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Show n,. WEDDING MARCH MURDER by MONTE BARRETT Copyright, 1933. by the Bobba-Merrlll Co. WNU Service. SYNOPSIS Wafting in the minister's study w hile the wedding procession is be; ng marshaled, mar-shaled, Jim Franklin, about to be married mar-ried to Doris Carmody, Is stabbed to death. Callis Shipley, one of the bridesmaids. brides-maids. Is obviously in a state of anxiety. Peter Card ifjan, novelist, and amateur detective of some note, with Sergeant Kilday, of the New York police, po-lice, begin the official Investigation. The dagger used by the murderer is found. Franklin, while waiting, had many visitors, among them his mistress, mis-tress, an actress, "Choo Choo" Train ; his intended wife's father. Ambrose Carmody; her brother. Rylie; Daniel Bullls, well-known politician, and an unknown woman in a blue frock, who had quarreled openly with Franklin. CHAPTER II Continued 5 "You wanted to see me?" a slender young man stood in the doorway. The novelist's eyes took in the tweed-clad figure of the b'.) before him, In such strancre contrast to the more formal wedding attire of the others. "Yes, Mr. Carmody," his manner was engaging, "we were ust mentioning you. I believe you came to see Mr. Franklin, at about twenty minutes to four." "Yes. I was here." "What was the object of your visit, my boy?" Rylie hesitated, and glanced at his father. "Just a minute. Son," the elderly Carmody laid a detaining hand on the young man's sleeve. The hand trembled, trem-bled, but his voice was firm as he faced the novelist. "My son had noth lng to do with this," he said. "Of that I am sure. And I am not going to permit him to answer your questions, except under advisement from his attorney." "If you are so sure of his innocence. Hr. Carmody," Peter's voice was as eoft as satin, "what do you want with a lawyer?" "Any man being questioned by the police has a right to the services and protection of his attorney." Carmody's roice rang defiantly through the room. "I agree with you, Mr. Carmody," Peter said, his manner once more engagingly en-gagingly warm. "F.ut I am sure you will agree that there are times, such as this, when the police have a right to expect the co-operation of law-abiding citizens. In their efforts to apprehend appre-hend 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 circumstances of that crime. No one but the murderer himself has anything to fear from answering an-swering these questions. May I suggest sug-gest that you step Into Doctor Aher riathy's study and discuss the matter with your son. Perhaps that will facilitate fa-cilitate matters." The old man's clutch tightened on his son's sleeve. The color flooding his face threw his snowy mustache into Tivid relief. "An excellent idea." he commented briefly, and followed by Rylie, he crossed to the study, closing the door carefully behind him. After a brief interval, Ambrose Carmody Car-mody reappeared in the doorw ay. "My 6on has explained his reason for coming com-ing here to me," his eyes were on Kilday a3 he spoke. "Obviously, he had no connection with the crime. However, as there was a quarrel, he feels It necessary to make a brief statement, state-ment, regarding It. I have no objection objec-tion to this, but I reserve the right to halt the examination pending the advice ad-vice of my attorney, should It, In my opinion, become necessary, in order to safeguard my boy's Interests." Rylie Carmody, standing behind his father, shrugged Impatiently. "Don't make mountains of mole hills. Dad." he said. Then, facing the detective, he continued: "I had a quarrel with Franklin In Doctor Aberna; hy's study a short time before the wedding. It concerned an actress called Choo Choo Train, whom I had Just been Informed was his mistress. "Naturally, I wan angry. I went first to Franklin's apartment, and miss lng hirn there, I follower him on here. I asked Mrn If the story I had heard were true. He admitted that It was. AVe quarreled, then, n'ter which I hurried hur-ried home in nn effort to Intercept m.v Sister und father before they started for the church." The sergeant clucked softly to himself. him-self. "You say Franklin admitted his connection with this woman?" "He did to rne. lie rwn laughed about It," Rylie replied bitterly. "He called rue a foolish kid and told me I was old enough to understand sifh tilings. Thank Cod, I'm not!" The boy's lips were quivering but be rushed on. "lie laughed at mo when I said I'd stop the wedding, tool .Stood there and laughed nt me !" "Did he laugh when you threatened to kill him?" the sergeant Interpolated In a suave tone. "Hold on!" Amhroue Carmody warned. "Don't answer that sort of question. Son." "Why not?" The young man turned Impatiently on bis father. "You don't think I killed him, do you?" He turned again to the detertive. "Of cour-'e not. I never made liny threats." "You Just told us you threatened to stop the wedding." Rylie shrugged Impatiently. "1 mean physical threats. That never enter.