Show murder masquerade BY inez haynes iruin invin inez irvia service NEW TUESDAY continued 13 when marg margaret aret fairweather appeared eared in the doorway my thoughts curiously enough flew at once to bessie 33 essle it was the common devastation in their faces which linked them together in my mind bessiea Bes sies face had turned the strange gray which dark skins assume under torment either physical or mental margarets flesh had g gone one waxy hers might have been a dead face if it had not been for the burning intensity of the harrowed eyes 1 I went over to the police e station to see you patrick she announced in her strange dead voice but they told me that you were here patrick drew a long sigh by its depth I 1 gauged the extent of his relief Is there something I 1 can do tor for you margaret margaret looked at him hard 1 1 I must talk to someone s she he said 1 I have a strange story to tell you you may find it on the surface unbelievable I 1 can only say that I 1 am telling you the exact truth patrick remained silent about a week ago ace blaikie called at the house and asked me if I 1 would lend him some money por for many reasons I 1 did not want to lend ace any money I 1 did not like him in the first place in fact suddenly her dead eyes blazed in fact I 1 hated him I 1 did not trust him either when he told me how much he wanted to borrow I 1 was appalled patrick said how much was it ten thousand dollars margaret answered patrick whistled I 1 said nothing I 1 could not speak what did ace want that ten thousand dollars for patrick asked 1 I dont know margaret answered perhaps I 1 could guess but id rather not she looked pleadingly at patrick youre right margarett margaret 1 patrick approved lets confine ourselves to the facts did you lend him this money yes but not at once I 1 told him I 1 would have to think it over I 1 knew that chati I 1 would have to take that ten thousand out of my principal he called more than once patrick interrupted yes four times I 1 have the days in my diary ace stipulated requested I 1 mean she corrected herself with the careful honesty typical of her that I 1 give him a certified check it all took time but he kept hurrying me he wanted the money I 1 felt for something special when was the last time he had been in your house before that patrick asked ace blaikie had not been in my house for twenty five years margaret replied did you give him the money patrick asked a 9 yes when to the night of the masquerade to where in marys spinney patrick sighed again about what time was it he asked A little after ten thirty how were you dressed 1 I wore a black dress a black scarf over my head a big black lace shawl of my mothers how did you go to the spinney 1 I walked up the road toward the park turned off at marys path walked past the little house and met ace 0 she paused bleakly patrick waited at the exact spot where they found his body margaret concluded A pause pregnant with awful possibilities whirled between us three did your interview take long patrick asked gently no it took scarcely a moment could you reproduce it for me easily I 1 said here is the check ace he said thank youl you I 1 heres my note tor for I 1 handed him the check and he handed me the note I 1 have it with me would you like to see it yes thank you margaret tor for thinking of that margaret took a folded piece of paper from her handbag hand bag and handed it to patrick he examined it on both sides held it up to the light will you trust this with me for a while certainly patrick margaret replied by the way margaret you make it out to oh yes have to make it out to ace yes 40 patrick whistled that campli compu cates things perhaps theres somebody boob enough to think he could coula murder ace and then forge aces endorsement on the check has as the check been cashed margaret to no the day I 1 heard of aces death I 1 went over to the bank to stop payment they said I 1 do that without a court order they told me it been cashed well well watch that point anyhow patrick assured her was that all you said patrick went on no I 1 said one other thing and it was the only other thing I 1 did say I 1 said ace blaikie I 1 hope you die the death you de deserve servel I 1 patrick stroked the back of his head then he clasped his hands there and let his head rest against them what did ace do with the check he took oft off his helmet and pu put t the check chack inside in the sweatband was there anything else ito nothing so far as ace was concerned did cousee you see tony torriano go off into the bushes IN no 0 71 you say gay nothing as far as ace was concerned patricks voice held an interrogative note odas As I 1 went back over the path I 1 thought I 1 heard a stir in the bushes not loud then no a mere stirl A cat might have made it patricks irish gray eyes had turned brilliant he still rested his head against his clasped hands for a moment he did not speak but his eyes never left margaret she did not speak either margaret patrick began you and I 1 are old friends and weve known each other for forty years and perhaps longer you know that ive always been fond of you and I 1 thought I 1 heard a stir in the bushes flora that I 1 respect you and that I 1 trust you but im the police chief here in this town and it make any difference what I 1 think or believe my bus business iness i is to prove I 1 believe your story of course but margaret I 1 must ask you some questions maybe you wont find them pleasant ive got to do it though ask any questions you want patrick margaret said well if I 1 were a jury the first thing id want to know would be why you were willing to lend ace blaikie so much money especially when you hated him 1 I did it to prolong my sisters life 1 I made up my mind that ace should not enter our house again the last time he came he said that if I 1 lend him the money perhaps flora would I 1 knew it if he made up his mind to see