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Show IWTHIUtM MONTE . flUrft- ' jftM SERVICE could you make a motive for murder mur-der out of tlmt? Ami tl,p, too, W10ro was the Milfe? It Itoyce had committed the crime, how had he been able to dls-I'oso dls-I'oso of the knife? No, that didn't t, unless (and Peter entertained slight hope of this) It were found outside by the man Kilday hud sent to conduct the search. l'eter stepped outside. This was the path Itoyce had taken, to get from the sacristy to the back door of the study. Except for a few shrubs, he noticed, there was no place the knife might have been concealed con-cealed on this side of the church. It was different at the back. There was ample opportunity to hide a dozen daggers there, given the time. And Itoyce had had plenty of that. Between the time the rector had loft the two men in the sacristv. knees, his lean brown hands clu1?d together, watching the other man Intently. "He had more than one quarrel here, then?" Itoyce nodded, but glanced at Carmody, before replying verbally. "There was a woman," he said. Ambrose Carmody turned toward the man stiffly. "I suppose you gave an account of that to your newspaper, newspa-per, too?" "Of course." And then, for the first time defending himself, Itoyce hurried to say, "What else could I do? Every paper In town will have an account of it and of this woman, wom-an, too. "It was Helen Train," he continued, con-tinued, this time addressing Kilday. "Clioo Choo Train, of the Scandals. Franklin made no secret of his attachment at-tachment for her. The whole town knew It every one except, perhaps, the Carmodys." Ambrose Carmody sat down heavily. "When was this?" he asked. "Before or after I talked with Franklin?" "After." Itoyce's tone was kindly. kind-ly. "Sorry, Mr. Carmody, but you asked for it. Choo Choo came In after Doctor Abernathy entered the church. She and Jim quarreled. Jim wanted to know what she was doing do-ing here. He was angry. She claimed that he had sent for her. I hushed them up. I was afraid the sound of their voices could be heard Inside the church. "'Come In here,' Jim said and, grabbing her by the arm, pulled her into the study. That was the last I heard." SYNOPSIS I . In Ui minister's study, Vruiklin, about to ba nuirrlcil t nVls Cnrminiy. Is stubbed to 'f1 CnlUs Shipley, one of the J 'mslii' l obviously In a state "iiety. Sersennt KiUiny. of tbe , ! 'York police. Is called to the 9. '" CHAPTER I Continued 2 sI 11 sell three hundred thousand -rs In the next two hours. If I ! t do It, somebody else would." D medical examiner continued examination, briefly. He shook head when he finally arose. "In-itaneous," "In-itaneous," he said. "The mur- )?,)sr fave lllm tlie wounJ across ' ;roin first, a glancing blow, paln-tut paln-tut not necessarily fatal. Evi-! Evi-! ij Franklin struggled." He in-;:eJ in-;:eJ the torn collar. "His as-jut as-jut grabbed him there, to pre- bis calling for help. There are "Could a woman have held him by the throat to prevent an outcry, after tho first thrust, until she had time for the second?" Cardigan inquired. in-quired. With his eyes he measured the brawny size of the dead man. "Women can do lots of things we're reluctimt to give them credit for," Itoyce retorted. "Besides, how do we know which blow was struck first? Perhaps the deep thrust was the first one and the other came later, la-ter, when Jim was weakened and dying. Thnt would eliminate your theory that a woman couldn't have done It" The novelist shook his head, slowly, slow-ly, his shaggy brows knit In a reflective re-flective scowl. "I don't think there was much struggle left In him after that blow," he said. "It must have come last" "Let's begin at the beginning," Kilday suggested. "You say you were In the next room at the time this happened?" and the arrival of the usher sent by Ambrose Carmody to discover what was wrong, considerable time had elapsed. And what If Nick had not telephoned his newspnper, after all? What If that were just a subterfuge, sub-terfuge, by which he hoped to explain ex-plain his failure to notify anyone of what had happened? In that event, Peter reasoned, the dagger would be found here. Then he turned Into the rear door of the study, and hesitated In the doorway, his restless eyes exploring ex-ploring every detail of the room. The police search had been thorough. thor-ough. Small chance