Show aW EDMING MARCE RIP man A bt MONTE ARRETT 13 W NIU SF contina nm CHAPTER 11 Conti continued aed royce nodded there be any mistake not a chance you see ive met miss shipley a dozen times recently at parties given tor for the bridal party cut but you never saw the woman in blue that doctor abernathy told us about did you weve been over that boy royce cc declared impatiently 1 I was out in front looking for milo dunbar the sergeant turned to the rector how well do you know callas shipley doctor ive known her all her life I 1 christened tho the child there any chance that you von could be mistaken then allday worried the question like a dog with a bone youre positive that the woman in blue you told to id us about earlier could not have been callis shipley 1 I am positive of that declared doctor abernathy and his manner was convincing aliday was baffled what do you make of this reter the detective turned to his friend for su suggestion jim franklin was murdered at or about tile the stroke of four lie ile arrived here at twenty minutes of four in that twenty minute interval eight people visited this room that we know of here he ticked them oft off on n his fingers doctor abernathy who was in the church when franklin was killed nick royce who was his best man and claims he be was standing right at this door at the time of the murder rylie carmody who was to have been ills his broth er in law jaw find and who quarreled with him in the study according to two witnesses mr carmody kilday glanced respectfully toward the banker who explains that he be came tc demancy deni andL the truth from franklin regarding choo choo train chris shipley one of the bridesmaids who did not see franklin while she was here but did see nick royce another woman dressed in blue like miss shipley who has not been identified choo choo train the actress who Is supposed to have been in love with the dead man and daniel burls who evidently was very angry when he entered the study without knocking all this he threw out his hands in a gesture of despair in twenty minutes and we cant find anybody that seems to know anything and yet we have enough to go on peter expressed a confidence he did not entirely feel we can talk to choo choo train well want to ask daniel burls some questions we can discover something of franklins private life from his manservant man servant fletcher whom mr royce mentioned which may put us on the trail of the mysterious woman in blue we can locate and identify that woman we can question carts callis shipley and discover khy slie she was so eager to find eyrie carmody and what she was doing back here in the sacristy when as a bridesmaid she was supposed to be with the bridal party in the front vestibule and we can look up lip brylle carmody who quarreled with jim franklin so BO shortly before 11 you wanted to see me a slender young man stood in the doorway the novelists eyes took in the tweed clad figure of the boy before him in such strange contrast to the gj eig a formal wedding attire of the th axles s mr carmody his manner two engaging in we were ju just st men red you ou I 1 believe you came to drin aTIl franklin klin at about twenty ing ses es to four ats arf ar I 1 was here what hat was wai the object of your y my boy bylle alle hesitated and glanced at b ieather father t a minute son the elderly I 1 ody laid a detaining hand on 3 young mans sleeve the hand tim blod bled but his voice was firm as I 1 faced the novelist lly aly son had gothing to do with this he said of that I 1 am sure and I 1 am not lot to permit him to anaw answer er your est lons ions except under advisement C am hl his s attorney any man being by the pollee police has a right ahe ithe services and protection of ills his vorney Car modys voice rang ran bantly i antly through the room HI 11 agree with you mr air carmody iter er said his banfil manner r once more vv warm but I 1 am sure sur e will vill agree that there are times j as this when the police have height t to expect the cooperation of law abiding citizens in belr t efforts to apprehend a criminal the man who nho was to have been your son in law has been murdered we are only seeking the assistance ot 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 these questions may hay I 1 sug suggest est that you step into doctor Aberna abernathys thys study and discuss the matter with your son perhaps that will facilitate matters the old mans clutch tightened on his sons sleeve the color flooding his face threw his snowy mustache into vivid relief an excellent idea he be commented briefly and followed by rylie he crossed to the study closing the door carefully behind him after a brief interval ambrose carmody reappeared in the doorway my son has explained his I 1 you wanted to see me hie reason for coming here to me his eyes were on kilday as 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 re regarding ard ing it IL I 1 have no objection to this but I 1 reserve the right to halt the examination