Show the ak 4 RC M ul M 0 MONTE f 0 t 5 E C Z X pill C CHAPTER 11 II continued 4 royce noyce nodded there be any mistake not a chance you see ive met amnot miss as bit pley a dozen times recently at parties given for the bridal party but you never saw the woman in blue that doctor abernathy told ux ua about did you weve been over that royce declared impatiently 1 I w was a a out in front looking for allo dunbar the sergeant Ker geant turned to the rector illow how well do you know callas shipley doctor ive known tier her all her life I 1 christened the child there any cliance chance that you could be mistaken then allday worried the question like a dog with a bone youre positive that the woman in blue you told us about earlier could not have been callis shipley pley 1 I hm am positive of that declared doctor abernathy and his manner was convincing kilday wits was baffled what do you make of this peter the detective turned to tits his friend for suggestion jim franklin was murdered at or about the stroke of four ile he arrived liere here at twenty minutes of four in that twenty minute interval eight people visited this room that we wa know of alere he ticked them off fy on his aberna fingers doctor abernathy thy who wits in the church when franklin was killed hilled nick royce noyce who was his best man and claims he was standing right tit at this door tit at the time of the murder brylle carmody who was to h have ave been his broth er ln in law and who quarreled with him in the study according to two witnesses mr carmody Cari nody aliday glanced respectfully toward the lie bunker who explains that lie he came to demand the truth from franklin regarding choo choo train callis shipley one of the bridesmaids who did not see franklin while she wits here but did see nick royce noyce another woman dressed in blue like miss shipley who tins has not been identified choo choo train ah effs ft actress who Is supposed to have been in love with the dead man and daniel brilts who evidently was very angry when he entered the study without knocking all this he threw out hla his hands in a gesture of despair in twenty minutes and we cant find anybody that seems to know anything and yet wo we have enough to go on peter expressed a confidence lie he did not entirely feel we can talk to choo choo train well weli want to ask daniel balits some questions we can discover something g of f franklins private life fr from tit his manservant man ninn servant fletcher whom mr royce mentioned ehlt h may put us ila on an the trail of the mysterious woman in blue we can locate and identify that woman we can question callis shipley and tits dla cover why she was so an eager to find itolle carmody anti and what she was doing back here in the sacristy when ns as a brIdes bridesmaid mald she was supposed ased to bo be with the bridal party in the front vestibule and becan we can took look up tip iwylla carmody who quarreled with jim franklin so shortly before 11 you wonted wanted to see amov mo a slen der young man stood in abo t ho door any the novelists eyes took in the tweed clad figure of the boy before him in such strange contrast to the more formal wedding attire of tho the ot others liers ya ars yrs s sir air carmody tits his manner was engaging live we were just mentioning tic ining you I 1 believe you came to sir mr franklin at about twenty minutes to four yes I 1 was here what was the object of et your visit illy boy itolle hesitated and glanced at his father just a minute son the elderly carmody laid a detaining liand on tho the young mans mana sleeve the hand trembled but tits his voice was firm as ho he faced tho the novelist sly son had nothing to do with this ho he said of that I 1 nm am sure and I 1 am not going to permit him to answer your questions except under advisement from hla his attorney any man mail being questioned by the pollee police has n right to the services and protect protection lon of Ms his attorney tt orney Car modys voice rang defiantly through the room 11 1 I agree with you air carmody peter said bald his manner once more engagingly warm hat but I 1 ELM am sure you will agree that there are t times mes such puch ns na this when the police ante a right to expect the operation cooperation co of law abiding citizens in t efforts to apprehend a criminal the man who was to have been your son in law has been murdered we are only seeking the assistance of every person who can help us shed some light on the circum stances of that crime no one but the murderer himself has anything to fear from answering these que questions 9 eions may I 1 suggest that you tep step into doctor Aberna abernathys thys study and nd discuss the matter with your son perhaps that will facilitate matters the old mans clutch tightened on Ms ills sons sleeve the color flooding his face threw his snowy mustache into vivid relief an excellent idea he commented briefly and followed by idylle he crossed to the study closing the door carefully behind him after a brief interval ambr ambrose 0 a 0 carmody Carni ody reappeared in the doorway my son has explained his v you wanted 10 to see se me ss reason for p tia his eyes vwe fye pi 14 allay is he spoke lie he had no co connection with the crime Ilo however wever as there ther was a quarrel he feels it necessary to make a