that any detail had been missed. Suddenly his eyes stopped on the wall, opposite, near the door leading lead-ing to the sacristy. Had he found a clue here? There was an eager light dancing behind the bright blue of his eyes. Hanging In a scabbard, not three feet from the door, was a short dagger dag-ger of Oriental design with an elaborately elab-orately carved handle. Hanging on the wall In a scabbard scab-bard ! Was that how they missed it? What would Nick Itoyce have to say now? "Did you see her again?" Kilday wanted to know. "No. She must have left by the back door." !'How about Franklin?" Peter Cardigan Inquired. "Did you see him after that, either?" Boyce hesitated, as though for reflection. re-flection. "No-o," he said slowly. "Come to think of it, that was the last I saw of Jim." They were Interrupted by one of CHAPTER II Suspects. ((TJEGB," said Peter, "is the Fl knife that killed Franklin." The group in the sacristy turned startled glances in his direction. Kilaay s assistants, em-enug num the study with the dagger. "No prints, sergeant," he reported. report-ed. "The handle must have been wiped clean." "It was too much to hope for," replied Jxilday, as he drew it from its scabbard. j marks on his throat As for 'a;e," he pointed out the small j :ses at either end of the second ' :nd. "I don't know where they :e from, but the second wound u'J the business. I think It must j e reached the heart, judging , -j the loss of blood." i Sergeant Kilday examined the blue ;:::ses at either end -of the wound I:", rntly. "What do you make of " a, Peter?" he Inquired presently. lie novelist shook his head. "I " :'t know," he said. "I've been t ;':Bg to explain them, in my own a-i but I haven't had any luck, i :'ir." Ihey were Interrupted by a sharp on the door. iilday opened it. ' A tall well-built man, whose in-i in-i it gray eyes stared beyond the 1 :ective to the body on the floor, od In the doorway. 'May I be of some assistance?" The newspaper man nodded. "Suppose you show me where you were standing," the sergeant Invited, Invit-ed, and Itoyce crossed to the door leading from the sacristy into the church. "Doctor Abernathy had gone in," he said, "and I was watching for our cue to enter. The last I saw of Jim, before the crime, he was standing stand-ing right where you are now. 1 turned my back to him and was watching the choir enter, waiting for the 'Wedding March' to begin. But when It did begin, Jim was dead." "And you heard nothing at all in the room behind you?" Kilday's voice sounded slightly Incredulous. Koyce shrugged his dapper shoulders. shoul-ders. "I've said that I didn't For one thing, they were singing, and the organ was playing. That would have drowned out any but a loud noise." The blade was about five incnes long and curved only slightly. The most interesting feature of the dagger dag-ger was its handle of elaborately carved Ivory, with a curved metal hilt in the shape of two ram's horns, their tips pointing downward. There were no stains on the blade. "Naturally, there wouldn't be," Peter pointed out "The slayer wiped it off on the curtain. But I am sure this is the knife which was used." "Why are you so sure?" Kilday looked doubtful. "Simply this." The novelist took the dagger from his friend and pointed to the curved hilt. "This explains ex-plains the bruise at either side of the deep wound. The dagger, you see, was driven In all the way to the hilt. It was a powerful blow. Each tip of the ram's horn left Its mark on the slain man's body. Come and I'll show you." "Where did you find that?" Nick Royce demanded. Peter explained how It had been hanging in its scabbard, high on the wall of the study. Sergeant Kilday, handling it carefully care-fully by the scabbard, as Peter had done in order not to mar any fingerprints finger-prints there might be on the handle, examined it minutely. "Ever seen this before, Doctor?" he inquired of the rector.. "Yes. It Is mine. I brought it from Jerusalem." The sergeant handed the weapon carefully to one of his assistants. "Look the handle over for fingerprints," finger-prints," he ordered. "You can use the study. As soon as you're through with it, bring it back to me. I want to have a look at the blade, next." Then, turning, he smiled significantly signifi-cantly at Nick Royce. "So you didn't have time to run home and hide the knife, eh, Mr. Royce?" inquired gravely. "I'm Milo