Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-10
INsTALLMENT XIV.

" II was, as Peter has guessed 1t would
be, Charley whom Manuel presently
admitted Detective Sergt Charles
4 Mitchell came in, scowling smok-
ing his inevitable cigar, and looked
around.
pretty comfortable here, amt your
he said. whats the Jap do, eh?"
Better not let him hear you call
him Jap" said Peter, grinning. The
queer feeling he had had earlier of
something not unfriendly about Char
ley's eyes was being confirmed Il don't
bolos. don't they? That's what you're
apt to be carved up with if you do,
Manuel doesn't like Japs."
well, could he find a fella drink,
] wonder?" said Charley.
II think it might be done. Scotch or
ryeP" :,
Rye. Now you're talking" said
Charley. Peter gave the order, and
Charley settled down, comfortably, with
a highball.
Didn't like me much. a while back,
did you?" he said "ThoughJ l was a
roughneck for fair-eh?"
We'll, you are, aren't you?" said
Peter That's your line, isn't it? Just
as it's Connollys to be slnooth?'
Charley chuckled.
IT told the chief YOU wasn't as dumb
as you seemed ne said. Il pull the,
rough stuff-yeah. When it suits me.
The madam all right?"
Mrs. Thayer? She's ct my sisters
as you know, of course"
Sure. We know Checked up on
that with the taxi driver. Just like L
been checking up on your alici, young
fella. You came in ct i:10 am. That
lets YOU out all right. How'd the Little
lady take it? Pretty well shot, eh?"
"Well-naturally," said Peter. shes
asleep, now My sister had sent for her
doctor, and he gave her something"
Charley nodded, approvingly.
Good hunch," he said. He took
sip from his glass; sat up in his chair
then and fixed his eyes on Petar. Now
then, fella-you want TO come clean.
You play ball with me and We'll get
along fine-see. I got eyes in my head
and I'm not dad from the neck up.
either, like some dicks you're apt to run
into before this shows cleaned up.
You're pretty strong for the madam,
amt you?"
Peters cheeks flushed, anglily But
Charley STOPPED him as he was about to
speak.
Hold your horses, fella-hold your
horses" he said. Il know what / seen.
/ handed it to you pretty rough a while
back, maybe. ! guess you're On the
level. I'll take it back about you b1in'
one of them lizards that makes love to
a guys wife when he amt around. l
guess you're on the up and up, all GIT.
But a guy can't help fallin' for dame
1T happens to the best OF US. Com
clean-aint I right?"
Peter looked at him for a moment.
This was Charley in new guise. And,
oddly, Peters instinct was to trust him;
even, in a way, to like him. He was
puzzled: there was something about
this visit that was irregular, cut OF the
routine.
Eyes" he said. pretty much.
mean-welI-yes, as far as I'm con-
cerned. But Mrs Thayer-"
"Oh, I got that, tool" said Charley.
"You amt on the map for her. You're
Just old dog Tray. It's tough, fella,
but that's the way they break, some
times. I amt seen this Ross. but from
all hear, he's worm, and still--weD,
there amt no figurin' on a woman.
Amt it the truth? Eere's what I'm
the madam You'd do lot to help her
out of this jam she's in, wouldn't
you?"
Eyes, would. I'd do anything"
said Peter-without any hesitation at
all this time "You think she is in
aIli say She isl Take look around.
downstairs, when you go back to sis
ter's You'll see a dick watchn every
gateway-you can tell 'em by their feet
and their square heads. She amt
ninched vet. but she might as well be.
for all the chance she'd have to get as
far as Hoboken If she tried to make
break The boss thinks she and Ross
cooked it up to croak this Thayer."
Hes wrong" said Peter. He was
surprised by the steadiness of his own
voice, by the curious calm that pos
sessed him.
yeah? That's what you say. Maybe
you're right-maybe you're wrong.
Folks do queer things, fella. when
they're that way about one another and
they's some one standin' in the way"
.You wouldn't be here, talking to me
like this, If you agreed with Connolly,
said Peter.
Yeah? Maybe you're right, at that.
Maybe / have got some ideas OF my
own. Maybe I'd like to slip one over.
Maybe it wouldn't hurt me none, down
town. Right now don't cut much ice.
You seen how / got chased when the
boss and the d. A. put her on the car
pet, didn't you?"
"Yes. And I noticed you didn't like
1t much"
ST got hopes of you, Wayne. You're
an observin' fella when you put your
mind to it, amt you? And-so'm I.
seen some things in that room. Maybe
the boss Is right. Maybe they don't
mean nothin.' But tell me this. Why
was this Thayer's coat pulled back,
with the inside pocket shown? And
who'd been burnin' trash in that fire.
place-papers, by the look of the ashes?
Eh?"