Evening star., 1923-12-22
ABOVE SUSPICION
By Robert Orr Chipperfeld.
Auahor Of "The Second Bullet" Unseen Hands,
1.-The Trigger Of Conscience" Etc.
Copyright, by n. 4
Continued from Yesterdays Starr
CHAPTER VIII.
By Robert Orr Chipperfield.
Copyright, 1923. by Robert n Mcbride 4 %.
FOUR MISSING HOURS.

There was no moon and the stars
were half obscured by scudding
clouds when Geoff, lantern in hand.
made his way along the path over
the meadow to the main road. DR..
Hood was awaiting him. and, after
hiding his lantern In a clump of
bushes. he climbed in and they drove
off for a short distance without
lights. till a turn In the highway
cut them off from view In the direc-
tion of the Cayley estate.
II wasn't looking 70 have Zeke
Foster try to nab me-" the doctor ex-
planned as he switched on his lamps.
Its Sergt. Eliot I'm thinking about.
He's lying low somewhere went
up to the house after ! left you III
the road this afternoon and found
that he hasn't been in evidence all
day l don't like 1t: he's up to some
thing. Everybody was on the de-
fensive, too; mighty polite and anX-
ious to help, but as careful of
what they said as though they were
Wait till we get the evidence of this
headquarters man
"A closed ottermobjIe. the kind
Jake calls a sedan driv up long
bout o'clock. but ! couldn't see
who come in it," Geoff observed. Il
reckon they're there yet, though. for
IT went off in the direction o Jake's
garage"
1T must have been Newbury, the
lawyer, returning. He's back, and
there's nobody at the house who
wasn't there yesterday, but you watch
out tomorrow, Geoff. for a strange
fellow hanging around. He may pre-
tend to be a house servant to take
the place of Henry Carp, who is
really Sick from shock, and he may
lnx Ii tANte h.a' !
come from O'Hare's agency"
I'll be goin' right long bout my
own business. Doc" responded the
stone mason In some haste. Been
mixin' up too much already in what
don't consarn me. but I've been
pesterin' myself bout this here Lane.
If he's got what you call a 'alibi"
and you can't find nobuddy else with
bad 'nough grudge agin Bernhard
to Kill him, you're kinder up tree,
ain't your
High and dry" the doctor admit
my horn twice"
The branches OF the huge old trees
of the picnic grove were waving in
the rising wind and the skv was COM
nieteiy overcast as the ramshackle lie
little car turned in under the vehicle
shed and the hoarse growl OF the
horn sounded twice.
Even before they could descend a
shadow moved In far corner Of
the shed where the outlines of low
roadster could be dimly discerned,
and a mans figure approached.
"Dr. Hood?"
Yes. You're the operative from
headquarters?
For answer the man pulled a card
from his pocket and then held a
small electric flash so that the doctor
could read 1t, at the same time
glancing somewhat askance at the
latteTs companion.
All right, Lyons This is Godfrey
Peters. who has been doing some
carpentry and concrete work around
the Cayley place, and he picked up
the information which first put me
on the track ou your subject" ex-
plained the doctor His Judgment
has helped me more than once on
cases out here, and | brought him
along as sort of unofficial deputy
to hear what you've got to tell US"
It's a-plenty" The detective, a
slight dark, spruce looking young
fellow. who might have been a law
yers clerk, spoke with professional
brevity. Lane didn't go straight TO
his rooms and telephone to the garage
usually does, but he left IL at the
garage himself. and he didn't reach
there until half past 3 in the
morning. All the dope that I could
get at first was that he had left his
car there between half PAST and
/ O'Clock. but l could tell the story
wasn't sertight and they'd been
coached, so 1 hung around till I could
spot a guy who would come clean.
Lanes liberal Upper, but a bad
actor with temper that money can't
always salve over, and one of the
helpers there was good and sore at
him. so it wasn't hard to get him
talking on the side.
went to Lanes rooms next.
Ih6yrP tho Garnnd fnnr nf ~, .
bachelor apartment house and he
hadn't bothered to fix the night men
because he didn't think the guy saw
him come in, but he did. Maybe Lane
didn't have chance to see him, for
he was off duty by the time Mrs.
Cayley's phone message came and he
had to rush out here, but ANYWAY |
got 1t straight. Lane came home At
S:45, just fifteen minutes after he
left the garage, walked up the one
flight of stairs and let himself in
with his latchkey. The night man
was doing on a seat behind the
switchboard under the stairs. but he
woke up when Lane came and look ed
at the time; because one of the other
tenants had left an extra early call
in order to make a train. / found at
the garage that Lane had just about
enough gas Wednesday night to bring
him as far as this and half way back
if he took the principal road both
trips, so on my way out tonight
stopped at every garage and service
station to find out where and when
he'd got a. fresh supply until located
the right one. 1t was at Brooklands,
just about half way between here and
the city, and he filled up on gas and
oil both. The guy there thinks 1t
must have been about half past IL,
and remembers Lane because he was
In such a rotten temper, cursing the
delay. / had to get on down here to
report to you, but If you say so, doc
tor, I'll try to pick up the trail from
turned up at his own in town.
That's what 1 want, Lyons. If
you can get aftidavits later from both
of the garage men and the night at
at Lanes apartment house,
they may be useful" the doctor re-
sponded. In the meantime, Ill see