| Show ali adden I 1 I 1 waa C aa ya P C F VAN DE katr rt 0 VA SYNOPSIS 1 1 0 ayr 1 in a search earch ot of newspaper od wi yo york ryr t Is forced to accept a witch itch board operator in a swank ri a house managed by oin lincious cious ment tf n nere david meets athi paget met a crippled old lady algeg eb arming niece allegra one I 1 g with fliggins in the lobby ilg alarmed by a piercing scream q 1 the scream ca came me from the if g amcis apartment not f far ar from the ia include lyon and n tte g Fer t sister lister lone everett nd their heir io is I 1 helping pa agatha pagel jda hock book about her blue blooded an f 11 inside the apartment they find 1 bearded man ad no w weapon ick found the police arrive lilg to dislikes david tn in actively sho vm ho that he is fired ared D davd avid Is a to the paget apartment thero there elderly P 8 pea 9 agatha in a c I 1 at an and X boking a tu she um a lob helping her amaly aul wul HH I 1 tw ew Bk eleton coaten IV continued 5 A rouck raking genealogy I 1 j hoping id plague her agatha lei elinore if inore ot of it was raked every er atlon be less muck give you topped stopped and looked toward the dihe the maid said captain shan 00 s maam v held his bis hat and wore hla his over I 1 taw saw hla his eyebrows go up a as 1 I he be looked at eq but there i no 40 surprise in hla his voice when to miss agatha lank you for your help miss A im leaving ho he looked a the fragile old lady to the 1 ji 0 and the emptied glass and bd ed youre swell he said s agatha beamed I 1 won wont I 1 t argue it with you she him anything new everett ferriter Ferr lter came cama ln in shan reported briefly ive been ring g to him across the way I 1 1 I to got get an identification out of i and what did he do doa miss agai liked H 0 wrung his hands said shan i held hed never sean seen blackboard blackbeard adt ddt any idea who it was iles hes r f there now it if you want to see sec 1 1 do not said miss agatha my ice gave him on an alibi gh and he cant bother his itar tonight either weve dosed m th sedatives seda tives and ashes asleep lit at about lyon Sh qan annons eyelids puckered and a flen M sound came into his voice were looking for him he said mall chance of his getting clear tery ry cop in town has his de scrip a by now its only a matter of ne e before we pick him up and the knife the old lady cited ed he be scowled no sign of it he essed weve tossed the whole bite to and its n not t there reel feet come came heavily along the hall irmald maid appeared at the doorway started to speak but two men behind her and one of them i detective jake said proudly to annon amon heres the guy cap miss hii agatha was the first to find voice and in it was no hint of rile tome come in she sha invited capa shana shannon this is my neighbor r lyon ferriter 11 abe ha turned to me hesitated and eaher a her eyelids puckered 1 1 dont know I 1 she told the gaunt ze ire in the do doorway arway whether you e met mr mallory formally bee do come in ferriter lter was still the lank brown ae 0 in worn tweeds that I 1 had through the foyer and ailt t again as he stood in 16 the door 1 stared bared the odd charm of his tery hery person ills his black hair was pled with gray like a silver fox t land and it he were alarmed he hid vell fell ile he bowed to the old lady I 1 said laid in a pleasant faintly engi voice bood evening miss paget im T to intrude but a shifted thU ted his attention to show shan ind and his tone was less agreeable I 1 understand captain that I 1 inget get your permission to enter own apartment wio who brought you in shannon ned nodded to his cigar chew tomp comp arilon arlion this gentleman he replied II 11 I 1 slurring ring gap between the the captain beamed on jake fou wre re not 8 so 0 dumb at that he his s underling where did you blin I 1 said 1 I he walked loon on us next door I 1 agatha a seamed amused but mon on was not he found the tind tined ed return n of lyon ferriter 9 than his absence nae ine bacal the captain as walked in with ou all the w III this town choked and color blurred the 11 on his obstinate face lyon SM red wide stooped shoulders aers aps he suggested politely po will tell me why I 1 barted started tar ted 16 speak but gagged V was a silent under shannona Sh annons e a P tain had got him ban land d now 0 he asked with a Y courtesy courtes fal laps you 1101 mind tell va where ou ve been fc a hosl pa lyon replied and his 1 I twitched ched humorously