s could pull hits wits together No o weve we've never seen sc-cn him she answered an- an sharply Perhaps your Our husband would would prefer prefer pre- pre fer r to answer for himself Harper i isug sug suggested ested annoyed by her air Well I ought to know Weve We've been een married twenty-some twenty years and 1 if f I didn't see him John didn't see him ilm she shot back her black eyes snapping napping right I dont don't know him the le voiced slow John ohn Wh Whitmore replied replied re- re plied with a sheepish look Andrews The tight lipped butler looked more glum lum than ever ss as he silently shook his lis head The handsome chauffeur had been the 10 most interested member of or the group roup He looked long loni and carefully at the unidentified victim It seems to o me I have have seen this man somewhere somewhere somewhere some some- where before beCore he stated slowly His deli deliberate words had the effect of a bombshell in that room Harper caught the sudden tenseness s a sharp hiss of someone's breath a Q catch that just missed being a gasp His eye ee swept the group Andrews' Andrews look was positively venomous The detective scented something in the wind Think hard Donaghy Donagh This Is most important Joseph Donaghy held his pause to the limit then he smiled and shook his head For a moment I thought I had it something it-something something about the face ace Ill I'll try to remember Sergeant Maybe it it will wn come back to me That was what Donaghy's Donachy's words brought to Harpers Harper's ear but it wasas was wasas wasas as if Donaghy's real voice had been saying I know this man That knowledge knowledge knowledge knowl- knowl edge is dangerous to one of you Will wm it be made worth while for me to 10 forget for tor get And more than one pair of ears cars was aware of the Importance of both messages The following day Wednesday January 11 11 dawned clear and cold The heavy fall faU of snow had b tapered red off oft about midnight and there had hac been very little wind to disturb i it afterward Harper arriving for Cor duty at Dufresne's Du Du- fresnes fresne's house shortly after niter 8 o'clock noted with satisfaction the undisturbed undisturbed undisturbed condition of the white blanket surrounding the house A caprice o of Nature had contrived this smooth carpet to r record cord a portion of oC the previous previous pre pre- nights night's fantastic story and the thc detective proposed t to make good use of or it Harper found Mrs Richard Croyden Croy Croy- Croyden den in the hall deep in consultation with the black housekeeper Mrs Martha Whitmore Despite the late hour at which she had retired Aline Crowden was serene and clear clear- eyed and md without a trace of fatigue She wore a Q tailored morning dress and its sheer simplicity of line enhanced enhanced en en- her youthful ul charm Good morning Mrs Croyden Harper greeted her and nodded pleasantly pleasantly pleasantly pleas pleas- antly to the housekeeper Mrs 1 Whitmore returned a grudging nod and retreated to her domain doma n in inthe inthe inthe the rear of f the house howe Good morning morn morn- ing ng Mr l Harper Aline responded with a cordial smile Or should I Isay say Sergeant Harper The detective smiled with herNot her Not unless you ou prefer it IL There is a e theory that the best way to address a sergeant of police is to call him Captain he bantered meeting her pleasant plC mood a clever idea I shall call caU you Mr Harper and reserve the Captain Cap thin tain in case I should need it later she said teasingly You know I 1 have been quite surprised at your assistants as as- I had the idea that detectives detectives detectives detec detec- tives were set heavy men with clipped mustaches that they always chewed on unlighted cigars and wore derby hats which they never removed except except except ex ex- possibly to sleep Or do detectives detectives detec deter tives ever sleep Sometimes for weeks at a stretch Harper assured her with mock solemnity so but when a big case comes along we have to get our sleep when and if it we can find lind it IL it Unusual Procedure Mrs Croyden dropped her tone of light raillery But I am keeping you from your work I fear the others others others oth oth- ers will not be down for tor some time yet It was so late when we retired My Mp sister asked me to take charge of the household arrangements until she is able to be around again again 1 She asked you jou ou Harper caught her ier up quirky quick Dr Ulrich told me that that hat Mrs Dufresne was not to talk for Cor or several days Aline nodded Of course Mr Har liar per I used talk in jn a figurative sense seme My ly sister already has arran arranged d a system system system tem tem of at communication Whenever she has a question or a message she i writes it d down wn on a pad It works out quite casH easily By the Wa way how is Mrs Dufresne this morning Poor girl she's naturally greatly worried over the possibility of a scar and then these tragic happenings are keeping her on an edge Sergeant Harper and Mrs Croy Croyden den entered the b breakfast r reG e a room Although Al- Al though hough the victims had long since been een removed the room retained a Q tragic ragic and depressing aura that no even the bright morning light could dissipate There were those dark stains on the he rug for instance and the unknown unknown un un- un- un known d deed dead d mans man's clothing piled on ona ona ona a chair complete from the shoes to the he beribboned But the most characteristic seal of the police visit visitation tion were the numerous patches of ot dusting powders that had been sprayed prayed here and there in the search for or fingerprints You certainly leave nothing to chance Mrs l Croyden observed cd This morning mornIn I saw there was a policeman po po- Iceman guarding Mr Dufresne's room Isn't that a rather unusual procedure Mr Harper Surely last lost nights night's events put an end to the denger danger den dan an ger The detective shook his head This is s an unusual case Mrs Croyden Ve Ye do not actually know that theman the theman theman man found in this room is the man who threatened Mr Dufresne and attempted to kill him But surely you have a theory I thought hought the matter was quite clear Copyright 1934 by Walter C. C Brown To be continued I |