brief statement regarding it I 1 have no objection to this but I 1 reserve the right to halt the examination pending the advice of my attorney should it in my opinion become necessary in order to safeguard my boys boya interests brylle carmody standing behind his father shrugged impatiently dont make mountains of ino mole le hills dad he said then fi wing facing the detective he continued 1 I had a quarrel with F franklin in doctor abernathys Aberna thys study a short time before the weddings wedding it concerned an actress called choo choo train whom I 1 had just been informed was hla his mistress naturally I 1 was angry I 1 went first to franklins apartment and missing him there I 1 followed him on liere here I 1 asked bilm if the story I 1 had heard beard were true ue ile admitted that it was we quarreled then utter which I 1 hurried home in an effort to intercept ray my sister and father before they started for the church chur cli the sergeant clucked softly to himself you tou say franklin admitted ills his connection with this woman fi lie 11 did to me lie ile even laughed bout about it idylle replied bitterly lie ile called me a foolish kid and told me I 1 was old enough to understand such things thank god im not I 1 the boys lips were quivering but he rushed on ile he laughed at mo me when I 1 said bald id stop the wedding toot tool stood there and laughed at A t me I 1 did lie laugh when you threatened to kill him the sergeant interpolated terpo in a suave tone of course not I 1 never wade any threats I 1 you just told us you threatened to stop the wedding shrugged impatiently 1 I mean physical threats that never entered my mind I 1 only intended to inform my father of this woman that would have been sufficient to stop the wedding and did you Kil Hil days tone was judicial no I 1 arrived home too late my father and sister had already left for the church peter interrupted him did anyone on e see you at home yes the abo butler lie he told me they had been gone fully fifteen minutes minute B appose sp so I 1 suppose pose you came on back to lo the church yes did you intend to halt the wedding yes defiantly mow I 1 1 I was going to tell dorla doris nud and dad what I 1 knew about choo choo train that was the only thought that had entered your mind up to that time peter urged gently that was the only thought I 1 ever had replied the boy curtly ali ah and when you arrived here how does it happen that y you 0 11 never saw your sister or your father 7 1 I was too late or at least I 1 th thought ought I 1 was idylle leaned for w ward ard eagerly now when I 1 got back I 1 could hear the wedding march on the organ I 1 thought everything was over then what did you do there was nothing I 1 could do the young man shrugged helplessly you enter the church no then where have you been since the wedding peter intended the question to sound casual ryley blyley hesitated clasping and unclasping c laspi tig tits ills hands nervously in his lap III 1 I ive just been driving around he answered fina finally lly dut but ot of course youve talked to some one who was at the wedding at home perhaps no I 1 been home the youth denied then how did you know jim franklin had been killed th the question shot home like the swift thrust of a rapier brylle glanced nervously at his father then back to the nove novelist the elder Car modys knuckles bilo showed sved white as he gripped his sons arm 1 I dont like your tone he be interrupted angrily dont aap answer that question son carmody peter had grown suddenly stern you yoa dont have to answer but it if you dont you are in very grave danger of being accused of this murder the you young ng man hesitated all right ill answer he said at length 1 I aily anything thing to hide I 1 should have told you the whole truth in the first place callis shipley tol told d me about it I 1 have seen her I 1 took her home from the ea lurch church but you told us you never got back to the church until after everything was over peter endeavored to shake ills his story no the youth dented denied 1 I said that when I 1 got back I 1 heard the organ playing the wedding march 1 and thought everything was over I 1 was standing across the street by my car and callis came running across to me sho she asked me to take e 11 oh I 1 and she alto told you what had happened then yes I 1 came straight back here of course cardigan arose abruptly theres only one flaw in that he said ilow how could callis shipley have known what happened here the young mans face went pale involuntarily he clenched hla his hands bands 1 I guess she knew just like everybody else know knew he said ills voice sounded strangled far away hut but every one else know cardigan pointed out there has not yet been any announcement made concerning franklins death 1 I guess callis say there had bad been a murder the boys voice was frantic she just said bald something terrible had happened and that the wedding had been postponed I 1 guess I 1 must have jumped at conclusions about the murder I lather tather odd it that you should jump to that kind of ron conclusion cl no no I 1 dont think so idylle brushed the hair back from his forehead and swallowed nervously 1 I dont think it was so odd it would take something very unusual to stop a wedding would ht it very unusual peter agreed and