-d jiy mind I only Intended to Inform hit father of this womnn. That would have been sufficient to stop the wedding." wed-ding." "And did you?" Kilday's tone was judicial. "So. I arrived home too late. My father and sister had already left for the church." Peter Interrupted him. "Didn't It occur to you that they would have left? It was already twenty minutes of four." "It didn't occur to me," answered the boy. "I guess I had lost all track of time." "Did anyone see you. at home?" "Yes. The butler. He told me they had been gone fully fifteen minutes." "So I suppose you came on back to the church?" "Yes." "Did you Intend to halt the wedding?" wed-ding?" "Yes." Defiantly. "How?" "I was going to tell Doris and Dad what I 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 ever had," replied the boy curtly. "Ah. And when you arrived here, how does it happen that you never saw your sister or your father?" "I was too laie or at least I thought I was," Rylie leaned forward eagerly, now. "When I got back. I could hear the 'Wedding March," on the organ. I thought everything was over." "Then what did you do?" "There wus nothing I could do." The young man shrugged helplessly. "You didn't enter the church?" "No." "Then where have you been since ivjC; aJ (Til. "You Wanted to S:e Me?" the wedding?" Peter Intended the question to sound casual. Rylie hesitated, clasping and unclasping un-clasping his hands nervously In his lap. "I I've jii-t been driving around," he answered finally. "Put of course you've talked to some one who was nt the wedding. At home, perhaps." "No. I haven't been home," the youth denied. "Then how did you know Jim Franklin Frank-lin had been killed?" The question shot home like the swift thrust of a rapier. Rylie glanced nervously at his father, fa-ther, then back to the novelist. The elder Carmody's knuckles showed white, as he gripped his son's nrm. "I don't like your tone," he Interrupted angrily. "Don't answer that question. Son." "( 'a nnody," Peter had grown sud-denly sud-denly stern, "you don't have to answer, an-swer, but If you don't you are In very grave danger of being accused of this murder." The young man he-itated. ,,.i right. I'll answer." he said at length. "I haven't anything to hide. .1 should have told you the whole truth In the first place. Cal'is Shipley told me about it. I have : eon her. I tool; ln-r home f roll) the rhtl reh.' "P.Ut you fop us you never got ha- If to the church unt.l after everyllrng was fiver?" Peter endeavored to shake his story. "No." the youth denied. -I said that when I got back, I heard tie organ playing the 'Wedding March,' and thought everything was ovi-r. I was standing across the street, by my car. and Callis came running across to me. Siie asked mo to take her home." "Oh ! And she told you what had happened then?" "Yes. I came straight back here, of course." Cardigan arose abruptly. "There's only one flaw In that." he said. "Mow could Callis Shipley have known what happened here?" The young man's face went pale. Involuntarily, he clenched his hands. "I gue-s she knew. Just like everybody every-body else knew," be said. His voire sounded strangled, far away. "Put every one el .e didn't know." Cardigan pointed out. "We have taken special prectinf ions to see that no one else found out. There has not yet been any announcement made con corning Franklin's death." "I guess Callis didn't say there hail been a murder," the boy's voice was frantic. "She Just said something fer ritile bad happened and that the wed ding had 1 n postponed. I guess I must have Jumped at ronrluslom about fho murder." "Kather odd, wasn't II, that you should Jump to that kind of concdu slnn?' I "No. No, I don't think so." Rylie brushed the hair hack from his forehead fore-head and swallowed nervously. "I don't think it was so odd. It would take someJiing very unusual to stop a wedding, wouldn't it?" "Very unusual," Peter agreed. "And you had undertaken to stop this one." "You think I did it. don't you?" The youth pointed a trembling finger at the novelist. "You're accusing me of murdering mur-dering him! That's what these questions ques-tions amount to. Do you think I'd have come back here, if I had been guilty? Wouldn't I have run away?" His voice broke. "Wouldn't I?" Cardigan looked at him gravely. "That's why