| Show 3 Sandy kM W- W by Y- Y Ele lore n i iIA IA UX TEIl CIL io Instinctively Douglas hunched the square squar chin thrust out out Meager's eyes glinted coldly Now ow I wouldn't advise that that fro Mr leith Wro cro not trying to pin anything on you Were We're gIvIng you a chance chanc lo to get clear cleor on this Come clean on the proposition and you'll be all nil right But you OU cant can't fIght leht this down and lie II out ot of It It You were In this room last Monday night nl ht A A man died here EIther he lie was WIlS murdered murder d or ho he committed suicide If he corn com com muted suIcide there 1 no reason for your silence You should be ba willing to explain your presence presence here Douglas Douclas stared before him teeth teth sunk together torether Meager went on quietly Come over here Mr Jor K Keith Do you ou see this red stain Someone's the blood th womans woman's blood bloo 1 She crept from hero to the tho door Ho lie pointed with the th long break bleak finger RIght Richt along here here- here left her finger 1 prints dozens of times on the tho floor She Sha reach reach- reached reached ed d the door She had a a hard time turning that knob S S 4 Douglas swept his over his hair A A quick dizzy beating of his heart Right night along alone there Sandy had ad went crept erect went creeping getting moanIng to her knees fumbling at the th door And Ramon sprawled lifeless just lust there behInd behind him him- him The Th room clouded clouded- swayed round with him He stooped and looked at the blood marks markt Good God ho he thought filled with panic Im getting faint What do they Shey hey know What can cnn they know Elevator operators operator's word agaInst mine Ho He could visualize Ramons Ramon's body hulked Inertly on the th floor And It now flOW affected him as mon moo monstrous Incredible and monstrous that he Douglas Keith should be here stifling fighting fic guilt guilt- lly lIy ily-bullied bullied and Insulted as though he had actually murdered a man roan Meager Meager's voice vole drummed against against him In an Indistinct mumble You carried the gIrl aWIL away Mr Keith Where have havo you hidden her You see we know what happened Douglas straightened hImself angrily Then why ask alk me Ive I've told you I know nothing 1 never ne met the th man mon And I tell you wv weve eve got cot you cold And we know just ju t what happened and you better como come through You bett better r Kit Hit down here and make mak a clean breast of It It He H moved a a chair slowly cat cal c l plopped It down dI- dI dIrectly directly di directly over the the- area where Ra- Ra Ramon's Ramon's Ra-mon's Ra mons mon's body had lain Douglas shuddered His jaws felt stiff stift like liko cement He stared at ata a window aindow above Ramons Ramon's deska deska desk a a Indo window aindow that looked on a acourt acourt acourt court Queer ho he hadn't noticed this window before The rhe Til shade was up lb Ho lIe could see seo Into other offices Directly opposite but on the floor above a man roan was standIng S SA A startling thIng thine happened The Theman Theman man lit a cigarette putted puffed lull SUddenly he h glanced across And he bowed ed Immediately Douglas recognized him Avery Middleton They were In tho the same year ear at at college A smart Douglas Alec Alee always thought him a a regular smarty smarty Did Middleton know know why he was In this office Did he know that a a mon man had died hero and tie he arrogant young Douglas Keith was under suspicion brought broucht here her to be b unnerved and examined examIned cross 7 He ia had a 0 hot reckless notion to swing swine out his lla fists bolt from the room It appeared SInIster that Middleton should stand sUnd there bowIng to vIcious him him vicious and sin- sin later r didn't notice that win win- window window dow before Mr Keith I 1 never SQ saw that window be- be before before be before fore happen to notice whether whether er Cr the tho shade shad were up or down last Monday night Douglas threw him a 0 look ot of fury the th frank hazel eyes black and stinging UnthinkIng ho he skirted the th chair Meager had pl placed ced 1 pulled another mother to the tho table slumped Into It You didn't like liko the th chair I placed for you Why did you walk arOund that spot 7 I notice you avoIded It It Singular that that's thata where W Worth's rth's body ody lav lav- lav lava Ia a Douglas Douglas swung his lila shoulder as though blows blow were were almOd at his face He H folded his arms In a 0 aMt uti Mt desperation Whether the shade was up or down last Mon Men Monda Monday da day nIght Ko NO o lie Ho H hadn't ed it It But Dut why did Meager sa ea It In Its that cold sneerIng way II Ho Il wanted to beat his lIS flats fists against his teeth and curse curs furl furl- furi furiously And Anil lie he h thought God God AlmIghty Go will God God 1 will he lie keep this up much longer oDger lie H saw Meager's ugly hand reaching across the th table table- Look lACOk her here Keith you say youve you've youe never been In this office How low dId you happen to know Wortha Worth's body fell You did know