Dun-. Dun-. Franklin and I are or rather :"'re partners." -jlday stepped aside to let him 'li There-was a suggestion of pow-:j pow-:j in the reserved dignity of the ! i's smooth-shaven face. He -ped beside the body. Only for :d instant did the firm lines of his Uh relax Into an expression of 71 -. Then his reserve settled back I his face, like a mask. Have you any idea who did this mg?" he inquired of the detective. - iilday grimaced .ruefully. "You i: rest assured we'll go after the a who did it We've got to." He - :e Nick Royce a wry smile. "If -l don't, every paper in town will 1 after my scalp. "Mr. Royce," Kilday's bland tone deceived no one, "you hadn't, by any chance, quarreled with Jim Franklin, had you?" In spite of the smile on his thin lips, there was an unpleasant expression ex-pression on the newspaper man's narrow face. "Sherlock," he said, with a mocking bow, "don't tell me you have guessed my secret. That's why I was the best man at this wed- "Just the same," Kilday retorted, "you weren't overcome by grief. You discover the man you say was your best friend, murdered, and the first thing you do Is call up your newspaper." He turned abruptly to Doctor Abernathy. Ab-ernathy. "Where were you?" "In the church. I was standing at the choir steps, waiting for the bridal party." In the study Peter's theory was borne out by the wound which had caused Franklin's death. The blue bruises at either side of the wound, when measured against the hilt of the dagger, fitted perfectly. "It begins to look as though It wasn't a premeditated crime," Sergeant Ser-geant Kilday began. "The murderer murder-er or murderess, whichever the case may be, grabbed this weapon from the wall in a fit of passion. It appears ap-pears that he brought no weapon with him." Peter stared thoughtfully at the rear door of the room. "I wonder how much this door had to do with It," he said. He spoke softly, as though giving voice to his thoughts, "Don't be a fool, Kilday." The raillery had died out of the newspaper news-paper man's voice. "In the first place, I doubt if that's the weapon which killed Franklin. Secondly, there were half a dozen people who had as good an opportunity to kill him as I. And the others had motives. mo-tives. I hadn't." "Half a dozen people? Perhaps you can tell me who they were?" Kilday's tone was eager, but freighted freight-ed with doubt. Royce glanced slowly around the room before replying, his eyes lingering, lin-gering, momentarily, on both Doctor Doc-tor Abernathy and Ambrose Carmody. " And now the biggest help all of - can be is to clear out of this 7 m until we finish with our in-3 in-3 tigation. I'll want to talk to all ti you, later, but right now, I'd bet-have bet-have a look at this room, before , -thing is disturbed. You can wait 1 there." He motioned toward the risty. " Joctor - Abernathy escaped from i room with evident relief, f ol-:!ced ol-:!ced by Ambrose Carmody and Vlo Dunbar. Cardigan hesitated, ' ping for an invitation to remain, - ilch was prompt in coming. "I didn't mean you, Peter," the Active said. "I'm glad you're re. I'll need your help." "How about me?" Nick Royce ipped In the door. "I'm represent-? represent-? Topics." - "Outside," growled Kilday. "We n't let any of the other -newspa-fJ ir boys in yet, have we?" " "None of the other newspaper 'J vs know as much about this as I "Could you see this man, standing stand-ing here in the door, from your position po-sition In there?" The rector hesitated. "I could have," he agreed. "But you see, I wasn't facing in this direction." "Well, when you glanced over here, did you see Royce? That's what I'm asking you, Doctor Abernathy." Aber-nathy." "No, I didn't see him," the rector admitted. "I wasn't standing where I could be seen from the church," Nick Royce Interrupted. "The door was only open a crack, and I was standing stand-ing well back." "You didn't say that, at first," Kilday challenged. "I took your intelligence too much for granted, I'm afraid." H the officer heard, he gave no sign. "Mr. Carmody here had some words with Franklin in the study a short time before the murder." Carmody smiled briefly, as he shrugged. It was evident that he thought the statement beneath his defense. "And your son, Mr. Carmody,' Nick Royce continued calmly. "Rylie came back here and threatened Jim Franklin a short time before the wedding." "Rylie?" Carmody's tone expressed