pending the advice of my attorney should it in my opinion become necessary in order to safeguard my boys interests rylie carmody standing behind his father shrugged impatiently p dont make mountains of mole hills dad he said then facing the detective he continued 1 I had a quarrel with franklin in doctor Aberna abernathys study a short time before the wedding it concerned an actress called choo choo trofin whom I 1 had just been informed was his mistress naturally I 1 was angry I 1 went first to franklins apartment and missing him there I 1 followed him on oil here I 1 asked him it if the story I 1 had heard were true he admitted that it was we quarreled then after which I 1 hurried home in an effort to intercept my sister and father before they started for the church the sergeant clucked softly to himself you say franklin admitted his connection with this woman he did to me ne oven even laughed about it rylie replied bitterly lie ile called me a foolish oollah kid and told me I 1 was old enough to understand such things thank god im hotl the boys lips were quivering but he be rushed on lie ile laughed at me when I 1 said id ste stop p the wedding I 1 too stood there i and laughed at me did he laugh when you threatened to kill hemr him the sergeant ln in terpo in a suave tone of 0 course nol cot I 1 never made any threats you just told us you threatened to stop the wedding itolle shrugged impatiently 1 I mean physical threats that never entered my mind I 1 only intended to inform my iny father of tills this woman that would have been sufficient to stop the ved wedding ding and did you youl Kil days tone was judicial no ko I 1 arrived home too late my father and sister had bad already left tor for the church peter ter interrupted him did anyone pc see you at home yes the butler ile he told me they had been gone fully fifteen minutes so I 1 suppose you came on back to the chur church chr yes did jou ou intend to halt the wedding yes defiantly now how 1 I was going to tell doris and dad what I 1 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 1 ever had replied the boy curtly ah ab and when you arrived here how bow does it happen that you never dever saw your sister or your father 1 I was too late or at least I 1 thought I 1 was kylie brylle leaned forward eagerly now when I 1 got back I 1 could hear the wedding march on the organ I 1 thought everything was over then what did you do there was nothing I 1 could do the young man shrugged helplessly you enter the church no the then n where have you been since tile the wedding peter intended the question to sound casual ryley hesitated clasping and unclasping his hands nervously in his lap 1 I ive just been driving around he be answered finally but of course youve talked to some one who mio was at the wedding at home perhaps no I 1 been home the youth denied then how did you know jim r franklin had been killed the question shot home like the swift thrust of a rapier rylie bylle glanced nervously at his father then back to the novelist novell sL the elder CAr C lr modys knuckles showed shoed white as he gripped his sons arm 1 I dont like your tone he interrupted angrily dont answer that question son carmody peter had grown suddenly stern you dont have to an awer but it if you dont you are in very grave danger of being accused or of tills this murder the young man hesitated all tight right ill answer he said at length 1 I anything to hide I 1 shou should d have told you the whole truth in the first place carts callis shipley told me about it I 1 have seen her I 1 took her home from the church but you told us you never got back to the church until after everything ever Y was over peter endeavored to shake his story no the youth denied 1 I said that when I 1 got back I 1 heard the organ playing the wedding march and thought everything was over I 1 was standing across the street by rny my car and carts came running across to me she asked me to take her home oh and she told you what had happened then yes I 1 came straight back here of course cardigan arose abruptly theres only one flaw in that he said eald how could callis shipley have known what happened here the young mans face went pale involuntarily lie he clenched his hands 1 I guess she knew just like everybody else knew he said his voice sounded strangled far away but every one else know cardigan pointed out there has not yet been any announcement made concerning franklins death 1 I guess carts say there had been a murder the boys voice was frantic she just said something terrible had happened and that the wedding had been postponed I 1 guess I 1 must have jumped at conclusions about the murder rather odd it that you should jump to that kind of conclusion clu cl no no I 1 dont think so brylle b brushed rus bed the hair back from his forehead and swallowed nervously 1 I dont think it was so odd it would take something very unusual to stop a wedding it very unusual peter agreed 1 and you had undertaken to stop