The Indianapolis times., 1930-04-15
CHAPTER FoRTY-THREE

n Oner echoed Diankly. We
never known a girl named Phyllis
Benham."
Phyllis Crosby?" Dundee sug-
gester
Never heard OF her" Conway
retorted. kin to that guy was
hired to work for?"
"His dead wife. You stole her
miniature" Dundee replied quietly.
Il took everything that was in a
jewel box, without bothering to
open some of the cases." the prison.
er explained frankly.
Doris Matthews told one of the
maids that she had seen you some
where before" Dundee told him,
trying a new tack.
Eyes. In the dining room of the
Stuart house Thursday night" Con-
way answered promptly. "She was
having dinner with man. I met
him Friday night at the servants
dinner. Arnold, the chauffeur, he
was.
"He didn't see me Thursday night,
because his back was toward me,
but 1 nearly got the girls goat
staring at her. She was q peach.
OF course 1 had on my glasses and
my IS,ir was parted in the middle,
not on the left side as it was Friday
night. But l saw it had her
bothered-where she'd seen me be-
fore"
"And you weren't taking any
chances, were you, Conway?" Strawn
cut in savagely. You knew the girl
might remember and give you away
That's why you killed her! Didn't
1 tell you SO yesterday, Dundee?"
"I didn't kill her!" Conway re-
torted, with amazing calm. And ]
can prove it,"
"Alibi, eh?" Strawn sneered. It'll
take some alibi to get your neck out
Of this moose, may my mani"
"And I've got it," Conway assured
him coolly. Don't you think 1 knew
from the papers when she was last
seen alive? Listen: 1 finished my
job at the Berkeley house before 10
o'clock. I could have slowed the
junk in my pockets, but took that
black pigskin bag of Crosby'S just to
throw dust in your eyes"
What did you do with it?"
"Chucked it on my way to the in
terurban stop" Conway grinned. IF
you can find out who owns a big
coupe parked at the curb in front
Of 43l8 Fairview road Friday night
and will tell him to lift the back
seat he'll find the bag, unless he's
found it already and has been afraid
to turn it in.
"It's got Crosby'S tennis shoes in
it. as well as the velvet boxes that
all the loot was kept in"
"CHECK on it, Sergeant Turner!"
~ Strawn flung at his subor-
dinate and Turner left the office on
the run.
THAT was about 10:15," Conway
continued coolly. "By that time I'd
put on my own shoes. which I'd
carried out in the bag, buttoned up
my tOpcoat to the collar, put on my
glasses and parted my hair in the
middle, like always wear it.
at Strolled on to the shed where
passengers wait for the interurban
and in about six minutes a car
came along, just as knew it would,
because I've been catching the in
terurban at that stop off and an
for six months and I know the
schedule
so you've been planning the
haul that long, eh?" Strawn
growled.
mo. This was a jumped-up af-
fair. But I've got girl friend that
lives not a million miles from the
Berkely house. I take her home in
a taxi. but I hop the interurban
back to town"
Whats her name?"
I'm not telling that" Conway
retorted. and meant it. But the
conductor and motorman who we're
on last night have seen me often
enough the last six months to feel
pretty we'll acquainted.
Friday night, on the 1922, there
was only a handful of passengers
and I stood up front, talking to
the old boy who runs the car.
Motorman NO. 65," he supplied
obligingly.
Got it all down pat, haven't
you?" Strawn commented sourly.
Eyes" Conway agreed. He told
me Friday night he had fallen
arch that was hurting like the
devil and he'd be glad to pull into
Hamilton and turn the car over to
the motorman that was to relieve
him at 10:46.
The old boy usually goes of duty
at 1856. but he'd arranged for re-
lief an hour ahead of schedule Fri
day night, because of his swollen
foot
"Check it. Paynel' Strawn flung
over his shoulder at. the detective
lolIine in the window. We'll,
what's the rest of your yarn?" he
Snarled at his prisoner and Dundee
felt a surge of genuine sympathy
toward his chief, who had counted
so heavily upon johnson" to solve
the murder.
"I left the interurban at the
Stuart house corner at 1912" Con-
way went on calmly. Il asked for
nv kew and chatted while with
the night clerk"
Get hold of, the night clerk OF
The Stuart house" Strawn wearhy