some men don't run away. Rylie." he said slowly. "They think it's safer to fight It out than to run the risk of being caught, because once they start to run, they Invite suspicion." suspi-cion." Kylie Carmody gripped the arms of his chair. "I'm not afraid," he said slowly. "I didn't do It. You can't convict con-vict me of something I didn't do." "Then how were you so sure there would be no wedding?" Peter queried swiftly. "I I wasn't sure." "And yet you never took the trouble to dress for It.'1 the novelist pointed I out. "Y'ou are wearing a tweed suit." Rylie glanced at his coat, as though for the first time realizing Its existence. exist-ence. His answer was deliberate. "From the time I heard about Choo Choo Train and Jim Franklin." he said. "I forgot all about the wedding. I've told you about that. I came here to j see Franklin, and then went home to try to catch Doris before she left. ! Failing In that. I came straight back i here. I forgot all about dressing." j "Y'ou have told us that several times," said Peter. "Suppose you tell us how you heard about this actress. ' Who told you?" Once again Rylie hesitated. Then. ' "Web Spears told me." he said. "lie ' told me nil about It at the club, a'ter lunch." "Who Is this Web Spears?" "Webster Spears? Why. he's oh, every one knows Web. His father was my father's partner, before he died. We've been friends always." . "And was there ever anything between be-tween this young Spears and your sister. Doris? Any boy-and girl affair. af-fair. Were they ever sweethearts?" "Yes." reluctantly. "Put that's all I over, now." j "Since when?" "I don't know. For some time, though. I'm sure of that." i Peter's next question was addressed ' to the senior Carruo.ly. "I suppose you knew young Spears pretty well, too, didn't you. Mr. Car- j mody?" ' "Of course. I've known him all his life." ! "Well enough to recognize his voice ! over the telephone?" I "Well," Ambrose Carmody pursed his lips thoughtfully, "I don't know. ' I might." Peter followed up this question with another. "You told us. earlier, tti.it some nt:e who refu-ed to give his name, telephoned you this afternoon am told you about (Inn Choo Train. Could that have been Web.t.-r Spears? ' The elder Carmody shook his to ad doubtfully. "I don't know," he said. "I hard'y think so." "Why?" I "pecause Web would have given tae his name." declared the old man uilh dignity. Is fer was evhleti'Iy through with the Interview. With Ms ban. Is crammed In his coat pockets, lie ambled about the room, tils forehead corrugated u thought, his blue eves gleaming beneath be-neath their shaggy brow.. The sergeant motioned peter to fo i low him and strode Into the study. He made sure the door was shut t,,.. fore he spoke. ".Viae suspect already, al-ready, snd we know w ho eight of then) are. The ilev II of It Is, we can show a motive for must of them." Peter watched silet.flv as his friend cro ei to the rectors de-k where the contents of the slain m in s io kels had been medio. Iloailv arrayed. Tliev bad been few a I' ll fol 1, soiiip ln,,.e change, f-.vo ha n.'. .-r.-lilr f s, one of them still fold' d. and n bather en-ea-ed ring on v'.'.-h there were m o ii fce). Hilda!' picked I . fie 1,, v .. Weighing them .Py. h's eyes -till , :..!.-. I Pi Iho-'ghl. "Nine S'tspeels. and we I. now ( eight of them. Put this woman In , blue if II v as I 'allls Shipley, (lien i Doctor Abernn'bv Is tr.iing I" protect ; her. Wli ? If she was the wo i'u in blue." the detective continued delib- era'elv. "we'll have to find n way to 1 shake Doctor Abernalhy's story. I "Put If she vwi-n't" ir-uiii tie ex- ! amlned the keys lii his hand -"Ihesti J keys may Ml us something. If the woman In blue hilled Franklin. Jealousy Jeal-ousy was probably the motive for the crime. We know ( boo ('boo Train was bis unstress, lie could have bad another. He bad a reputation for lu-fi'lelily, lu-fi'lelily, where women were con corned. If that Is true, then one of these keys probably fits the (hair of her apartment." Peter ex llilltied those keys minutely. minute-ly. Two Acre small, of the tpe fro quenlly used for desks and tiles. The other live were larger. Any one of them might til an apartment door. Kilday mirht be on the right track. "Ilow about yoiuin Carmody?" the novelist queried. "W hat do you think of his story?" "I can't nlTord lo think about It till I check up on It." the detective re piled grimly, "('nine on. let's go visit Callis Shipley. I've got to know If she was the woiiinn In blue. "And." lie lidded Minimum) as tin left by the rear door of the Htinlv. "one of these kevs may fit her apart llieut. You never can lell." (TO IIIC (ViN'!'M'l;l.l |
