Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-07
INsrALLNTENT.XIT.


and he was all ready to beat Evan up
but he didn't for some reason--I think
Martin said something to him. Anyway
he went off, and Martha and Evan lett.
They must have come on here. 1t was
stupid there-we thought 1t might be
more fun here"
utes later he excused himself and went
home
And now, here he was, on the roof,
with the sky over Long Island gettlng
brighter every minute and enough ignt
already to see Charley, chewing on ms
dead, rank cigar, and the other PONCE
man standing around bored ana lnolI,
farent while, inside, Connolly ana
BARCLAY were tormenting Martha, he
supposed. with their questions. Mar
He caught his breath. Just few
hours ago he'd been felrious with neI,
ready. to put her out OF his lie lor
good and ALL because shed broken
date with himl And now-Wel, noIt u,
ing mattered, except that she was IN
trouble. and he loved her. He didn't
care what she'd done, to him or any
He heard the elevator coming up. A
short mountaineering little man,
carving a black bag, stepped out on
the roof. A..
FWPll-Wellt IiG SdAd-
trouble now, eh-whats the trouble
here?" ,...
'wait a second-the chiefs inside with
the D. A., giving the widow the once
over guess they'll want you to take
2 look at the stiff right away wait I'LL
/ ask them"
Charley went to the door ana rang
the hell and Peter saw Connolly, framed
- 49, I;,bt AZ 4J,a ooen donrWav for q
moment. Charley turned.
siAll right, doc he said. go on IN
and do your stuff"
CONNOLLY came out, after moment.
He NODDED, pleasantly, with his agree
able, insincere esmile, as ne passed
Peter. ,.o.
now Mr.. Wayne," he said. "Mr. Bar
claws nearly through with MIS-.
Thayer."
He rang the elevator bell, and. when
Che car came up took Axel, the opera
tor, aside; Charley, at reckoning sig
nal from the Inspector. joined them,
and Peter could see, rather than near
that the two policemen were questlon-
ing the boy. Connolly noooeu, nna a.s.
as If he were satisfied, and Axel went
back to his car and ran 1t down. Then
Connolly came over and sat down on
the parapet beside Peter.
''This is all new experience for you,
Mr.. Wayne" he said. AT least, that's
what I'm thinking" He sighed. I'VE
get used to it, worse luck. Ugly, queer
things are always happening IN this
town You knew Mr.. and Mrs. Tnayer
well, suppose?"
VERY well, indeed" said Peter, on
his guard; somehow he preferred
Charley's insolence, his brutality, to
fI~vf. ctNoy1tu ct In
college with Mr. Thayer, years ago"
$780," said Connolly. TEL me,
Mr.. Wayne-did you see Mr.. or Mrs.
Thayer earlier this evening""
II saw Mrs Thayer-yes."
But not Mr.. Thayer? They weren't
together"
~ and /, ! should say, at PAU San
born's."
you talked to her9"
mo"
you don't know who she was w1th?"
yves, do, as it happens" said Peter,
half angry, half puzzled, by the way
the question was put He was made
vaguely uncomfortable by what ne
realized, now, was becoming an exami-
nation. "She was with a man called
Ross-Evan Ross
st see. A friend Of yours?"
81 know him, If that's what you
mr.. wayne" Connolly's voice, all
az once, was crisp and decisive. DO
you know anything of a quarrel between
Mr.. and Mrs. Thayer and this man
Ross earlier tonight-at the Faptomas
CIub?"
Il heard about it." said Peter, re-
iuctantly. "I wasn't there. have
no personal knowledge of It."
do you know what terms Mr.. and
Mrs. Thayer were on?"
Peter hesitated.
They were friendly" he said.
Sure Of that, are you? Don't you
know that they quarreled good deal?"
Net any more than most married
people, I think, Inspector" said Peter.
Wasn't Mr.. Thayer Jealous OF
Ross?"
Il never discussed the matter with
llim-natlrally.
Connolly shook his head.
mo need to high-hat me, Mr.
trip you up. 1 want TO get the facts,
that's all" Again his voice changed:
he had the natural oratorical gift that
seems to be an Irish heritage. Mr..
Wayne" he said, solemnly, there s
been murder done on this roof this
night, and its a black thing, murder.
Its my duty TO do all can to bring
whoever did 1t to justice"
You know, then, that IT was muir
der? You're sure Mr.. Thayer didn't
kill HIMSELF"
What makes you ask that?" Connolly
bounced on the implication Of that
question. did he ever strike you like
the sort of man TO kill himself-did he
ever talk to you about taking his own
life?"
"Well-" Peter spoke reluctantly
again. Yes, as a matter of fact. he
did once. We were out here and he
was looking down to the street, and he
spoke Of how easy it would be to jump
It's an idea comes TO most Of us, ]
take It," said Connolly. "at one time
or another. What would have put ii
in that poor lads mind. wonder, now7
But" His voice was deeper, more
solemn than ever But he didn't make
away with himself, Mr.. Wayne. We've
searched the house and the roof-Tvt
been over every inch of it myself. AND
there's no sign Of anything like gun.
II see" said Peter. That seems u
settle that"
1T does that, Mr.. Wayne" said Con.
molly. And I'll tell you something
more. We've searched in the stree
below. the length of the wohle block
and in the back, and on the roofs or
either side. And still we've found M
gun, so we know 1t wasn't thrown from
this roof No 1t wasn't suicide:
Peter couldn't hide the light thai
leaped up in his eyes That--that mus
mean that some one who had come
and gone again--had killed Tack. For
If some one had carried away the pisto
that had fired the shot, even the po
lice couldn't believe that Martha hac
killed him
Connolly sat stin. cycling hin
sYou were at Paul sanborng be