| Show pM Mystery Serial f If I Crime Crim CrimI s I By William Wiliam m Irish I f CHAPTER I t tor r lowered his With ith An on irritable gesture ent at all he Hes He losing ground bUt I f j I ribs were sticking out outa ft a backbone The doctor more morea to him and spoke thin a he be had to the man Put on your shirt t catch cold He eyed of medicine bottles r ranged th bed swept J his arm at Throw them re not doing the boy a aI ad d I 1 gave you my dlag- dlag two months ago Hes He's Hespe e s Re pe taken out west where a dry and t the e suns sun's hot hot y m n had begun to cry ty Into her apron with withIe ble le Ie resignation of ot the The ie doctor banged his hla Incase incase in In- in- in use case shut hut stalked ill m 1 f out of f the room Swanson slouched defter de de- fter itter him But Doc I v be faltered tar tor stopped short In the they forty y I 1 know he said aren't arent got they the money aM Ih fc i he of ot it It It'll 11 take a dollars j boy of had started to cough fa the room they'd just come coma oe woman closed the door tame ime through anyway It tO infuriate the doctor even evenn n kept staring at him V If there was only 11 I 11 fleeter 4 lector c r looked him squarely C eye If It it was my child chUd I a s' wa way you bet your bothe bothe bot- bot r he said wrathfully went stamping down the thet t stairs outside grumKa grumKa grum- grum Ka iI bad temper didn't mis- mis on n nha he knew the doctor sympathetic apathetic honest man d the sick room his hiJ head The kid had coughing now now until until the piper per had b been cn there under i th the time It was looking at the Help i any my more Besides even land something what he be of ot getting anything id d pay a a. thousand dollars a years year's WI time He flung jf from from him with its black No o Clue Yet In Ranger i Nt et t page furled over with and bared the page bebe behe be- be A he be became conscious of t peering up at him hini Next text to it there was wai was a a. a 1 if comma omnia a and d then three Funny he mu must t have og g so hard of ot one thou- thou that he thought he heg heit r g it staring up at him printed page t rf the paper back to- to It was in a little notice the rest Ret Re 1 it t said lAId and then under- under rhe Daily Reflector In with th the police pollee is preto pre- pre to ly 1000 to anyone furI fur- fur I information leading to the theof theof of of the Uie murderer of ot Robert Robertr r r. r Police not eligible Qty Hr Desk Daily Dally Reflector etc etc turned back to the theand theand and started to read the tory of ot that Ranger r Th There was a picture in inI I he had never seen Robert bert J. J Ranger it Jer r it lt He studied it care care- I en n he closed his hb eyes eye a aTU au TU u though he were etching hu his memory Investment broker Rob- Rob k Ranger had been murdered ner er blows blow in the living LOT ot Gf hi his home in the smart rj of the pre pre- that Wednesday that is to say f days y 11 before There were L of ef a terrific struggle A blue blue Ming vase stand stand- r the door door- was wu shattered and chairs were over- over obvious ob to the police that beta 5 U committed n by some known own to Rang Ranger r. r Some at had been on his peri- peri musing but a far larg larger r rn m n a easy euy access had been beena tIt a had ad had a dinner ent en- en t with ith hta wife had theater ter tickets Stars Stara in Row C and then atm at m minute ute had been pre pre- from irom f rom going b by a vicious e. e Not ot W wishing to rs Ranger he arranged to have his hia business partner Allen AlIen Cochrane escort cort her had phoned honed him to meet her at ata a restaurant in town Mrs Ranger had left shortly after dark and distinctly remembered remembered that the door of ot her car had bad been opened for tor her unasked by a seedy looking individual of ot the type who performs that service for a pittance Unfortunately she shew w was unable to furnish A g very exact description of this man At any rate the crime did not occur for tor some time after her de de- de- de She had telephoned from the theater at just before the curtain went up to find out how her husband was and he had spoken to her himself and said he felt much better Then when she returned at midnight Swanson stopped reading Helen he said Helen She came to the door and looked o out tat at him hopelessly Get the kid ready he ho said Start p packing yo your r things too Youre You're taking him with you you to Tucson Tucson right right tonight B B BUT UT how are you ever eve going to clear yourself again once you get i Into their th h clutches s 1 she said when hed he'd finally beaten down her objections ons go ahead and convict you and and and-and and maybe even even execute you your Its It's too risky Dont Don't do it dont don't do it where you c come m tri In Y Youre You're ure my living alibi So put out the lights and lets let's get started S Swanson anson kissed them both goodby goodby goodby good- good by on on the street car riding g downtown downtown downtown down down- town the kid bundled up Jn in a blanket his wife with a heavy suit-case suit beside her Now you wait walt there in the bus terminal until I send the money over over As soon as it reaches you buy your tickets and take the next bus out outI I I 1 onI only hope you get out of it as easy as youre you're getting into it Jerry Dont worry just juat take It easy and look after the kid until I send for tor you And dont don't read papers from the east cast th they might make you nervous Jerry swung down and the street streetcar car went rumbling past He walked until he came to an office building rode rod up on an el elevator vat r and arid went into a reception roomI roomI room I 1 want to s see e the city editor he told the girl at the switchboard switchboard switch switch- b. b board ard about the Ranger murder AN office boy looked at him for fora a minute there must have been something convincing about his taut manner He led Swanson into a cubicle a at the opposite end nd with City Editor City blacked on the thedoor door A disheveled looking man man was in there hair awry oat coat off oft He swung his arm wearily Get out Every pot crack in town town- town But Swansons Swanson's silent tenseness got him too Well what think you know he barked You seen him You know who he is 1 I wouldn't be here if It I didn't was the tight lipped answer Well d you know where he Is 1 Wait Walt a minute Just when do doI I get the thousand 1 Jerry tapped a fingernail on the desk I r know where he is at this vcr very minute The editor knifed jack his hands closed then op open again in a grasping grasping grasping grasp grasp- ing gesture Well let Jet me have it quick Our check will be mailed to you just as soon as weve we've verified the information Information and and if it has resulted in the arrest of this guy S SWANSON WANSON ON narrowed his eyes Nope hope I want cash right here re while Im I'm in the office with you I want a messenger to deliver it to a certain place and I also want your word that where it was delivered delivered delivered de de- de- de livered livered wont won't be revealed to the police pollee afterwards I cant can't do that How do I know your information is valid 1 know how valid It is as soon as you hear it You dont don't have to worry about Verifying it it its it's self Now take it or leave it Because I can go across the street to the Daily Views and get as much or more for it Fifteen minutes later twenty fifty dollar bills lay on the city editors editor's desk in a manila envelope a m messengers messenger's s form was silhouetted ted ted outside the glass glus door dOOf and typewriters were were holding their fire fireall fireall fireall all over e place pa as as U though cugh aware something momentous momentous' was in the air This Tills better bo be good 1 The editor heaved an exhausted sigh Okeh okeh now spill it Where is this thi i Ranger murderer Hes standing right across yo your r desk looking at you said Swanson Swanson Swan Swan- son son calmly C Continued nUn ed Tomorrow rr w r r rI I t a f 4 T Ti i c I r 1 1 t t atit 5 t J i Y It Dont Don't do It ill his wile Implored t |
