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Show "Who was your dentist?" Tope inquired. "Doctor Loud?" Ledforge smiled. "No, Doctor Loud was Christopher's. I went to a New York man." There was a mocking triumph in him. "Oh, I assure you we covered all points, Inspector." In-spector." "Just the same," Tope insisted, "you're bound to be Christopher. Ru-fus Ru-fus wouldn't have any good reason to kill Christopher; but Christopher figuring he could step into his brother's shoes, take over the money and the power that his brother had accumulated he'd have plenty of reason to kill Rufus. Yes, you're Christopher. It don't make sense any other way." Ledforge started to speak; but Tope said implacably: "That's why you tried to drown Mr. Eberly. Because Be-cause he told you that you didn't look like Rufus. I figured you'd try to kill aim, If he did suspect; and when you Invited him to go fishing, and I found out he couldn't swim, I guessed how you'd do It. You had tried to find out, two weeks ago, whether he'd notice anything tried to see him, but he was away. You were checking up ahead of time, with him and Mrs. Kell, to see if they'd realize you weren't Rufus. Must have had this idea in mind before be-fore Rufus got sick and gave you the chance to pull it off. You fooled her, then; so you took a chance on being able to fool Eberly." And he explained: "So I told him to pretend to see a difference in you today; and he did; and you tried to drown him!" "Ridiculous! He Imagined that!" "And Mrs. Kell," Tope added relentlessly, re-lentlessly, "in Little Bear the other night, finally realized you weren't Rufus. That was why you killed her." Ledforge said harshly: "Man, you're " Tope cut In: "Well, if you weren't there, how did you happen to think of KeU's shoes with the heel-plates on them? I mentioned footprints, but not Kell nor his heel-plates." Ledforge licked dry lips. "Just a guess! It would be natural for Hot dom to put on some one else's shoes; and KeU's were available." "Mr. Ledforge," he confessed, "I laid some traps for you awhile ago, when I was telling you the story. I didn't tell you that the sweater was gray. You stepped into that one. I didn't say the wires were ignition wires, or that it was electricians' elec-tricians' tape, or that it was the dog'i blanket. You dodged the wires and the tape, but you stepped right Into the dog one. I didn't mention that your brother was drugged, but you did. I didn't say anything about Kell' 8 shoes, but you did. I didn't say your brother's body was In the rumble, but you did." He added calmly: "And there was one more, the worst of alL You put your neck right into that one. Ledforge. Led-forge. You knew it the minute you did it!" "You're crazyl" Ledforge cried hoarsely. "I mean," Tope explained, "that I didn't tell you Mrs. Kell was strangled. stran-gled. Oh, she was, all right! But how did you know?" Tope as he spoke turned toward the door. Now, before Ledforge, terribly ter-ribly shaken, could reply, the old man said: "Oh, hello, ma'am!" They all swung that way. Here were Mrs. Tope and Bee, and between be-tween them they supported Miss Ledforge. The little old woman, white as a wraith, came uncertainly into the room. She looked from one to another till her eyes fastened on her brother's face; and then she spoke. "Christopher!" she whispered. "Christopher!" She tottered weakly. Ledforge took one step toward her; and she seemed to collapse upon a great divan there beside her. Mrs. Tope eased her as she fell; the old woman wom-an lay with eyes closed, breathing heavily. Ledforge strode briskly toward her. "Careful, gentlemen," he said warningly. ' My sister's heart cannot can-not withstand a heavy shock!" He came to where she lay, and his hand caught up her wrist, his fingers pressed the pulse; he stood intent and listening. Then without a word he took from his vest pocket a small vial, poured half a dozen pellets into his hand, selected one, replaced the others. "Some one get water," he whispered. whis-pered. "Here, Alice, swallow this." His hand touched her cheek. Her Hps opened, received the small pellet. pel-let. She seemed to swallow. And Tope said softly, behind Ledforge: "Doctor, will she die?" "Oh, no," Ledforge assured him; and then he whirled to face the other oth-er man, and his cheek was ashen. "I'm not a doctor!" he cried desperately. des-perately. "You took her pulse like one," said Tope. He added: "And you answered an-swered to the name of one. And your sister Is like me. She thinks you're Christopher. And Christopher's Christo-pher's a doctor!" Ledforge said rapidly: "No, listen! lis-ten! 1 must explain, gentlemen, my sister has hallucinations. Has been for years a little dim-witted; and she's frightfully upset now. She always al-ways worshiped Rufus!" Tope looked past Ledforge at the woman on the couch. "So it's Rufus that's dead, not Christopher?' Ledforge stammered: "No, no! I meant Christopher " But Miss Ledforge spoke, behind him. Her voice was faint, yet strong: "If Rufus is dead, you killed him, Christopher." Ledforge whirled on her in Incredulous Incred-ulous surprise; he appealed to them all. "How can she hear? Without her ear-phone? She Is deaf as a post!" "I can read your lips, Christopher," Christo-pher," said Miss Ledforge. "I have done so for years, have thus known many secret ugly things about you." "You mustn't talk, Alice!" Ledforge Led-forge cried. "Your " But Tope said calmly: "Oh, she won't die, Doctor Christopher. She didn't swallow the pill you gave her. If you could have killed Eberly and your 3ister, you might have taken your brother's place with no one to prove you weren't Rufus. But Eber-Iy's Eber-Iy's alive, and so is she." And