but hould ip calin irked irac shannon who d I 1 11 because cause a man was killed 44 ml this afternoon mr fer where at about three thirty just wore were you then eh ohl ferrater Ferr lter said aid and was still a moment I 1 thought it was not fear but surprise sur prisa that sil silenced cd him at last he said simply 1 i I dont know dont know shannon echoed 1 I exactly xa atly the gaunt man said standing wholly at ease in tho the doorway 1 I was walking in the brondi his mind ran ahead of shannona Sh annons like a 3 staghound before a terrier As A the captain hesitated lyon said till still easily but with a shade of worry if youre looking for an alibi sir sire were wasting time ive been alone all day its it a been sunny gunny and I 1 wanted to stretch my legs so I 1 went for a tramp perhaps if I 1 admit I 1 have no alibi be good enough to tell me who was killed in my apartment his last words were strained miss agatha understood and said your brother and sister are in no way involved mr ferriter 1 I the captain frowned but lyon ducked his grizzled head again and smiled gratefully thank you miss agatha said he then im entirely at your service captain perhaps I 1 can save you time ile ho leaned against the door jamb and hooked one thumb into his vest the other long brown hand hung easily at his side ills his pleasant voice was unruffled as he told how bow with sandwiches in his pocket he had tramped north to bronx park and wandered most of the afternoon aftem oon through wintry woods a good deal of a walk it shannon purred what I 1 wanted lyon answered and you spent the whole day without talking to anyone the captain asked 1 I said bald lyon reminded him that I 1 had no alibi I 1 had the soil sell tude you can get only in new york or beyond the arctic circle no he exclaimed suddenly that quite right I 1 helped a lady fix her car when sometime in the afternoon I 1 really dont know she had ignition trouble I 1 mean her car had I 1 fixed it for her ber ile he spread his hands and showed his still soiled palms the grease sticks he pursued she was driving a last years ford sedan new york license I 1 dont recall the number she was stalled near where parkway swings over into the bronx river parkway I 1 ask her name you see she was wa not exactly beauty in distress an elderly person but not at all like miss paget miss agatha caught my eye and winked shamelessly then she resumed fumed her careful regard of lyon and then shannon prodded 1 I walked south to the street subway station it was dusk when I 1 reached it I 1 got off at grand central scrubbed aff some gome ot of the grime in the washroom had supper at minos mines 22 east fifty second and came on home he paused and blinked calmly at shannon who scowled and bit his up lip II ever oiiver the iho 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 Ferr lter asked if you let me see him he bowed to miss paget and with jake tailing close behind and shannon glowering in the rear led the way from the room their footsteps went down the hall the door opened and closed the old lady folded her hands on hr her lap and looked at me well she asked I 1 found challenge in her voice well I 1 answered we seem to agree she jeered I 1 did not understand her and after waiting a rho moment ment she went on briskly when we were interrupted I 1 was about to offer you the job of writing the paget book tor for me would fifty dollars a week be satisfactory I 1 needed it badly yet I 1 found the offer hard to take its charitable flavor gagged me I 1 said no and she looked at me hard youl work for it she assured me dont think you wont or if fifty really enough sixty then miss paget I 1 began and then and stood up allegro allegra and grosvenor paget came in they were like creatures from a world that knew no poverty or sorrow he was smoothly handsome in evening clothes with little I 1 thought between his blond face and his shining hair his sister had the spark he lacked they had breeding or else long acquaintance with the whims of their aunt for or they spoke to me as easily us as though hallmen were u usually su to be found in miss agathas room and then addressed the old lady with irreverent hilarity both talking at once they were off to the groesbeck ball bertha would listen for lone in case she roused but the doctor had said she would not nol they did not know when they would be in 1 I dont see grosvenor said defensively fen why hy we so go aft er all it 0 our u r murder