Show l iy y- y l THE EDDING MARCH by Monte Barret J I COPYright 1 33 the Dobbs I- I CO t Service I 1 I SYNOPSIS tins ling In the ministers minister's study while redding edding procession Jet being mar mar- marl l d Jim Franklin about to be mar mar- marto to 4 oris Carmody Is stabbed to Collis Callis Shipley one ot of the brides brides- b u la obviously In n a state stata ot of I ty Peter Petar Cardigan novelist and ear eur detective ot of some note with aunt ant Kilday ot of the Derv l York Fork po pa j begin the official investigation CHAPTER II 3 r Suspects re rc saId Peter is the knife pled FranklIn ti pt group In the sacristy turned ed d glances In his dlf direction here dId you find that Nick Nicka demanded a i er how It had been Dg In Its scabbard high on the ot the study geant Kilday handling It care i by the scabbard as Peter hid In order not to mar any finger there might be on the handle tl ned it minutely t er r seen this before Doctor he Jred ot of the rector s s It Is mme mine I brought It Jerusalem alem fj d you usually keep It In your tor r Abernathy nodded Ail the theon on the west wall ot of the study rom the Holy land he ex ex- ex ed 2 4 sergeant handed the weapon t bUy Ily to one ot of his assistants k c the handle 0 over er for finger finger- pi t he ordered You can use the thel l ii As soon as youre you're through Jt t bring It back to me I want rYe ye a look at the blade next nest W n turning he smiled signIficant ICk noyce Boyce j you dIdn't have time to run and hIde the knife eh Mr f n be e a fool Jool Kilday The They They y had bad died out ot of the fuans fuan's nans nan's voice In the first place bt It if that's the weapon which Franklin Secondly there were If a dozen people who had as good goodr r to kill him as I 1 And nd x hers had motives I hadn't elf a dozen people Perhaps tell ten me who they were KII Ku tone was eager enger but freighted I l J Ice ce glanced slowly around the before replyIng hIs eyes lInger lInger- I on both Doctor Air Ab- Airy Aby y and Ambrose Carmody Carmody here had some words anklin In the study a short afore etore the murder I f mody smiled briefly as he heed heed ed It was evident that he het heLt Lt t the statement beneath his do- do dot doa t l 1 a J d d your son Mr Carmody Nick Nicki i continued calmly came 3 ere tad threatened Tim Frank hort time before the wedding lie Carmod s 's tone expressed W lOne Be careful who yon yonI ou ouI I 01 c In this affair Royce I f editor of Topics turned to the for confirmation now How about IN oct actor or Abernathy You were I rector was ob obviously reluctant eak cak Yes he said mId finally t was as here ne He hid an D with Mr 11 Franklin In my study time before the weddIn wedding t he left right away Doctor DoctorS athy hurried to add I 1 talked S after that So did Mr Ir 1 The Idea that R lie could een connected with this Is pro pre ous at time was this quarrel KB say exactly The rec recas recas as still sUlI doubtful Not later quarter of four I 1 am sure baby bably earlIer than that added nylic Aylie was as the first one who led with 1 and that was B atm fter we ve came We arrived at m minutes of four I 1 understand you to say ny that Iii was as the first one to quarrel ui Vick Peter Cardl Cardi aped Con forward elbo elbows s on knees an n brown hands clasped to Int watching the other man In p t lIe had more than one ref re then e nodded but glanced at Car Ing There I Woman he said saidu u rose Carmody turned toward on an stiffly I 1 suppose you gave aunt of that to your spa ne t 02 s course And then for Cor the Ime defending himself TIO Royce ce ra rad d ced to SlY say hat else could I Ic c very ery piper In to town ton n will have aunt of and It-and of this om noman ns Lis Helen Train he continued me addressing KIlday Choo raIn of the Scandals Franklin F 1 I made no secret of his attachment for forI her The whole town knew It es cry ery one except perhaps the C Ambrose Ambroce Carmody sat down hea When was this he asked Before or after I talked pith Ith FranklIn After Royce noyce s tone was kindly Sorry Mr but you asked aked for it Choo Choo came In after Doc Doctor Doctor tor Abernathy entered the church She and Jim Quarreled Jim wanted to know what she was doing here lIe wn was angry She claimed that he bal bad I sent for her I hushed them up I 1 Iwas was afraid the sound of their