Show 0 a evya TO by JOSEPH M nac e co paim RI D installment eighteen maybe wed better talk it over was detective staples calm reply mr jacobs called me early this morning and said that someone had broken into a property he owns forcible entry escaped with valuable property mr jacobs has reason to believe that you were the intruder mr cutter 1 I was there jacobs cut in in As I 1 was saying the detective went on paying no heed to the interruption ter 1 I suggested to mr jacobs that he come to headquarters it just happened that I 1 knew your license number mr cutter so I 1 had bad our radio cars notified just before I 1 met mr jacobs I 1 heard that your car was parked here we came over when I 1 saw miss anthonys name in the vestibule I 1 thought maybe she could help us out you see I 1 happened to know she was a friend of yours and here you are he finished pleasantly all this while jacqueline had been staring wide eyed at M mr r jacobs trying to use her dazed faculties in in an effort to fit him into the picture there was but one answer he was the man who had been keeping lieutenant staples on larrys trail he was the owner of fairlawn Fair lawn he was the onetime one time partner of the elder cutter he was the man larry suspected she shivered a little jacobs must have sensed her fixed look for he turned to her you are the last person in the world miss anthony whom I 1 would have expected to find in a situation like this 11 do you know that man mana larry cut in sharply staring at his wife she nodded before larry could reply the telephone rang stridently excuse me staples said quickly to jacqueline and walked to the desk he lifted the receiver to his ear yeah right the others heard him say ill call her in a minute the officer hung up the receiver and looked regretfully at jacqueline the gentleman was cagey care to talk 1 I think it was my father f t was expecting him to call well well something else for us to look into this look so good for you miss anthony im sorry if you care to tell me anything 11 jacqueline resolutely ignored larrys warning glance of course she agreed sweetly in the first place I 1 am mr cutters wife that makes it quite all right for him to be here it well im excuse rne me say were you married to him when I 1 was giving you that little first degree there in your office oh yes wish id known it I 1 suppose we cant look for much testimony from you he rubbed his bald head reflectively were wasting time jacobs snapped this man has been identified and admits he broke into my property what more do you want 1 I 1 I guess that does give me pretty good reason to hold him for the county officers I 1 suppose youve notified them mr jacobs Jacob sv 1 I telephoned the sheriff before I 1 left home hes working from the other end with the help of my man 1 I see staples turned to larry do you feel up to coming downtown with me and attending to a few formalities if not im afraid ill have to put someone here to look after you maybe like to go to the hospital larry swung his feet to the floor and took stock of his situation ill have to td have somebody patch me up I 1 suppose he admitted but it may not be necessary to go downtown now then mr jacobs mr jacobs shook his head when he spoke there was a tone of sad ness in his voice im sorry cutter I 1 was a very close friend of your father his best friend I 1 believe I 1 should hate to see a son of his get into trouble if I 1 could avoid it I 1 fear I 1 am doing wrong but it if you care to return my property I 1 might consider withdrawing my charges very kind of you larrys lip curled and just what do you want me to return why the what you took from the cellar the one you were trying to get away with when when your hired gorilla took a pot shot at me in other words you dont know what it was but youre afraid you dot dol 1 I time to quibble cutter you may take your choice well ill ease your mind I 1 found exactly what you think I 1 did but I 1 cant trade with you just now be I 1 cause its in my lawyers hands at the moment A dull red surged into jacobs face s do your duty staples ill see this through this young fool is hinting at blackmail because he knows I 1 have money just a minute larry perceived that his shot had struck home he would carry the bluff a little farther for jacks sake as well as his own 1 I know about your friendship for my father jacobs he said curtly 1 I know more than you think and 1 I have put all my information in the hands of my attorneys tor hacks and hicks just in case youre interested been delving into things tor for me and with this evidence ive just put into their hands it should furnish grounds for you and me to settle a number of things jacobs leaned back in his chair and stared his small eyes were blinking rapidly its taken me quite a while to get around to this mr jacobs but im trying to do a good job you must have had something in mind when yau you put this sleuth on my trail just how you happened to find I 1 was in town such a piece of pure luck as you supposed either larry went on he was carrying his bluff to the utmost now hoping for some sort of collapse on the part of his dapper enemy ive an in the first place I 1 am mr cutters wife been able to turn up a few items of interest through a mutual friend miss morris jacobs leaped to his feet his face was fairly purple do you mean to insinuate not at all miss morris has been been in my employ as well as yours ashes a very capable young woman jacobs made a visible eff effort ort to control himself he turned to staples with as much dignity as he could command 1 I dont think mr cutter will leave town I 1 wish to have a talk with him when he is able to come do down wn to my hotel I 1 will be responsible suits me observed the lieutenant urbanely but I 1 want our friend to have a doctor he turned apologetically getic ally to larry would you mind if I 1 called in one of our department surgeons just so we may have his report doctor edmunds is first r rate a te anything you like lieutenant then to jacobs but you and I 1 wont get anywhere in conference do your talking with my lawyers first and I 1 think that will be all for now CHAPTER XV jack darling larry called from the couch as lie he watched his wife dialing the number of rannie hicks his lawyer and friend yes ask vince first thing if he gave those books to rannie if anybody waylaid him well im worse off than ever you too ill ask but I 1 know he did she confirmed it with a nod and smile after a few words with her father poor old vince she laughed when she turned from the telephone he was almost beside himself gooce boyl lies hes a credit to his daughter hes coming over to see you and find out what you want him to do well theres no need for me to run now in fact I 1 think id better stick here I 1 wish that doctor would hurry up im wondering how it would do for vince to take me up to the brown farm to get some of my traps ive got itt lets all go up for or the weekend week end 1 but I 1 canti cant larry my goodness I 1 called mr ilow how soon cannou can you spare me larry ill have to tell him never said that gentleman promptly im not going to let you get away from me tp but of course im going back to work I 1 must very well then explain that your husband has been shot and that youre probing for the bullet rush down as soon as you find it silly lov in another minute jacqueline was speaking to her employer she explained that she he had been unavoidably detained but that she would be in her office ai as soon as possible now what can we do until the doctor gets here she inquired blithely larry be very badly hurt he was so like his old self again well theres one thin thing g id like to settle before we get down to serious business ive been expecting you to crack it sooner whatever do you mean 1 I want to know what that tobacco vampire down at the spilled in your ear about miss morris she saw us together virgie blake why nothing youre a poor liar jack ill have to take you in hand I 1 knew she had dish edthe dirt as soon as I 1 saw you come clean now what did she say well almost almos t nothing at all just that you werd were up there with your wife that she was a dizzy blonde and that the two of you get along very well any more in fact you were having a family quarrel at the time 1 I get it and you believed her absolutely well I 1 did question her story about your being married I 1 had reason to unless you were a bigamist but I 1 doubt that you were involved with another woman what a break larry groaned 1 I saw the cigar alga vender going by with one ear hanging out well you know the truth now miss morris works for a chicago agency we brought her here so that there be any chance of her being recognized she landed a job with jacobs as his secretary you told that story well but I 1 still have my suspicions you she had her orders to beat it if anything broke alma I 1 mean no doubt ashes gone so you call her alma professionally come here theres something else to settle yes sir have you realized that both of us have been disregarding our contract I 1 mean that its getting pretty well noised abroad that were married im not mentioning names but I 1 want to know this t what does it mean 1 I I 1 dont know exactly 1 I do he drew her down to him it means that you love me that I 1 love you were through pretending with a quick move she pressed her face against his uninjured shoulder it was very quiet in the room jack larry whispered there was no answer 1 I want your first kiss jack lifted her face her dark blue eyes were bright with tears but she was smiling elines cheek rested against larrys still when the buzzer sounded a half hour later its the doctor she exclaimed hurriedly getting to her feet and smoothing her hair and how I 1 hate whoever it is larry sighed it proved to be mr anthony but the police surgeon arrived within a few minutes mutual introductions followed and dr edmunds set about dressing his patients wounds you were fortunate to have plenty of meat on your bones mr cutter A very nice clean little hole about a thirty two caliber bullet id say 1 I notice particularly larry observed making a wry face my attention was elsewhere centered on your fist perhaps I 1 notice your knuckles are bruised so they are larry examined his hand witha witha grim smile of recollection after a family consultation it was decided that jacqueline might report for work larry stipulated however that she was to give notice that her stenographic days were over vince was to take him downtown to ati for a co conference with the hi hicks acks firm and then drive up to the brown farm for a supply of larrys clothing larry could make out for one night at the hotel and did vince mind going out and putting down the roadsters top larry would like the sunshine when they started TO HE BE CONTINUED |