he spoke to Mrs. Tope. "Give Mr. Cumberland that pill Miss Ledforge Led-forge didn't swallow, my dear. He'll want to have It analyzed, to see if it's the right medicine to give a weak old woman when she has a heart attack." Mrs. Tope obediently dropped the white pellet into Mat Cumberland's great hand. But Ledforge laughed; he said briskly: "Of course It Is." He lifted that small bottle from his pocket again, poured the pills out into his palm. "I kept a supply always ready," be said. "They've helped her before. They're all the same. Like this one " And he selected one, and suddenly sudden-ly lifted It toward his mouth. But Adam Bruce, long since forewarned, was ready. His smashing blow stretched Ledforge prone and senseless. sense-less. The pills went flying all across the floor. (THE EHD) THE STORY THUS FAR: Adam Bruce, FBI operator, Inspector Tope and Mrs. Tope met In the Maine woods. Tope found m man murdered, who was at first Identified as Ledforge, head of New England Eng-land utilities. Mrs. Kell was found murdered mur-dered In Ledforge's car, and Kell committed com-mitted lulclde. Joe Dane, assistant D.A., accused Tope of bungling uie case, so took charge. Tope arranged for Eberly to keep a fishing date with the man who was said to be Ledforge. While they were In the canoe, Ledforge upset the canoe. Tope and Bruce, In a motor boat, went out and brought the men to shore. Ledforge Led-forge told about bis twin brother and how he thought Holdom had done the murders. mur-ders. CHAPTER XV He spoke so simply that his accusation ac-cusation lacked reality. LedJorge cried: "I can't believe you're serious?" seri-ous?" "Why, yes," Tope assured him, "I'm serious." The door from the hall opened, and they all looked that way; saw Bee Dewain. For a moment no one spoke; and Bee said: "Go on, please. May I listen?" Tope answered her. "We're Just trying to make Mr. Ledforge admit that he was the man In Little Bear last Friday night," he explained, and turned to Ledforge again. "If you weren't," he challenged, "how did you know it was a dog blanket that they wrapped him up in? I said blanket,' but I never mentioned a dog." "Why, I've been In Holdom's garage ga-rage many times. When you said blanket,' I thought of the police dog sleeping on his blanket in the corner there." "Well, maybe," Tope agreed; but before he could speak again Joe Dane took a hand. Here was, it seemed to him, not only his cue, but Bee Dewain for an audience to witness his triumph over Tope. He strode a little forward, and spoke briskly. "Come, Tope," he said with a mocking kindness, "I guess you've gone as far as you can, haven't you? Maybe you've got at the truth, all right; but Tope, it isn't enough for me to know the truth. I have to be able to prove It. I have to get something that will pass as evidence in court." Tope looked at him thoughtfully. "That's so, son," he agreed. "You do have to try the case, don't you?" Joe nodded. "So while you've been reading dream-books, and telling fortunes by the cards," he derisively derisive-ly explained, "I've been collecting a few facts .just plain facts. And, of course, one particular fact! One good fact that can't be shaken is all we need, Isn't it?" Adam Bruce demanded: "Joe, do you have to be a fool twice in one day?" But Tope touched Adam's arm, hushed him. "Now, Adam," he protested, pro-tested, "you let Joe set off his fireworks! fire-works! It wouldn't surprise me a bit if he had something. Joe's a smart young man." "Then he ought to know better " Joe said resentfully: "Now, wait a minute, Bruce! After all, this case is my Job. This old man hasn't an ounce of evidence, but I have. I can prove that Rufus Ledforge, here, was in Little Bear that night, Friday night," he said exultantly. "Rufus was, all right," Tope assented. as-sented. "I know that too." "But you can't prove it?" "Why, that depends! Maybe not!" "Well, I can," said Joe proudly. "While you've been chasing will-o'-the-wisps, I've found a witness. I've got a man who heard Mrs. Kell, in the cottage that night, cai, Ledforge Led-forge here by name." Tope exclaimed: "Well, If you have, that's something, sure!" Dane laughed exultantly. "You bet It Is!" he cried. "It's worth all your guess work." "Called him by name, did she?" Tope reflected. Joe cried in a hot triumph: "Yes, she did!" And he explained carefully: care-fully: "I think she was begging him not to leave poor Christopher there to die. But at any rate she said: 'Oh, no, please don't, Rufe! Don't, Rufe. please!' " " 'Rufe,' eh?" Tope echoed. "Sure. Rufus. Rufus Ledforge! And that's proof enough to convince any Jury with the rest of what we've got that Rufus Ledforge was in Little Bear that night." Tope rubbed his mouth with his hand; he wagged his head. "Why, Joe," he said, "Rufus Ledforge was In Little Bear that night, all right. Or right handy. But the woman, Mrs. Kell, she wasn't talking to him; and if she had been, he wouldn't have heard her. Rufus was out in the car, under the rumble seat, sick and unconscious, with the drugs in him. No. RufuB couldn't hear her!" Joe stammered: "What are you talking about?" "This man here Isn't Rufus Ledforge, Led-forge, son." said Tope. "This what was his brother's name? this here Is Christopher." And while they were all for a moment mo-ment silent. Bee Dewain as though she had heard what she came to hear quietly slipped away. Ie had departed; but no othei moved. Only J.ecirorce lauiihed. appealing ap-pealing to young Joe Dane, to big Mat Ovorlftnd. "Who Is this ai;od Jackass?" hi prolc::tfd. "Oi r best friends couldn't d i rt i n (Mi i r.h between us. so you maj have to take rny word for it; yet J unsure you 1 am Rufus, not pool Christopher." |