The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-02-26
NOV now Z Go On WTTH THE STORY
CHAPTER XXI (ContinueO

RuCn COulQ IldIuly Supp1Coo 0 SooP
of relief. Now, at least, Rita Du-
bois was lying. Micky Moran, the
elevator operator, had testified that
after taking the dancer to the sew
enth floor he had spent at least ten
minutes in the telephone booth IN
the lobby of the Starbridge build
ing, in conversation with his girl.
But, of course, Rita could not know
this
Suddenly an incident which she
had completely forgotten until that
moment required to Ruth Lester like
a flash of lightning across a dark
sky. please, Mr.. McMann," she
cried, her voice quivering with ex-
cited hope, may I speak with you
privately for a minute?"
The detective led the trembling
girl to far corner of Borden's Of
flee. while Rita stared after them
with enormous, frightened black
eyes.
"T'VE just remembered something,
4 Mr., McNTann," Ruth whispered
as the big man bent low to listen.
Saturday morning, when MIR. Boz
den was in the outer office with
Rita, he waved good-by to her with
the torn half of d yellow backed
bank note. + didn't see the denom-
nation, and didn't think much OF
it at the time, but now I believe /
know what had happened, and what
Mr.. Borden meant when he said
that about keeping his part of the
bargain if she kept hers"
Eyes, yes" McMann urged hope
fully, as Ruth paused for breath.
I'm sure now that they had been
scuffling playfully, Rita trying to
take the bill away from him, and
tearing it in two. I'm sure-sure!
that he let her keep half of the
torn bill, and had promised to give
her the other half after she'd kept
her promise about-about going
away with him."
"Well?" McMann grunted, frowr1-
ing in deep concentration.
ooh, don't you see?" Ruth i'm
plored. "If she's telling the truth
if she really didn't see Mr.. Borden
again, she still has her half of the
bill! But l belieye she's lying! 7
believe Mr.. Borden was alive when
she came, and that he either gave
her the other half of the bill, as he
had undoubtedly promised he would,
or that-that they quarreled be-
cause he wouldn't, and she-she-"
Her whispering voice faltered.
She could not bring herself to utter
an accusation of murder. ooh, MIR.
McMann, please believe I'm not just
talking wildly, TOTO help someone
else! I know Rita must have been
desperate for money, and yet I don't
think she's just gold-digger eth
err"
McMann frowned. Then, "was
Borden in the habit of carrying bills
of large denomination"
He was, he was" Ruth replied.
"He was terribly vain about money
loved to flash hundred dollar bills.
Just last week he showed me a $500
banknote-told me to take a good
look at it, as I might never see one
again. I told him he was foolish
to carry such big sums on his per-
son, but he just laughed at me and
looked pleased with himself. Maybe
maybe he showed it to Rita Satur-
day morning. She faltered.
McMann nodded slowly, the frcwn
III HhY1% PnY-dnfaBc otF
of the bill was not on his body this
morning. Of course, whoever took
the $500 in smaller bills might have
taken the useless, torn half"
ut wouldn't have been useless to
one person-Rita Dubois!" Ruth re-
minded him. And she could have
passed it, no matter how she got it,
for she would have thought no one
knew of Borden's having had the
other half Please ask her for her
half of the bill, Mr.. McManni If
she still has it. III believe she did
not see Mr.. Borden when she came
back Saturday afternoon"
Detective Birdwell interrupted the
whispered conference. "Headquar-
tiers on the line, sir. The Golden
Slipper safe was robbed sometime
between closing time early Sunday
morning and noon today. The man
ager of the club has some sort OF
tip about a $500 bill"
AS McMann reached fer the ex-
tension on Borden's desk Rita Du-
bois rose, looked wildly about as II
for way of escape, then braced
herself against the desk, her enor-
nous black eyes fixed in an agony
of suspense upon the detective.
CHAPTER XIV
sTIELLO. captaiil!. McMann
4 LnHcrfirta IL,