The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-02-07
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do whatP Are you crazy? Please,
darling, get control of yourself! 1t
wasn't your fault. reallyI The man
deserved to die"
Don't say that againl I can't
bear til" Ruth screamed. Don't
you realize?-Ive got to close the
window before the police comet"
He let her go, Tor her strength
for the moment was greater than
his, for she flung herself upon the
connecting door, tore at the knob
until it yielded, stepped in-then
stumbled backward into Jacks
arms.
"The windows closed, Jackl
Closed! DO you hear? Closed oh,
God, L thank thee! Forgive me,
Jack"
There was a loud knock upon the
outer door, followed Immediately by
the turning Of the knob. The police
had arrived to inquire into the
death of Handsome Harry" Borden.
CHAPTER VIII
TN the brief instant between the
L turning of the knob Of the outer
door and the entrance of the police,
Ruth had time to get control OF her
nerves. For fear so horrible that
she now wondered how she had
been able to bear it had been lifted
from her mind and heart.
The window of Borden's private
office, opening upon the airshaft,
and directly opposite to Jack Hay
wards window, was closed. How
could she, even for a moment, have
believed her man was guilty Of
murder?
Her reasoning was eXquisitely
clear and simple: The only way
Jack Hayward could have shot Bor-
den was through the window. She
herself had left Bordens door
locked. because of his deadly fear
Of hoIdup men or the assaults Of
loss-crazed investors in his stocks.
Borden would never in the world
have unlocked it for Jack Hayward,
for it was mis- custom, she knew, to
demand to know who wanted to see
him, if he was alone and unpro-
tected in his office.
The only person, probably, whom
he had admitted was his wife,
whom he was expecting, and she
undoubtedly had already called be-
fore Jacks return to his office to
get the forgotten theater tickets.
Henry P. Borden's offices?" an
aggressive voice demanded I'M
necessarily, for the name was
painted on the door. whats hap
pened here?"
Ruth Lester was still standing
in the protective circle of Jack
Hayward's arm.
She looked curiously, no longer
afraid, at the officer in plain clothes
who was addressing her. Behind him
stood two policemen in uniform, but
Ruth scarcely saw them. The de-
tective lowered over her-a gigantic
man, at least six feet three inches
tall and broad in proportion.
He looked as if he had grown
grizzled in the service of justice, but
was still not satisfied, getting a
savage joy out of running criminals
to earth.
81 am John C. Hayward-officeS
in this building. and this is Miss
Lester-Ruth Lester, secretary to
Mr.. Borden, who iS-in there.
Murdered" Jack answered the de-
tectiye quietly.
I'm Detective Sergeant Nc
Mann" the huge man completed
the strange introductions CURLY.
Move aside, please. Let's see him.
Who discovered the body?"
ST did," Ruth whispered, horror
of that thing inside swooping down
upon her again. "I-I got to the
ONCE this morning at 9:15, and
found him there"
you've been in there, too?' Nc
Mann jerked his head at Jack.
Just looked in. I didn't touch
anything" Jack answered.
Except the door knob. No good
having it photographed for finger
prints since both of you've touched
it," McMann answered as he grasped
the knob in his own hands. An
other jerk of his head indicated
that the two uniformed policemen
were to enter the room behind him.
y
D UTH and Jack stood aside TO
II let the three of them pass,
then watched from the doorway.
The detective stopped just inside
the door and gave a keen, searching
glance about, apparently less inter-
ested in the body on the floor near
the window than in what he hoped
to find in the room.