| Show I OT l' l 17 t r l- l I iI t t 6 1 fI d if 0 iA 4 b L t r p. p ISABEL WAITT y 4 U RELEASE THE STORY SO FAR Judy J Jason son who Rho Is 5 s telling the story receives an Anonymous letter enclosing and ask ask- lag Ing her to bid toT for an church t to be auctioned the next day She finds in an old ch chest st st. the body of a 11 man fled fied as Roddy Lane Lily Kendall Is fonn found dead with Hugh Norcross' Norcross scarf around her neck Judy accidentally brushes against the wet paint on a pic pie tore tire of the church Just finished by ono one rot of the guests Albion Potter Under the I picture of ot the tho church Is II a 11 portrait of Lily LUy Kendalls Kendall's niece Gloria Lovelace potter Is revealed as a 11 famous movie director Albert Parker whose wife ran away faY with Ith Roddy Lane Now continue with Judy's story CHAPTER NIX I. I t Tell me Victor said You killed Lane the night he came to toj j the Head didn't you Rigor mortis must have set in judging from the way Judy described that hand How did you h happen to leave him there I 1 wanted the body Had to have s i body for Brown Used all Mrs Gerry had in her kerosene can and the gas from Lanes Lane's car That was stupid of me but I wanted a big bigfire fi fire are e and De Witts Witt's breaking the wind window win win- dow dew d w of the garage made it easy She burned like tinder as you saw Took off the ring and put it in Judy's Ju- Ju dYs dy's bag Hurry man It was you that 1 Quincy and Judy saw running along the bluff last night No uNo that must have been Norcross Norcross Nor- Nor cross he said Hed gone the tb back ck way through the woods up lithe the strip of beach and climbed to lie the Uhe church But you took me to town Wy Wy- Wylie lie Uie objected Be quiet commanded Victor Hurry Potter You drove to town t times didn't you Afternoon ko t to the movies for the stub alibi Again with Wylie and De Witt after r supper when you knew your chance lh d come because Lane had come cometo comet Ito t to the Head But you only stayed nil dark Then you came back after fter phoning the milkman to cooperate cooperate co co- operate for a reward Told him it was as a Fourth of July prank at the bridge i Right I Right He said the old bridge deeded repairing and that was one way to get it done j So you left the time bomb knowing know- know J ing g you'd pick up Wylie Gerry and T. T the e only other car out was the ministers minister's min min- ister's listers ister's j De Witt had said hed he'd be back early pearly Wasn't much of a chance Left my my car in the woods off the road near Gerry's barn Luckily I Imet Imet Ir r met no one on the Neck and no none noone noone one one ne at the Head saw me Kept my lights out Then I made for the church hurch after reconnoitering a bit through ough the basement door via my ass pass key Miss Kendall was asleep en on the church steps worse luck but buti i had to take a chance to get Lane Dut aut of the chest and into the shed II He He was in the chest then Since Sincee She e night before e While the auction Iwas Jas as going on Why Listen will you Cant Can't you see e way this tubs tub's filling The night Jane jLane Lane came I was hidden in the church basement I was disguised tr- tr ites Old Man Brown I watched Lane where his treasure had been staken out by me Then I came out the shadows and told him who I was was Get up and fight like a man cried He was an awful coward He He fell at the first blow of my fists then he pulled a gun But I got it away from him and struck him with it lt t He went down and didn't get Up J p again I had a skeleton key I khat would unlock anything I wanted wantI want- want I red ed ea to go get my little cart from the thes shack s ack and drag Lanes Lane's body there ut t I heard someone coming That endall woman was always hanging hang- hang ing g around the church steps So I opened ened the chest and dumped him himI I He was quite dead As evidence evidence evi- evi dence against Lane the gun might ome in handy so I kept it Later Jt t f seemed best to hurl it into the ther r I fP ea ea I was afraid to fire it for fear Df g by V hv v the person nut rP- rP g J u r Side ide f an and d I wasn't sure it had been to to ed-to to make it look like a murder mur- mur mur-der mur fler der weapon Besides I had to be aSure the body wouldn't be 1 ble le before leaving the gun Then C poor Miss Kendall rr he broke offs off s' s But Lily Kendall had seen it on the rocks near the Pirates Pirate's Mouth J k lust last as Victor had only Victord t Pt still about it while Lily showed er r suspicion And she thought it was yours wade Potter was saying She old me to get that revolver She Relieved believed tJ you'd killed Lane with ite it e he never had any fear of me when asked her to show me where But Buthen hen en she leaned over I struck her ith a rock I had ready She creamed Screamed once and my heart stood f She d didn't scream again I Iad tad ad Norcross' Norcross blue scarf in my Docket b ock et and you know what I 1 did didy y with ith it Then I scrammed around Wie bhe cliff to the beach to the woods j Jp t p o my car in Gerry's barn Heaven ilone one knows why none of you caught yie e though the beach isn't visible d' d J rpm rom the inn Same as the night d Before II fore after dragging Lane from 1 e chest to the shed in the cart Id I'd Idy y bought for Cor the purpose which Burned f. f up in the shed Then I put putt t J at t the shed light and went through the llie woods to my car drove to town I and d picked up Gerry Saw De Witts Witt's r and got him to help me persuade I erry Who was tight to come o me ome Strengthened my alibi But Butt idy udy dy nearly caught me in the I t lurch basement If shed she'd come out I f the rear door shed she'd