The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-02-14


Micky stuck out his lower lip
sullenly.
Gee, I'm tlyin' to, amt 1? Mr..
Hayward started toward Borden's
Office and Miss Ruth swung onto
him and held him back. She told
him it wasn't Handsome Harry that
had hurt her lip, said she'd banged
it on the door, like 1 told you. And
she said if Mr.. Hayward wouldn't
believe her, she'd take back the
promise she'd made him"
ma MANN'S pencil tapped an
4YI om1nous accompaniment to
the slow, painful beating of Ruth's
heart. Finally she could stand that
slow tapping no longer. She stepped
toward the desk.
please, Mr. McMann! I ask you
to believe me when 1 say that l
didn't see Mr.. Borden when I re-
turned to my Office to look for my
savings bank book. The door be-
tween the offices was closed, and
Mr.. Borden was talking over the
telephone"
McMann looked up at her from
under beetling broWs. "And I'm to
believe, too, that you spent from
four to six minutes looking for your
bank book?"
Il did! had filed it in Mr.. Bor~
den's bank folder by mistake, in
stead Of in the folder I use for my
personal papers. I looked every
where before it occurred to me that
I had done so. tell you, I didn't
see Mr.. Borden, that my lip was
bruised against the door when I
swung it open. 1 was in a hurry
to rejoin Mr.. Hayward"
Moran, your car was down at
the main floor all the time you
were waiting for Miss Lester. wasn't
it? You couldn't have heard a shot
if one had been fired on the sew
enth floor? Or did you hear one?"
~ didn't hear no shot!" Micky
Moran denied emphatically,
aren't you forgetting, McMann,
that Mrs. Borden has already told
Of seeing Mr.. Borden alive at twenty
minutes of tWo?" Jack Hayward in
terrupted, his voice quivering with
anger.
I'm not forgetting anything,
Hayward 49, thanks" McNTapn
grinned crookedly. eff you want to
know, here are three things I'm not
forgetting: First, that you had
given Miss Lester a gun to protect
herself against Borden's advances,
if he ever took fancy to your girl.
Second, that everything points to
the conclusion that Miss Testers
changed appearance had just the
effect on Handsome Harry Borden
you had feared it would
Third, that $500 in caSh-the
exact amount Of Mrs. Borden's sep
aration allowances missing from
Borden'S body. Get my point?"
I'm afraid I don't!" Jack re-
torted furiously.
"All right, if have to spell it out
in words Of one syllable! Miss Les
ter comes back for her bank book
Borden is alone, hears her return,
comes out, tries to kiss her, does
kiss her so hard that her lip is
bruised.
She struggles with him, manages
to reach her desk, gets out her gun,
holds him off with it, until he backs
into his private Office"
Jack HAYWARD laughed abrupt
81 ly. sarcastically. "I was wonder
ing how you were going to get him
back in here!"
rs that SOP" McMann almost
snarled. ANY man'l back up if
guns leveled at his heart! She gets
him in here and thinks she's safe,
but he starts for her again, know
ing she's afraid of the gun, doesn't
think she'll have the nerve to shoot
it. He starts after her again and
she lets him have it.
She sticks the gun in the pocket
of her fur coat and tears out of the
Office. crying and painting for breath
You meet her at the elevator. She
forcibly restraints you from pound
ing on Borden'S door, to make him
let you in to beat him up-because
she knows he's already dead!"
Jack laughed again, harshly st
didn't know a detective could have
such a sense of humor, McMann!
Again I remind you that Mrs. Bor-
den came here about twelve min
utes after Miss Lester had left the
building for the day and found her
husband"
Dead" McMann interrupted.
Why not? She didn't report the
murder because she was afraid to,
afraid she'd be accused Of it. The
body was still warm, you know.
And she needed that $500 she
found on him when she was feeling
his heart to see if he was really
dead. She knew well enough that
the check he'd written for her and
left on his desk was nothing but
a scrap of paper. since he was dead"
And why did Mrs. Borden close
the window, McMann?" Jack
asked.
For the same reason that made
her come there this morning" Nc
Mann retorted. Because she loved
her husband. No wife who loved
her husband would want a Janu-
airy wind blowing in upon him,
even if he was dead and unable to
feel it. And knowing he was dead,
she came here this morning to
claim his body.
tn Re Continual