voices could be heard Inside the church It Come In hf here re Jim said and grab grab- grabbing bing her by the arm pUlled her Into the study tudy That wa was the last J I heard I Did you see her again Kilday wanted anted to know No She must have bave left by the back door How about Franklin Peter Car Car- Cardigan digan Inquired DId you see hIm after that either Royce hesitated as aB though for reflection Uon tion No o 0 Of he said slowly Come Cometo to think of it that was the last I 1 saw ot of Jim They were ere In interrupted by one of Kilday's assistants entering from the study with the dagger No No prInts Sergeant he hc reported The handle must have been wiped clean It It was too much to hope for tor re replied replied plied Kilday as he drew It from rom Its scabbard The blade was about five Inches long and curved only slightly The most Interesting feature of the digger I was Its handle of elaborately carved 1 I I Is II I II I II II s I You Will or Ivory with a curved metal hilt In the shape ot of two rams ram's horns their tips poInting downward do There were no stains on the blade Naturally there wouldn't be Peter pointed out The slayer wiped It oft off on the curtain But I Iam Iam am sure thIs Is the knife which was used Why are you so surer sure KIlday looked doubtful Simply this The novelist took the dagger from hIs friend and poInt point- pointed ed to the curved hilt This explains the bruise at eIther end of the deep wound The dagger you see was en In all the way to the hilt It was a powerful blow Each Lach tip of the rams ram's horn left Its mark on the slain mans man's body Come and I 11 show you In the study Peters Peter's theory was borne out by bv the wound which had caused Franklins Franklin's death The blue bruIses at eIther end of the wound when measured agaInst the hUt hilt of the dagger fitted perfectly It begIns to look as though It wasn't a premeditated crIme Ser Sergeant Sergeant geant Kilday began The The murderer or murderess whichever the case may maybe maybe be grabbed this weapon from the sail all allIn In a tIt fit of passion n It appears that he brought no weapon capon with him I Peter stared thoughtfully at the rear door of the room I wonder how v much this door had to do with It he said He spoke softly as though lag Ing voIce to his thoughts rather than expression to any formulated opinion If If that theory Is correct he con con- continued there w as no reason for tor the murderer to conceal his movements when he entered the study Then It would have been some one whom either Royce or the rector saw enter enter- entering Ing the room It If the crIme v wasn't premeditated there was no reason why the murderer should base hae slipped In here by the rear floor door It was clear that Kilday who halt had paused to listen to his friends friend's reflections shared his doubts They were Interrupted by an ex- ex exultant ex detectIve Look what hat we found In the garden Sergeant Carefully wrapped In a 8 chief to prevent marring any finger fingerprints fingerprints prints there might be on the weapon the officer exhIbited his find It was a revolver Kilday exam tied It clucking softly un under er his breath Not Not premeditated eh eb looks I we were guessing in the dark Peter Now we ha base hae e something to togo togo go on Turning to the rector he exhIbited the welon weapon for examination I don t suppose this was one ot of sour our relics was it Doctor I ha have hae e never er owned a er In my life denIed Doctor Abernathy ha hastily The detective handed tile the e to toone toone one or of hIs assistants fry Cry It for fin finger finger ger prints he ordered Iy his hie coming to Royce This actress you saw here Know v where she lives I can find out very easily The sergeant turned away brIskly I I can do It quicker it you J ou don t al already already ready know There was WIS a speculative e light lIht gleam gleamIng In Ing In his e eyes cs ns as he turned to Peter Cardigan CardIan Im going to have a tall talk filth thIs woman he be said caid Want to togo togo go along Of course the novelist agreed But But I still am v very ry doubtful about her ability to ha hate hae e delivered that blow That required more strength than the ordinary woman possesses J 1 think Getting back to me eh Nick Royces Royce's smile was sardonic Not necessarily You have told u about the two