The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-03-22

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"Just this" the detective began
slowly, with dreadful significance,
Il think the kid was telling about
as much truth as lies. What be-
came of your gun and who closed
this airshaft window"
ST thought you had explained
that, satisfactorily to yourself at
least" Ruth interrupted spiritedly,
''by demonstrating that Jack could
have closed it from his own window
by using the windowpole.
The detective grinned. ct would
have been a good trick-and maybe
that's how it was done. But let's
suppose that Benny did come back
Saturday afternoon--a second time,
I mean"
ITO murder Mr.. Borden?" Ruth
asked scornfully.
ooh, nc! For the same reason he
came back the first tine-to borrow
your gun for target practice.
don't believe it was gone out of your
desk when he came back the first
time, but that Borden baw1ed him
out for meddling in your desk and
sent him packing-just as both
Benny and Minnie have said.
But Benny knew Borden was go
ing to Winter Haven on the 2:15.
Not knowing Borden had been
killed, the kid sneaks back, and
walks up the stairs as he said he
did, so that he won't be seen and
questioned, possibly caught with the
stolen gun. He has his key.
"FIe comes in, finds the gun gone,
and goes into Borden's office to see
if it is there. He finds Borden
dead, and the gun some distance
away. No powder burns on the
mans vest, so the kid, used to fire
arms as he undoubtedly is, knows
that Borden has not committed sui
eide.
"He thinks first of you. got it
out of him yesterday that he had
overheard Borden making love to
you and your scream. He thinks
you did it, and takes the gun to pro-
tect you. Then he notices the open
window and wonders if it could have
been Hayward, who, he knows, has
seen and overheard the 1ove-mak-
ing and scream business, too.
Furthermore, Micky Moran has
admitted that he told Benny, on
the kids first return, about your
scene with Hayward at the elevator
at 1870, when Hayward again
threatened Borden's life.
He closes the window-i1 case
it had been Hayward who did it
Hayward with whom you're in love
with, and who must therefore be
protected, too With your gun &C
counted for, and the closing of the
window, and with Rita to rob the
dead body of the money that was
missing, I can't see a flaw in my
case against Hayward-and I'm
mighty sorry, for your sake"
II
I'D UTH brushed aside his SYM
N pathy "And you think you can
force Benny to admit to being an
accessory after the fact, when he
was so anxious to protect me and
the man I love that he would con-
fess to nurder?"
McMann shrugged. 1--WE simply
laid all my cards on the table. I
wanted you to know why it is my
duty to arrest John G. Hayward for
the murder of Harry Borden"
The girl went very white. There
was no mirth, no assumed meek
ness in her eyes or voice now. She
rose, and steadied her trembling
body against the desk.
"NFr. McMann, you've been so
good-so wonderfully kind to me.
Won't you please grant me one
more favor? Won't you promise not
to arrest Jack before five o'clock to-
day? I can't explain now, but if
you will let me leave here now with
permission to be gone not more than
one hour. promise you will not
be sorry"
The girls intense earnestness APP
parently touched the hard-bitten
detective lone hour? All right,
Miss Lester, but on condition that
you do not go to the hospital and
do any more vamping on poor
Benny"
ct promise. And thank you with
all my heart!" Ruth smiled through
sudden tears.
Where are you going? Not going
to try to take that five thousand
away from poor, Woodworking de-
tective, are you?' 'NIcNGann grinned.
IF I do, I'll give you half-for
helping me SO much!" she laughed,
and ran.
1t was a quarter past three when
Ruth Lester left the Starbridge
building on her unexplained mis-
sion, and just o'clock when she re-
turned, her cheeks rose-pink again,
her eyes luminous with victory.
Just outside the entrance to the
building she paused, and took from
the pocket of her dress the four
tightly folded sheets of what she
had ruefully admitted to Detective
Birdwell sounded "a lot like fiction"
In a blank space on the first page,
opposite the numeral 4, she wrote
in the answer to the question which
! she had gone out to ask. =.
"And again it is proved-'truth is
stranger than fiction" she nur%
INJURED exultiugly, as she refolded
the typed sheets and returned them
to her pocket.
Il y
TN the lobby of the Starbridge
4 building she ran plump into just
such bit of drama as every big
city dweller lives in hope of wit
Messing and SO seldom does.
A uniformed policeman and a
plain clothes detective-one of Nc
Mann's innumerable assistants on