New Britain herald., 1929-02-26

| did you get the other half of the $500 banknote? Come clean. Rita and no hysterics!"
 l "Yes-it's all true. I lied. I dii see Harry Borden Saturday after noon."
 Dead or alive - or both?" Me- Mann bounced.
 Rita's voice was the monotone of a woman who is restraining hyster- i ics. Alive. didn't kill him. if that is what you mean. He was alive and we'll when l left. after having been with him only about 10 minutes"
 Thank God." Ruth cried. in a voice shaking with laughter and tears. At half-past two. when Rita left MT. Borden - alive. alive.- Jack and I were in the lobby of the Princess Theater. Mir. McMann."
 And the curtain did not rise un- til 2:45," McMann reminded her. but almost absent -mindedly. "Of course someone may remember see- ing you and Hayward there at Half past two. Did you ask the box of- flee man when the matinee was 10 start?"
 No. of course not" Ruth ad- mitted reluctantly. There was a sign in the lobby giving curtain time, so we just walked about for 10 minutes, as Jack told you" T remember" McMann granted, that twisted smile on his lips again. But Rita has the floor now. We'll. Rita, how did you get in Saturday afternoon at about IT minutes after two? Did you use the key Borden had given you?''
 Ruth gasped her surprise, and the dancer. apparently. was no less startled. IT didn't have a key" she retorted defiantly her agitated hands instinctively gripping her handbag.
 "Oh. yes, you did!" McMann laughed harshly, as he rose, strode to the girl and, forced the expensive alligator bag out of her desperately clnging hands.
 Ruthlessly. without apology. he dumped it's contents upon the desk top. until a key clattered upon the polished surface. And here 1t is! You amateurs are always so sloppy" he reproved the dancer jocularly. An old hand at the game would have remembered to throw this thing away"
 How did you know had a key to Harry's officer" Rita demanded. Because of a little memo that Borden jotted down on the envelope that held his railroad tickets" Me- Mann enlightened her. "'Get key from Rita Now. Rita, why didn't Borden get key from Rita if he was alive when you entered these offices Saturday afternoon?" Ruth saw only too clearly the drift of McMann's questions He undoubtedly believed that the pro- moter was dead when Rita arrived. that he had been shet immediately after his telephons conversation with her. in which he had told her to come to the office, that she had arrived, knocked, received no an- swer. entered with the key Borden l had lent her. had found her would be lover dead, and had. in her des- perata need for money. robbed the body.
 If only Rita had not had a key, could not have entered unless Bor- den had been alive to admit her, l then Jack Hayward would auto- i matically have been eliminated as a suspect. But Rita was answering, and Ruth forced herself to listen. He forgot to ask me for the key. I suppose. Rita retorted de- fiantly. Anyway. he made a date to meet me at the station for the 5:32. the next train for Winter Haven. He wouldn't have needed the key before then anyway, since he told me he was going to stay in his office ali afternoon. He'd given me the key Friday when I was having lunch with him breakfast for me, lunch for him. I was to meet him at the office about six Friday evening and go out to dinner with him. and he said as he might not be in when l got there, I'd better take the key and let myself in with it. so l would not have to wait in the hall. Later he phoned me to meet him at the Chiffon, instead, and I did. and for got to give him the key. But l didn't use it Saturday-didn't even remember I had it. I knocked and