Carmod sand and the actress Was anyone el else e here The newspaper man hesitated and when he spoke hIs minner was very deliberate rye mentioned aU all the themen themen men he said Doctor Abernathy and I 1 sere ere here most moct of the time Carmody came In early and quarreled violently with Jim In the study His father he glanced at Ambrose Carmody cime back here just n a few minutes before the wed wedding ding was to start I 1 think he quarreled quarreled with Tim Jim too Perhaps i may be able to help a 11 little Doctor Docter Abernathy volunteered I hesitantly Mr Royce was out for n a nI awhile I while and In his absence there were two other visitors a woman and a aI I Two others i KIlday exclaimed I Man why didn't you tell teU us about this before You You ga gas e a me no opportunity de declared the rector with Ith dl dignity The man I recognized from his newspaper per pictures fie He nas as Daniel Bums Bullis the well known n politician Dan Dnn The sergeant whis tied DId you recognize the woman too Doctor No No Could you describe her The rector was doubtful She wa was wasa a very handsome nom om n tn he said A blond I think At least she ga gave gae gathe e the Impression of fairness She was dressed In blue an afternoon frock I believe but I cant can't be sure of that either I am sure she was dressed In blue however You are certain the man was Dan Dangel gel lel Bullis Yes reasonably sure rye often seen his pictures Doctor Abernathy suppose you tell tellus us in your 0 own n way just what hap hap- happened when these two people entered the sacristy Well the rector crossed his knees slowly the woman oman entered first I Iwas Iwas was called to the telephone in the study When I came out she was quarreling with ith She seemed quite hysterIcal and too was angry r I didn't hear bear what had gon gone be be- be before fore but as I came through the door the woman said You still or Ill Ill- Franklin grabbed her roughly and shut oft off the last part of her sentence by clapping his hand over her mouth Doctor Abernathy he be said This woman Is growing hysterical May we use your study Let talk to her me I 1 advised him thinking that I mIght be able to quiet her But Franklin r refused f my help I can handle this myself he told me I then addressed the woman who had been silent sInce she had been aware ot of my presence This Is a serIous time for tor a quarrel I told her ber If there Is an anything thing between you and Mr Franklin whIch I should know now Is the time to speak I nonsense I inter inter- interrupted me If 11 you will just permit us to use your study for a few min utes we can reach an understanding This Is a client of mIne Doctor he hee e explained The mIsunderstandIng Is of at a confidential nature concerning a trust trust-a trust fund He appealed to the woman For heavens heaven's sake tell hIm so he said Cant you see the posItion you are placIng both of us In Every LVer thing Is IsI going to be all rIght the woman in blue nodded In con confirmation of hIs statement the ree rec rector tor continued and after that assur assur- assurance ance I allowed them to enter the study closed the door after him Could you hear what was said after the door was closed Kilday In in- in inquired eagerly I didn't listen Usten the doctor replied with dignity I didn't mean It In that way the sergeant hastened to assure him But their voIces were raised weren't they You could scarcely have avoided hearing them it if they were quarreling Perhaps not under ordinary cir cir- circumstances clr Doctor Abernathy agreed But But the organ was playing Inside the church I 1 could tell they mere QuarrelIng however ho hoe e ere I could Itea the womans woman's voice raised shrilly from tIme to time But I could not what was being said And then what happened 7 Peter Cardigan prompted Zhen Daniel Bulls came In through the sIde door of the Wheres Jim he asked me I 1 told him he was In the study but could not be dI disturbed You see the oman n oman was still In there And Bums Bullis waIted for him No Of TIle The rector leaned forward foward earnestly Bulls Bullis snore He said I cm can t put me off of any longer and walked on Into the study without thou knocking What did you yog hear then I heard nothing more Inside the tudy I had just dUl tl to Mr II Carmody concerning the quarrel when Mr lr Royce ce Ira 1 U fir I I |