ex-pressed his indignation. "Be care- rather than expression to any formulated form-ulated opinion. "If that theory is correct," he continued, "there was no reason for the murderer to conceal con-ceal his movements when he entered the study. Then It would have been some one whom either Royce or the rector saw entering the room. If the crime wasn't premeditated, there was no reason why the murderer should have slipped in here by the rear door." It was clear that Kilday, who had paused to listen to his friend's reflections, re-flections, shared his doubts. They were Interrupted by an exultant ex-ultant detective. "Look what we found In the garden, gar-den, Sergeant." Carefully wrapped in a handkerchief handker-chief to prevent marring any fingerprints finger-prints there might be on the weapon, weap-on, the officer exhibited his find. i," retorted Royce confidently. 1 :or instance, I could tell you that e murderer wiped his dagger on at curtain over there, before he :n out the back door." r Kilday examined the dark stain ' i the Indicated curtain. "Stick -ound if you want to," he yielded s- Tiidgingly. "But I'd have found I -e mark on the curtain, anyway." Under the sergeant's direction, the ' ;lnute examination began. The de-:i de-:i dive with the camera began pho-4 pho-4 graphing each detail of the room. I second officer began the painstak-' painstak-' :S 6earch for finger-prints. The sergeant had been bent over -e table, carefully scrutinizing one ' ' the finger-print specimens dusted ) t photographing by his subordi- Jtes. Now he straightened and ed Royce. "Who do you think killed Jim s rank!in, Royce?" he demanded sud- :inly. l "A woman," replied the newspa-' newspa-' t man calmly. ! "Why?" I For the first time, Nick Royce an- '-vered reluctantly. "That was his i ,r-akness," he admitted grudgingly. j fhe fact Is too well known to re-' re-' a secret long. There have been 1 great many women in Jim's life. en ful wno you uj iu m affair, Royce." The editor of Topics turned to the rector for confirmation. "How about it, Doctor Abernathy? You were here." The rector was obviously reluctant reluc-tant to speak. "Yes," he said finally final-ly "Rylie was here. He had an argument ar-gument with Mr. Franklin in my study, a short time before the wed- d'"But he left right away," Doctor Abernathy hurried to add "I talked to Franklin after that So did Mr. Royce. The Idea that Rylie could have been connected with this is preposterous." "What time was-this quarrel? Kilday demanded. I couldn't say, exactly. The rector was still doubtful "Not later la-ter than a quarter of four, I am """Probably earlier than that," added add-ed Royce. "Rylie was the first one who quarreled with Franklm, and I hat was right after we came We I arrived at twenty minutes of four I "Did I understand you to say tha I Rylie was the first one to quarrel with Franklin, Nick?" Peter Cardigan Cardi-gan leaned forward, elbows on "We're taking one 01 me out of your study," he Informed the rector. "The slayer wiped the knife th"Di'd you find the weapon?" It was Milo Dunbar who asked. "Net yet. Probably the murderer murder-er took it with him." "And so that convicts me," Nick Royce interrupted ironically. Of course I've had time to run home and hide the knife." ..you ran outside to get In the back door of the study, didn t you Kilday demanded. Then, urnlng to one of Ms assistants, "Take a look oufside there, Pat. Maybe the knife Shrubbery outside for some trace of tlieFeTr "tuclied the newspaper Jntback wi, rianV to con nlfT he thought seemed preposter- As be had so pointedly made 0US- tL Franklin would scarcely clear' J .?flany butis most trusted ?rrndStoedbeanhisb best man. Where It was a revolver. Kilday exam Ined It, clucking softly under his breath. "Not premeditated, eh? Looks like we were guessing in tho dark, Peter. Now we have something some-thing to go on." The detective handed the exhibit to one of his assistants. "Try It for finger-prints," he ordered tersely, terse-ly, his searching gaze coming to rest on Nicholas Royce. "This actress you saw here. Know where she lives?" "I can find out very easily." The sergeant turned away briskly. "I can do It quicker, if you don't already know." There was a speculative light gleaming in his eyes as he turned to Peter Cardigan. "I'm going to have a talk with this woman," he said. "Want to go along r TO BB OOXTI.VUBD.) |
