| Show Telegram Fiction I M Murder at cit the Mocking House I By Walter Brown CHAPTER 30 How long have you been living over ver the garage Harper asked Since about the middle of December De- De cember ember When did the decorators finish About two weeks ago Why didn't you move back to the house Mr Dufresne thought It just aswell as aswell well veil to leave things as they were until the house w was s opened again There was as to be a big party then I believe Then since the middle of December Decem- Decem ber er there has been no one staying in n this house at night No After the workmen left each day lay Mr Holliday locked up and brought rought me the keys Every morning I he le came for them so the men could get in and work Were you ou here in the house at all yesterday Yes in the afternoon I was in every room of the house What then I II locked up and went back Was it snowing then Just beginning Your husband was there all the time ime In the evening Yes During the evening did you OU at any time look out of the window over toward the house I Not that I rec recall We e went vent to tobed tobed toed bed ed early The next thing we knew the he phone was ringing and Andrews was telling me that some one had been killed in the breakfast room and to hurry over So we got up and dressed Mrs Whitmore what would you yousa sa say if I told you ou that this house has been frequently occupied at night during the last few weeks Puzzled Housekeeper The housekeeper stared at him without the slightest ch change in her grim expression Am I to imply from your silence that you dont don't believe me I dont don't believe it she snapped Its Impossible I would have known Well It happened Probably I Iwas it was the man who was killed last las night In fact its it's possible these nocturnal nocturnal noc visits began as far back as last las October while you were still living here here- herein in the house absurd Mrs Whitmore declared Perhaps I can prove it to you When this place was closed for the summer the pits ash for the fireplaces fireplaces fire fire- fireplaces places were cleaned out Certainly Well if it you will look into the pit pi from this room you w will ll find quite an accumulation of ot ashes there wood there ashes That means those have accumulated since last summer In I other words some one has been using us w. lag ing that fireplace For the first time Mrs Whitmore looked startled But the hearth was always clean and ready she muttered mut mut- I would have seen had it been used Ive I've been through this room a dozen times Of course the hearth was clean cleant clean clean- it t was swept clean every time it was used and the ashes put down the chute Fresh logs were left in place From the amount of ash in the pit Id I'd say the fire lire had been lit half a dozen times Mrs Whitmore pondered this In puzzled silence While the logs were beginning to burn smoke would be comin coming from the chimney the detective contin continued I take it that you never noticed noticed no no- noticed that from your windows No No We never saw anything like that or we would have haye looked Into it it Another thing Mrs Whitmore These two decanters were found on OD this table When did you ou last see sec them They were emptied and cleaned last summer and put away in the middle compartment of that buffet Well VeIL you can s see c that they've been filled The Theman man who broke bloke ill in inhere here last night knew v his way about the house And If you still have an any doubts there is the matter of ot the candle When you were In here yesterday what was the condition ol 01 the c candles in those holders Bewildering News They were fresh candles not used at all Yet when we got cot ot here last night the they hey were about to expire Now a twelve or inch fourteen candle will not burn down to its socket in four or five hours But we have the solution I tion ion to that question We found a box ox of candles in the drawer of the bu buffet feL This box originally held a dozen which are arc now only short stumps more evidence of prior meetings meetings meet meet- ings in jn this house The four candles you put in the holders Mrs Whitmore Whit more are arc lying there in the bu buffet untouched Mrs Whitmore shook her head held This is all news to me Another thing thing last last night the elec ric current was switched off at the use fuse Is that the way you OU left it each night Why no The only times we cut cutoff cutoff off the current was when repairs repair were vere being made to the wiring or the fixtures The lights were all aU right when I left yesterday esterday Harper paused again and there was more more curiosity than animosity now in n their locked glances Tell me he began anew did Mr Dufresne ne neever ever come up here in the evening Anytime Any time since h ha he took up his quarters quarters tens at the Austerlitz No he did not Did Mrs Dufresne ever come up I here at night night alone alone The housekeepers housekeeper's eyes took on a l venomous glitter I see what youre you're driving at she snapped and you OU ought to be ashamed to ask the question ques- ques tion The detective sm smiled led exasperatingly exasperating exasperating- ly in the face of her fury Arent Aren you a little quick on the trigger Mrs Whitmore I haven't made any accusations ac I merely asked if Mrs Dufresne had ever come up here a at night Mrs Whitmore sprang up Shedid Shedid She Shedid did not nol See if you can twist that tha around The idea ideal If It that's what's buzzi buzzing g in your head you'd better open the windows and let some som clean air in Unintended Clue The incensed woman stalked toward toward to ward the door leaving behind hea her he hera a sergeant of detectives who seemed no whit abashed nor embarrassed by bj her vehemence Indeed his his' face as as' assumed the thc pleased of aman a aman man man who has suddenly collared an elusive idea Her angry suggestion about opening opening open open- ing a window by some hidden proceSs process process proc proc- eSs ess of mind had linked itself with apiece apiece a apiece piece of twine tucked away in his hi pocket In a a flash he grasped th the significance of ot that clue and th the force of ot this intuition carried certitude certitude tude with it Mr Mrs s. s Whitmore throwing wing open thedoor thedoor the thedoor door for her wrathful exit hit the lanky Lafferty who had that instant put his hand on the knob to enter the room room Lafferty hunched his shoulders and raised hi his arm in front of his face in mock defense What did you do doto doto doto to the old crow he Inquired lie r feathers feathers' are all nIl ruffled and unless my ears cars deceive m me she was c cussing cursing sins as she left had unrolled his piece o of twine and was fingering it thought thought- fully Charming woman Mrs Whitmore Whitmore Whitmore Whit Whit- more he exclaimed She thought though she was giving me a pie piece e of ot her mind but she just told me where that missing gun was hidden as clear as mud Where do you ou think the gun is hidden Come on Harper invited I can show you OU quicker than I l can explain it I know Im I'm right right right-it It must be bethere there I ought to have figured it ou out even even without finding the string They made their way to the top floor without meeting any anyone one en route and mounted the cramp cramped d ant and sharply turning shaft of steps that tha led to the square glass enclosed I cupola or tower that crowned th the house The detective raised one of ot th the I windows after a stubborn resistance and slipped out over the sill Lafferty Lafferty followed What now h he queried turning up his coat collar I H Harper stood looking around From this elevation the surrounding world appeared like a soft white wilderness wilderness wilder wilder- ness as he went carefully toward th the of the roo roof r Watch out you dont don't start slipping down that slope Lafferty warned or you'll end up with a broken l I neck t They walked gingerly along th the danger line Une careful to avoid any sud den len slip sup Harper With his eye cast on the he short steep slope to h his s left Suddenly Suddenly Sud Sud- denly he stepped ahead and pointed down own to a dark blotch in iii the snow snow- laden spout that edged the roof There it Theres There's the gun Copyright 1934 by Walter C. C Brown To be continued |