you had undertaken to stop this one you ou think I 1 did it dont you the youth pointed a trembling finger at the novelist youre accusing me of murdering himl him I 1 what these questions amount 10 to do you think id have come back here it I 1 had been guilty I 1 have run away ills voice broke I 1 carmody gripped the arms of his chair im not afraid he said slowly 1 I do it you cant convict me of something I 1 dian didn t do then how were you so do sure there would be no wedding peter queried swiftly 1 I 1 I sure and yet you never took the trouble td dress tor for it the novelist pointed out you are wearing a tweed suit brylle glanced at his coat coal as though for the first time realizing I 1 its ts existence ills answer was deliberate from the time I 1 heard PRECEDING EVENTS IN THE STORY waiting in the ministers tudy study jim Ir franklin about to be married to doris carm carmody 0 dy Is in stabbed to a death callis shipley one or of the bridesmaids betrays ext rems nervousness the tha dagger baeser used to kill franlyn Franl Is ig found P franklin in while waiting had many visitors among them hla his mistress an actress choo choo train iraln hla his intended eifes father ambrose carmody her brother kylle daniel bullis well known politician and an unknown woman in a blue frock tho the dead anana law partner milo allo dunbar appears sergeant hilday will reter peter cardigan Cardl gran novelist and amateur detective be gins the llie official investigation about choo choo train and jim franklin lie he said 1 I 1 forgot all I 1 about the wedding ive told you about that I 1 came here to see franklin and then went home to try to catch doris before eho alto left falling in that I 1 came straight back here I 1 forgot all about dressing you tou have told us that several times said peter suppose you tell us how you heard about this betress actress who told you once again hylle hesitated then web spears told me he said bald olie ne told me all about it at the club after lunch I 1 meet him until one thirty lie ile said he had bad something to tell me but he kept it to himself until after lunch it was two forty five he continued more slowly now 1 I remember the time because I 1 looked at my watch I 1 wanted to see it if I 1 had time to catch franklin Vr anklin at his apartment spart ment but by the time I 1 got there lie he had left gone to the church his man said bald so I 1 drove on here by that time it must have been after three thirty as you eald at who la Is this web spears webster spears why hes oh every one knows web ills his father was my fathers partner before I 1 0 o r e lie he died weve been mends friends always the families have always been c lose close friends I 1 gather of course and was there ever anything between this young spears and your sister doris any boy and an garl affair were they ever sweethearts yes tea reluctantly but all over now since when 1 I dont know for some time though rm im sure of that peters next nest question was addressed to the senior carmody 1 I suppose you knew young spears pretty well too you mr carmody of course courm ive known him all Ms life you told us its earlier that some one who refused to give his name telephoned you this afternoon and told you about choo choo train could that have been webster spears the elder carmody shook his head it e ad doubtfully 1 I dont know he h e said eald 1 I hardly think so why because web would have ila e given me his name declared tho the old man with dignity peter was evidently through with the interview with his hands crammed in his coat pockets he ambled about the room his forehead corrugated in thought his blue yes eyes gleaming beneath their shaggy I 1 the sergeant motioned peter to follow him and stroda into the study ile he made sure the door was shut before he spoke nine suspects already and we know who eight of them are the devil of it Is we can allow a motive tor for most of them peter watched silently as his friend crossed to the rectors desk where the contents of the slain mans pockets had been method locally arranged they had been few a billfold bill fold some loose change two handkerchiefs one of them still folded and a leather encased ring on which there were seven keys displayed on the folded handkerchief was the wedding ring a slender blender platinum circlet studded with emeralds there had been nothing more kilday picked up the keys weighing them idly his eyes still clouded in thought nine suspects and we know ei lit of them but this woman la in blue if it was callis shipley pley then doctor abernathy Is trying to protect her why if she was the woman in blue the detective continued deliberately well have to find a way to shake doctor aber mathys story that ahoi aldna be hard but if she again he examined the keys in his hand ha thesa keys may tell us something something it lii li tha i woman in blue killed franklin jealousy was probably the motive for the crime cri m e we know choo choo train was wa his mistress S lie had a reputation FJ for infidelity where women were concerned if that Is true then one of these keys probably fits the oie door of her apartment peter examined those keys ml i cutely two were small of uie the type frequently used for desks and flies files the other five were larger any one of them might fit an apartment door kilday might |