Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-19

served thoughtfully. AT what time
were the Dawn womans phone wires
first tapped and the house placed
under observation
by 6 O'Clock this mornings. be-
fore I'd even established the fact
from the private Waterman on the
block that any car had been stand
ing in front Of that particular house
most OF last Wednesday night from
before 1 O'Clock on. He's not SO
dumb, but he is an old man and
afraid of losing his soft job. When l
finally convinced him, though that he
wouldn't get in wrong, he showed
me little notebook where he'd
taken down the numbers or every
car left out late at night on his beat.
together with the date and the num-
Der of the house before which i
enoughrs The detective laughed.
That was luck, but to clinch il, he
saw Lane himself come out of Zoe
Dawn's house and drive away at a
quarter past 3: the methodical old
cuss stopped under a street lamp
and looked at his watch to make
sure as the carr rounded the corner.
so much for Lanes actual presence
there and an alibi that we've dug
I'D for him whether he wants 1t or
not, but it lets him out OF the case :.
Tomorrow, ii you say so, doctor, III
get Dawn down for little talk with
Nhe Old Man at headquarters. and
find out what really passed between
the two of them that night and all
about her affair with Benkard;. and
she won't find any kid-glove diplo-
macy about it, either. Want US to
her. nVpr the illmDgr ~
DIR. Hood glanced somewhat
doubtfully at Geoff, who shook his
head but remained silent.
Il don't know. ! don't believe
even your chief could get anything
more out of the lady than YOU have.
detective" the former replied tact
fully. How about it, Geoff?"
"'Taint for me TO say" remarked
the reluctant consultant. Reckon
there's a good and sufficient reason
why she amt tried TO git hold O
Lane, nor him her. but ! kinder
think if twas me runnin' this here
mornin' and I'd lie considerable"
What do you mean" Lyons ask
ed.
"Mebbe it'd be more like takin' a
chance than downright lynn, at
that" Geoff amended. "Howsom-
ever, I'd let on that Lane hearin' tell
she'd Established this alibi for him
was goin' back on his bargain with
her. Id have to find out the name
o some real intimate Wall Street
friend o his that she'd recognize
SOS TO make it sound as though it
was straight goods. when l said
this friend had give him away to
me; that Lane had told him he was
just a-goin to finn fam her long
till the murder was cleared up and
the will probated. and then let
her raise any fuss she'd a-mind
to. I'd hint kind o broad. then,
how Lane had laughed at the
very idee o her tellin' the truth
bout what they'd settled between
'em last Wednesday night after
she'd a-been tryin' so hard to live
down them Washington doin's these
last years. specially as if it come
to showdown he'd stick to the
selfsame story she had give to
Detective Lyons. here. and t'would
be his word agin hers. When I'd
got her to believin' it and maddern
a wet hen-Fd leave"
leave? repeated Lyons, half
incredulOusly. Give her time to
cool down and think it over and see
tlllouSoH Tue
no. Give her time to git all het
up over it till she was bound and
determined to pay Lane back for
! trickin' her, no matter what it cost
her: and then I'd give her q free
hand to aCt-meanin' that I'd have
her followed, o course, without her
KNOWN it. but I'd let her so
| wherever she was a-mnd to-"
But ncithe" she nor Lane had
| anything to do with the murder
itself, and it'll be u week the day
, after tomorrow since it happened
the doctor objected. IF we don't
DO something soon, the city news
papers will begin laughing at our
LEGAL ability to handle the case. and
YOU know what that will mean to
| the District Attorney. | don't see
! that 1t matters what happened be-
tween hor and Lane while Bernhard
| was being murdered out here
Except that mcDbe Lane sus-
poets who done it. and wild hosses
couldn't git him to talk, but if she
| once started in, bein' woman,
she'd tell cverythin' she knew or
| had heard tell o bout Lane and
Bernhard both, and all that Bernhard
| had let out to her when he was pay
| in her 'tcntions, besides what
what she Opined herself as to the
| motive and the one who done 1t. |
amt got no notion what Sergeant
| EliotS up to nor that private de
| tcctive Teller, Mahoney, neither:
| hut it seems to me this Zoe Dawn
| is your one chance. and then only
| il she talks willin' ana free
Peters is right" declared the
| detective, rising. 81 don't know
| whether or not he expects her to
como openly TO headquarters and
| lay her cards on the table, but any
| way. she's our one best bet. I'll get
| her all steamed up, doctor, the way
| he suggests, and then leave it to her
! to make the next move"
"All rightS DR.. Hood assented.
resignediy, as he followed his visitor
to the door. Il don't see myself
that there's anything else to be
done
II gotta be movin' long. too. doc. -
| Gcoff remarked quickly, as soon as
! LIONS had taken his departure.
Want to finish them 6oodabs on
that terrace in the next day or
! two"
"Geoff." the doctor interrupted.