and lone Is down under tinder and we cant do uny any good by moping at home allegro allegra bent and kissed the old woman snorting in her neck tl till 11 miss agatha giggled and anc pushed her away her brother leaned over his hia aunts chair as allegra moved toward tho the door she said good night to me her smile was trite but her clear eyes I 1 thought questioned and dared me iler her look upset yet ut lif t ed me I 1 bowed and mumbled 1 I was afraid she might read my lace face her soft laughter came back to us as she and her brother went down the hall I 1 found miss agatha staring at me ashes easy to look at the old lady said with elaborate indifference r and in a few years on her birthday y she will inherit two million dollars do clars wont that be nicel I 1 retorted I 1 knew she had warned me her chuckle was understanding were having a hard time she apologized getting this settled da vid sixty dollars a week one works salary in advance and you start work at nine tomorrow morning 11 it the price she set it thought of the dark jobless world outside I 1 looked toward the door where allegra had tood stood an and d made up my mind ill be here at nine I 1 told miss agatha but my price Is forty dollars 1 they were carrying the body from the ferriter Ferr lter apartment when I 1 w went ent into the hall so 10 I 1 walked d downstairs own fineman Fl neman at the switchboard hailed me as I 1 went past him what about lyon I 1 asked you heard asked fine man oh hes pinched he done it pull yourself together I 1 told him who gave you that steer hun him and the captain and that dick in the hard hat went out t together 0 get herI fineman insisted 1 I know a pinch when I 1 see it CHAPTER V the policeman no longer guarded the morello vestibule walters the night doorman kicked his feet together and blew on his fingers a as 3 1 I passed into the street toward the service entrance one man still waited before the morello front door he followed me down the street I 1 wondered whether shannon was having me shadowed and then forgot about him I 1 had not eaten since morning hunger drove awa thought of Alle allegra igra beauty in the clinging light blue gown and the ribald gaiety of her passage with that amazing old woman I 1 turned into the first lunch room I 1 passed As I 1 gave gava my order a man eat cat down opposite me at the white topped table coffee and butter cakes ho he told the waltre waitress as he was plump and mild but the eyes in his bis windred wind red bened face seemed drowsy I 1 met his stare and that made him speak though he cleared his throat throat several times first youre mallory he asked hallman at the morello I 1 had been right then it was another detective so what I 1 asked and he grinned im cochrane jerry cochrane of the press larry duke was speaking about you the bowl of soup before me was more interesting but as its warmth spread inside me I 1 looked up and told him get your dope from shannon im out of newspaper work he sipped his coffee and said at last it might mean something for you on the press it if you arid and I 1 could bust this ca case se wide open he w waited while I 1 abolished har ham and eggs and when I 1 had finished d asked ogot got time to listen to me now at my sulky nod he leaned across the 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 ci ty editor who had approved it you know yourself the chubby man said bitterly what chance a reporter has at the morello those stuffed shirts have hearts as hard as their arteries it if work on the inside for us while I 1 da the outside the press will have this story by the slack of the pants and if we do 10 i break it together therell be a nice piece of change in it for or you 1 I keep telling you I 1 said that I 1 dont want a piece of change stool my line I 1 could use a newspaper job but otherwise its out agreed he said so calmly that he took my breath youre working for or the press from now on youre on the payroll at twenty five a week if you and I 1 can beat the town on this yarn be futy fifty and a permanent job he misread my stare not kidding he told me milligan will write you a letter confirming confirms ng li il only youre to keep your present job and say nothing excitement that had burned motor metor the press had bad been a newspaper when the sphere still had bad been trees in a fo forest rest died and left noth nothing ing but ashes I 1 did not feel eel like laugh ing but I 1 did TO BE CONTINI CONTINUED JED |