this one you think I 1 did it dont you the youth pointed a trembling unger finger at the novelist youre accusing me of murdering halml almi what these questions amount to do you think id have come back here if I 1 had been guilty I 1 have run away his voice broke I 1 brylle carmody Car roody gripped the arms of his chair im not afraid he wd said slowly 1 I do it IL you cant convict me of something I 1 do then how were you so sure there would be no wedding peter queried swiftly 11 1 I 1 I sure and never dever took the trouble to dress for it tile novelist pointed out you are wearing a tweed suit rylie glanced at his coat as though for tile the first time realizing its existence ills his answer was deliberate arom prom the time I 1 heard about choo choo train and 31 jim franklin he said 1 I 1 forgot all about the wedding ive told you about that I 1 came here to see franklin and then went home to try to catch doris before she left falling failing in that I 1 came straight back anck here I 1 forgot lor got all about dressing 10 you tou have told us ns that sev several eral times said peter suppose you tell us how you heard about tills this actress who told you once again idylle brylle hesitated then web spears told me he said ile he told me all about it at the club after lunch I 1 meet him until unfit one thirty lie said he had something to tell me but he kept it to himself until after lunch it was two forty five he continued more slowly now 1 I remember the time because I 1 looked at my watch I 1 wanted to see sec it if I 1 bad time to catch franklin at his apartment kut but by the time I 1 got there he had left gone to the church his man said eald so I 1 drove on here by that time it must have been after three thirty as you said who Is tills this web spears spear webster spears why abi hes oh every one knows web ills f father a wa was s my fathers partner before he died weve been f friends r ends always the families have always been close friends I 1 gather of course and was there ever anything between this young spears and your sister doris any boy and girl affair were they ever sweethearts yes reluctantly cut but all over now since when 1 I dont know for some time though im sure of that peters next question was addressed to the senior carmody 1 I suppose you knew young spears pretty well too you mr Carm carmody of course ive known him all ills his life you told us earlier that some one who refused to give his name telephoned you this afternoon and told you about choo choo train could that have been webster spears ars the elder carmody Car roody shook Ws head doubtfully 1 I dont know he said 1 I hardly think so why because web would have given me lu e his name declared the old man with dignity peter was evidently through with the interview with his hands crammed in ills his coat pockets he ambled about the room his forehead corrugated in thought his blue eyes gleaming beneath their shaggy brows the sergeant motioned peter to follow him and strode into tho the study ile he made sure the door was shut before he spoke nine suspects already and we know who eight of them are the devil ot of it iso Is we can show a motive tor for most of them peter watched silently as his hia friend crossed to the rectors desk where the contents of the th e slain mans pockets had been methodically arranged they had been few a billfold bill fold some loose change two handkerchiefs one of them still folded and a leather encased ring 0 on which there were seven keys displayed on tile the folded handkerchief was waa the wedding ring a slender platinum circlet studded with emeralds there had been nothing more allday picked up the keys weighing them idly its his eyes still clouded in thought N nine 1 I n e suspects and we know eight of them but this woman in blue if it was callis shipley then doctor abernathy Abor nathy Is trying to protect her why if she was the woman in blue the detect detective ve continued deliberately well have to find a way to shake doctor aber mathys story that be hard but if she again he examined the keys in his hand these keys may tell us something if the woman in blue killed franklin jealousy was probably the motive tor for the crime we know choo choo train was his mistress he had a reputation for infidelity where women were concerned if that is true then one of these keys probably fits fiti the door of her apartment peter examined those keys minutely two were small of the type frequently used for desks and files the other five were larger any one of them might fit an ap apartment art door kilday might be on the right track bow about young carmody the novelist inquired what do you think of his story 1 I cant afford to think about it till I 1 check up on it the detective replied grimly come on lets go visit carts shipley pley ive got to know if she was the woman in blue and he be added ominously as they left by the rear door of the study one of these keys may fit her apartment you never can tell TO BE 00 CONTINUED 1 |