It You Tou refused to walk alk near the tho spot And the tb first thing your eye fell felt on when you OU came Into this room was that blood stain In the tho corner But you say you ou were never ne hire All right richt rl t then Why should you refuse to say where you were ere on Monday night Ive I Ive I've not refused Where were you then 1 I was home The whole evening Yes Yes Think now It may be possIble that you came downto down down- to your that office office that you OU may have chanced to pass thu this buildIng Perhaps you CAme cam In here her on some other business I 1 never neer same game In her herc And youre you're oure positive you weren't near Third and Market at an any anytime anytime time after alter i S o'clock last Monday night Yes Im I'm Im I'm Tr n i I Now Xo listen Mr Keith You were wre at home homo Monday night You Intended to remain horn home Dont Don't you recall that a a girl cirl phoned you meet meet to meet her here You came down and waited She Sh didn't show up You Jot got alarmed after wait wait- waitIng walt Inc Ing better than an hour You went vent after alter her Iler You came up to office Tings happened happened- happened S S S Meager leaned down peering up into Douglas face A cold xe- xe re repugnant smile on the detectives detective's lips Douglas stared back WIth every word the th young clenched jaws became more gaunt caunt and tor- tor tormented tormented tor tormented looking ThIngs happened You had to carry the gIrl pirl out Sh Shed She'd d crept from that corner over o there Right flight over os-er there You see tee weve we've got It all 1111 cold Hadn't you ou better come through 7 Im I'm not tryIng to make It hard for you Were We're willing to listen to a a story of suicide Were We're willIng to give gl you the tho break on It You were here Tell us what happened It If you talk you OU can perhaps prove It as suicide And And If It you dont don't talk we know its it's murder You murdered him or the girl dId Suppose you OU tell us what that happen happen- happened happened ed I dont don't know what happened Meager I wasn't here I dont don't know nhat shat hat happened Youre going to stick to this I stick to It Then suppose I tell you that the gIrls gIrl's come corn through Weve We've got hold of the gIrl and she's confessed ed the th whole thing Douglas rose rose He H felt as though lIghted swords drove with sharp harp poInts through his bis heart sud heart sud suddenly denly and cruelly He saw Sandy with her hand shielding her face and he ha h thought i not gother cother found her heri herl not got her I turned back In time Ume Urn ThIs Is a bluff What do you say now Mr Keith That no girl can can make a statement to Implicate me In thIs affaIr I have hae hav nothing to do wIth It it No one on can prove that I had Meager's eyes ees narrowed He gave Jovo a a long lone musIng whistle whittle and got up abruptly I guess that's all for the present S S S Slie lie He II pulled open the door He sold said A good rood place you took the girl but not quite secluded secluded ed cC enough Douglas glanced at him with burnIng accusIng eyes lie He stuck atuck Ills lii hands hand In his pockets and gave no answer But the th moment ho he was free the the moment he was rn up Geary street he h found himself bUnkIng blinking bIting at nt his lI lips s tell tell- tellIng telling tell tell-Ine Ing himself In a tortured way ay Thais a get blurt bluff me mo to rush down there They want me m to lead llad them to her I know th them m Yet he h longed to reach Sandy longed longed to speak speak with Judith But Dut he thought with anguish God I God I dont don't dare I cant can't risk It They'd follow He waa wae Was afraid even to call on Hal hump Hum He went home dIe Jie H found that Emma was out Queer for her to tobe tobe he be out at noon time lime tim when he said he h was returning tor for lunch He wa was wai about to go so out To his astonishment Newton ewton the Police reporter was comIng up the step Newton was excited Ho He H cx- cx ex extended tended Ills hIs hand with nervous haste halite Too bad too Doug too damn bad I We Well We'll II stand by you Jim told roe me to tell you OU hell he'll stick by you I Hed He'd like liko to get ret your side of ot It I like I-like like like to Jo explain why you OU were In Worth's office Douglas walked back bacle Into the hall ball closed the th door brusquely I I 1 wasn't In that office Say Soy what's the th use They've got your finger finfer prints got prints ot them Saturday when you handled all those photographs Those finger YOURS prInts were in Worth's office And you walked Into a room this morning where three people positively Identified you ou And your mother mother- mother My ly mother Yes theys Yes theys they's had her down there thero for the last thre s hours Sho's She's spilled the said beans beans said you weren't here all last Monday night night- Douglas went over oyer to the lh mantel In the th living 11 room He H picked a from the th hearth He thought vague vaguely I Em Era have time to to- to dust dun up Oh today today poor God poor little Utile Em I Continued l Tomorrow |
