The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-05-28
CHAPTER vII-continued.

And the number she called nm
tne private number-did you find out
about that?"
Sure, that was easy. It's one of
tne apartments in the Granddeck-
Henry Kents. Who's he?"
u never heard of him, I'll FRY tn
ind out, though"
i would, but be careful how you
60 asking questions around the place.
Inc Moore woman may have a pal.
Iney generally work in pairs"
The ease and celebrity with which
norman had learned all these things
ABOUT the girl impressed me greatly,
and l said as much. He received nv
compliments with deprecating wave
Of the hand.
Nothing to 1t, boy, when you know
the ropes. But last night you told
me you had taken the girl out to try
70 pump something out of her. What
vas it? What's doing?"
From beginning to end I told him
sae whole story in all of it's perpIex-
Ng details, starting with the day that
; mad received my great-uucle Rufus
note that had led to the chance meet
ing with Miss Bradford, bringing in
my discharge and the disappearance
VI the CASTOR pearls, and explaining
"llat made me think these facts were
III some way involved with the at
tempt to blackmail the Bra dfords.
what do you make of it?" I asked
Us ended my narrative. "Who do
Sou mink Is at he bottom of it?"
i don't think" he retortcd. "In our
business it does not pay to think too
QUICK You're apt to convict the wrong
party"
but you must think something" I
protested.
1 think" he said slowly and medi-
ta'lVely, that there's a lot of crooked
WORK going on-Tn say that much.
Hnu you and Miss Rradford's pretty
e'ose to being the center of it."
What can we do about it?"
lhere's a way 1 learned from a
la"Sef that amt bad. He'd take his
I,ient and put him in the center Of a
Uis circle with lines running in all di-
iSe e.,Cns - alibi, insanity, mistaken
iuentlty' no proof of guilt, lack of
S;uiiSulctlon, escape on legal technical
me "a mark out every possible de-
-enSe' Then he'd follow each line ont
anu see where it led and what plan
~ tne opposing lawyers would be likely
S HI spring on him. Generally he got
MS man off"
.r uoh quite see how that applies"
You don't, eh?"
ne traced an imaginary circle with
ha. Iorehhger on the table in the little
~. room where we were sitting.
a. heres you and Miss Bradford In
&c, center surrounded by lot of mys-
s,,lous deviltry. Wen make two cir
tho. Ihis inside one is the things
~ mat nave happened to both of you
ste e wall safes opened, the papers
~ ~tUien' the pearls gone, the anonymous
o'eS' the blackmail threats, the loss
NJ your Job, the voices you've heard.
d" Um On this outer circle wen mark
s0, all the people who might be
Sa ,Aed up in these things-mind We,
only might be. First, there's
: ey Moore's woman--we know she's
b. erook. Then who do we know that
a AuoWs her? There's at least two
hi H.. Wick, the superintendent that
na teu her, and this Mr.. Henry Kent,
Nv muse apartment she telephoned to.
t nnen there's all the rest of the help in
~ sne mouse. Any one of them might be
ps pal. Then there's the Eighty
bradford girl"
,.,o iou don't suspect her, do your" / |
In eu, Mortified at the prospect of his
,nTsugation taking this turn.
sn.i ne easy" he retorted. sTm not |
,,eSspecting anyone. I'm only putting |
pin down. There's tn Bradford |
ami. ana her ex-husbandnedYe's a big
NJ and that makes "a crook.
mn .wo men you We park, |
enem with "A face