Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-24

Peter. Then he turned. Pretty thick
with the madam here, amt you?" he
said. How well d'you know her
! huh?"
"Why-we-we're friends" said Peter
1t wasn't an easy question for him to
answer. as a matter. of fact; he'd have
found 1t difficult to explain to people
/ much more understanding than this de-
tective the nature Of this friendship
with Martha Thayer. He'd even been
finding it pretty hard, of late, to define
1t for himself.
Friends" Charley's laugh was a
sneer. I'll say sol I suppose this
Thayer thought you was a friend of
his, too?"
so 1 am-so I was, mean" said
Peter. sharply. i've known him for
years.
Charley was changing his tactics.
He'd confused Peter; now, for some
reason OF his own, he was trying, de-
liberately to provoke and anger him.
"Yeah?" he said. Il know your sort
Of friend fella. Kind makes love to
a mans wife when he amt around,
eh?"
THAT" said Peter, lis a damned lie !"
He kept his voice down, though; he was
through with playing Charley's game for
him, whatever it was. And II you can't
keep a civil tongue in your head, keep
still. I don't have to answer your ques-
tionS"
Maybe yes, maybe no." said Charley,
unmoved. Time enough, anyway. You'll
keep till the chiefs through with the
madam"
Peter got I'D.
"I'll be back" he said. I'm going
downstairs to telephone to Mrs. Thayer's
people. 1 don't care for her to be left
alone, with the police II you're fair
sample Of them"
He started toward the elevator shaft
door. But Charley's hand fell on his
shoulder.
Hold your horses. fella," he said.
You're stayin till the chief gives the
word to let you go.
One CT the uniformed men laughed
Peter knew he was helpless He had an
idea they had no legal right to detain
him, but he wasn't certain Of that, and
he was quite sure that, right or wrong,
Charley could keep him there II he
chose. Moreover, another man came
out Of the pent house just then, and
Charley released him
Here's Wayne, Inspector" he said
Guy made the squeal."
The newcomer was better; Peter
liked his looks. He was a big, red
checked Irishman, with hair that was
Peter guessed, prematurely white, and
he smiled In friendly fashion.
Good morning, Mr.. Wayne" he said
pleasantly with suggestion Of a
brogue. This is q bad business May
be you're going to be able to help us
to get at the way It happened. I'n1
Inspector Connolly, in charge of the
Homicide Squad. Will you come in
side? I'm thinking Mrs. Thayer poor
lady, viii be glad to be seeing friend"
He held the door open. The small
entrance hall was empty, but q white
evening coat Of Martha s, trimmed with
white fox, lay across a chair, and
Tack's hat and coat and stick were on
a table. Peter went on into the living
room.
Martha. in q pale yellow evening
dress he'd never seen before, sat in a
chair by the fireplace. He caught his
breath at the sight of her. But he al
ways did; there always had been, and
ne thought there always would be, an
Undesirable thrill for him in any first
fresh glimpse of Martha, no matter
how short a time had passed since
their last meeting. She looked up.
"Peter!" she said. "Oh, I'm so glad
you've come, my dear!"
Peter realized later as he thought
about things, how that wholly natural
and spontaneously friendly greeting
must have sounded to the detectives
Martha, OF course, would have welcomed
any one of q dozen men she knew with
some such phrase in just that tone, II
they'd appeared in his place; 1t didn't
mean thing. At the moment, though
Peter gave no thought to what she'd
said; he'd Just seen Tack.
Tack was In big, high-backed chair
over by window Hts head was sagging
down on his chest, but it didn't hide
the ugly smear of blood on his
shirt front. He wore dinner
jacket and apparently his body hadn't
been touched or moved at all. He
looked pretty CHASTITY. His posture was
constrained and awkward; his right arm
was held out grotesquely over the arm
of the chair. There was nothing Of the
dignity Of death about him, and 1t
seemed horrible TO Peter to see Tack,
who'd been a great athlete. whose every
movement had had the 1.-THE grace Of an
animals, sitting, sprawled out, all the
sheer, superb beauty Of his magnificent
body blotted out by the bit Of steel that
had killed him.
1t was all in one moment that Peter
gathered his impression of Tack, for
almost instantly all his attention went
back To Martha She came toward him
and he met her halfway across the