have stumbled over my little wagon That squeaky door I shuddered as Potter half-grinned half at me If Id I'd taken the cliff p path th While you were pushing Quincy's Quincy's Quincy's Quin- Quin cys cy's chair out the front way I was loading my burden onto the wagon I knew it was now or never Id I'd meant to go back the night before beCore and fi finish ish the hiding of that body in inthe inthe inthe the shed but well but well maybe I got cold feet The little cart was right behind you on the path path path-at at a safe distance of course It was well greased didn't rattle I hid behind some bushes while you investigated the shack where the light was still on The minute you passed did I hustle You'll find the thick glasses if you hunt in the brush cut the phone wires earlier earlier earlier ear ear- lier Before going to town the first time time after after supper that is And the boats were hacked the night Lane died when I got the gas for his pyre Norcross your club Id I'd picked up where De Witt had left it Used it as a blind to confuse the issue Also your sisters sister's coat It was lying in r y t 1 f flY lY i 1 r t y F I A r f c Get up and fight like a man I cried the hammock all last night I wore it part of the time in case I should be seen running through the dark dark- ness Sorry about the spot I really tried to cleanse it He gave the oars a shove into the sea The police boat was within hail and shouting at us We didn't shout back The drama unfolding before our eyes left us paralyzed The water had crept up until it seemed as if Albion Potter must drown where he sat Jump for it man begged De Witt But Victor said not a word The police boat was almost upon the Eleanor Would it reach there therein in time Just as I was wondering she slipped into the sea The police launch came chugging up after it was all over From then thenon on confusion reigned at Pirates Pirate's Head I think I answered a million questions not that it did any good But the town had to bury Roddy Lane I Bessie Norcross despite all aU that had happened grew sentimental She wanted to take charge of his funeral Hugh wouldn't let her Judy he said to me the night before they left headed for another breakdown right this min min- I ute Im I'm taking her off on a cru cruise se seso so she cant can't make a fool of herself here When we get back back and and this has all died down down theres there's theres something something something some some- thing I want to ask you Will you write me dear Poor Hugh With that sister of his hed he'd never have a chance to to ask a girl anything It was the second time hed he'd called me dear Ill answer answer answer an an- all your letters I sa said d. d Hughs Hugh's dark eyes held mine so so- berly Then he leaned over and kissed my hand We Ve could both hear his sister calling Oh Come ome close my trunk straps Victor Quade was standing in the doorway Had he seen Hugh kissing kissing kissing kiss kiss- ing my hand Evidently he had for foras foras foras as Norcross hurried away to his Lady Simon Legree Victor said Parting is such sweet sorrow Going to m miss ss him And me It had come then Victor was stepping out of my life lile I couldn't conceal that I cared and didn't try Of course I shall miss you you both When people have been through all we have together together- Exactly Judy what'll you do with the old church I shrugged Sell it if I can Will you That's what 1 i hoped Ill I'll buy it Grand place to write mystery stories So full of of-of of of a at at- t- t Do you know short- short hand U My heart gave a great bound No but I could learn Bless you You'll have to But Butwell Butwell Butwell well we'll try to get through this one straight to the machine Type cant can't you After a fashion Why Because now that the police have wound up this case case I want to get busy right away You remember remember remember ber my title Murder title Murder on the Bluff Not bad do you think Not HNot good either Not distinctive enough Murder at Pirates Pirate's Head doesn't sound so so-so so so much as if it had been used before Victors Victor's hands gave a loud clapI clap I HI knew it You'll be invaluable to me You will help me wont won't you Mrs have to get a new hostess Well We'll turn the church into a studio Trailer always annoyed me too much in it A man likes to pace while he writes Id love to help you Mr Quade Why H Mister me now after all weve we've been through Judy Vide my friends call me Vidor me-Vidor Vidor Quinn always be Victor to me I said and saw how pleased he looked This case will write itself he said all Hall but one thing What did Potter do with the gun throw gun throw it into info the sea the second time Hardly think so He seemed pretty nervous nervous nervous nerv nerv- ous about those fingerprints I guessed at Wait I said recalling the green bead near the hollow stump The bead had been in the mixed string which had caught on Potters Potter's button button but but- ton when we were going over the auction and I remembered that hed he'd only run for the Eleanor after hed he'd started tearing down toward the wil wil- low As the idea clicked I got Victor Victor Victor Vic Vic- tor to hunt down the path We searched thoroughly and found Lanes Lane's revolver hidden in the hollow hollow hollow hol hol- low stump The little green bead must have clung to his coat by the broken strand and dropped when he bent to toss the gun from his pocket That Victor said fixes everything every every- thing Potter was afraid to hurl this into the sea lest he miss again or have someone see him Everything except the fingerprint he left in my powder compact I didn't see any Naturally and how his teeth gleamed as Victor grinned at me Bless you There wasn't any THE END |