flora nothing on earth could prevent him from getting to her and I 1 was sure a meeting with him would kill her I 1 was in agony every time he was there for fear flora would hear his voice ag again a in silence margaret saved patrick from asking the question that hung almost visibly on his lips she went on ace blaikie Blaik iii made love to flora when she was a slip of a girl she fell in love with him she loved him with her whole heart and mind and soul and when he transferred his affections to a mere light of love in marshbanks it nearly killed her she was never the same girl afterwards she never recovered from that she has loved ace blaikie all her life she loves him still she cant help loving him but she hates him too no check was found on aces body patrick informed her 1 I know margaret arose to her feet 1 11 I realize perfectly patrick that I 1 am now under suspicion I 1 hope you wont have to arrest me for a while it would kill flora she know ace is dead yet 1 I shant arrest you for the pre present s margaret patrick assured her 1 I will ask you not to leave not even for a day it seemed to me that the entire town turned out to ace Blai kies funeral it was held in the white vine covered church the most spacious in town the service was brief when the pall bearers bore I 1 the flower wreathed coffin out of the building a sound of weeping like a dreary wind ran through the church I 1 did not want to go to the grave but I 1 did somehow most deeply I 1 desired not to see what had been the splendid body of ace lowered into the earth given over to decay yet I 1 went A large group of his friends accompanied ace bruce bexson was not there mrs thelford told me that he was so sick with a bad cold that he be able to enter aces will tor for probate before saturday I 1 saw both doctor marden and caro 1 I wish you felt obliged to go to this funeral aunt mary Hop estill greeted me when I 1 returned 1 I feel obliged I 1 answered but I 1 wanted to go ace was one of my oldest and dearest friends was caro there yes I 1 answered she intending to go Hop estill explained we were planning to go places and do things together this afternoon to get this horror out of our minds but after luncheon she telephoned me that her grandfather insisted on her attending the funeral they sat together I 1 said doctor marden looked frightfully exhausted this terrible thing has worn on him as much as any body 1 I dont see why he made caro go honest Hop estill ill grumbled she says she hates funerals she knew ace of course but not awfully well well I 1 suppose he has the french point of view I 1 explained hes lived many years in france there they make so much of death funerals and burials are extremely important events 1 I dont think caro liked ace particularly Hop estill declared although I 1 dont know why I 1 bring that up when hes dead poor old ace the telephone rang and Hop estill answered it yes ashes here yes yes come right down still holding the transmitter he looked over at me caro prentiss is coming here nice shell be just in time for tea it seemed to me that there was an air of cof suppressed excitement about her for as we drank our tea her foot tapped the floor once I 1 intercepted an interrogative look in Hope stills direction the instant I 1 put my cup down caro and Hop estill put their cups down Hop estill arose and came toward me As though unconsciously drawn caro arose too walked to Hope stills side stood with him looking down at me aunt mary Hop estill said caro and I 1 want to take you now dont get weepy and dont say fio we want to take you dym doarn into the spinney we want to show you something I 1 think I 1 can give you my word aunt mary that W when hen you see what we have to show you be glad you did what we asked caros lovely voice reinforced him please mrs avery please please come cornel I 1 its something lovely ill go children I 1 agreed and then may sylvia come too yes they chorused we want sylvia to come caro and I 1 will go first H hope ope still declared and you and sylvia walk behind us I 1 followed those two about the piazza down the steps at the side over the path into the shade of the spinney uncontrollably I 1 began to tremble I 1 fixed my eyes on the two beautiful young creatures ahead light and shade poured a checkered stream upon them that stream flowed over their figures and poured into the earth my trembling grew suddenly they stood aside from each other stationed themselves one on either side of the path between their sentinel figures I 1 glimpsed what a transformational my path had ceased to take its regular turning it curved into a great loop to the left and on the spot where aces body had I 1 lain ain was did you two children do this I 1 asked they nodded I 1 think I 1 shall never forget the look on Hope stills face its anxious wistfulness but caro more confident smiled in in a happy pride 1 I picked up two bravas bracas to help with the rocks Hop estill added and caro went around to all your friends and begged flowers from their gardens she did all the planting to the right of the new path and opening directly on it was a rock garden field stones the round lichen covered stones of new england made the four walls made at the back a triangular rock garden whose top surface slanted towards the entrance tiny grassy paths of new laid sod divided the rest ot of the walled space into tiny flower plots and those plots were filled crowded with petunias pet unias deep purple pale rose and white snapdragons wine colored pink and tawny phlox flame colored pink and white zinnias kinnias of every zinnia collor the star like pride of oxford borders everywhere of ageratum its beautifully full I 1 gasped its exquisite how on earth did you do it I 1 took a swift mental foray backwards why what youve been up to these two days I 1 added children you have done a wonderful thing it wipes out the terrible memory of TO BE CONTINUE DJ |