Nogales international., 1932-01-16
ELEVENTH INSTALMENT
SYNOPSIS

SDeTTV,
habit OF holding weekly meetings. AT one OF
them, Mrs. Dane, who is hostess, varies the
program by unexpectedly arranging spirit.
ualistic seance with Miss Jeremy, a friend OF
DIR. Spcrry and not professional as the
medium.
At the FIRST sitting the medium tells the
details of murder as it is occurring. Later
that night Sperry learns that neighoor'
Arthur Wells, has been shot mysteriously.
At second seance, Miss Jeremy ADDS
details about a summer resort where
Charles Ellinghanl was known to nave oeeh
at tic same time that Mrs. Wells was
there She also speaks of pocketbooK
being lost which contained some impor-
taut car tickets and letters. Mrs. Dane
alone OF the women. seems thrilled oy the
investigation.
Johnson and Sper.ry do some detectiye y
work and uncover the fact that sorieoody
with guilty knowledge has made away with
some letters Hawkins the butler, is suspected
as well as Ellingham, friend of Mrs Welis,
of knowing who the slayer IS. The lnvessi-
CATION has reached its final stages
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
There was, on the contrary, def
mite place beyond which the medi-
um could not go.
She did not kno1v 2vho had KILLED
Aythur Wells.
To nv surprise. Sperry and Her
bert Robinson came together to see
me that morning at my office:
Sperry, like myself, was pale and
tired, but Herbert was restless and
talkative, for all the world like a
terrier on the scent of rat.
"Hawkins will be here soon. .
Sperry said, rather casually, after L
had read the clipping.
"Here?"
"Yes. He is bringing a letter
from Miss Jeremy. The letter is
merely a blind. We want to see
him
Herbert was examining the door
Of nv office. He set the spring lock.
"He may try to bolt" he explained.
"We're in this pretty deep, you
know"
'How about a record of what he
says?" Sperry asked.
| pressed button, and Miss
Jovce came in. "Take the testimony
of the man who is coming in, Miss
Joyce" | directed. Take every
thing we say, any of us. Can you
tell the different voices?"
She thought she could, and took
up her position in the next room,
with the door partly open.
| can still see Hawkins as Sperry
let him ina tall, cadaverous man
of good manners and an English
accent, a superior servant. He was
cool but rather resentful. l judged
that he considered carrying letters
as in no way a part of his work,
and that he was careful of his Dig
nifty.
Miss Jeremy sent this, sir" he
said.
Then his eyes took in Sperry and
Herbert, and he drew himself UP.
81 see," he said. 1T wasn't the
letter. them"
Not entirely. We want to have
a talk with you, Hawkins"
very we'll, sir" But his eyes
went from one to the other of us.
"You were in the employ of Mr.
Wells. We know that. Also we saw
you there the night he died, but
some time after his death. What
time did you get in that night?"
About midnight. l am not GER
tain
Who told you of what had hap
pened?"
q told you that before. I met
the detectives going out"
Exactly. Now, Hawkins, you
had come in, locked the door, and
placed the key outside for the other
servants?"
eyes, sir"
"How do you expect us to believe
that?" Sperry demanded irritably.
There was only one key Could
you lock yourself in and then place
the key outsider"
yes, sir" he replied impassive1y
"By opening the kitchen window. l
could reach out and hang it OH the
nail"
you were out of the house, then,
at the time Mr.. Wells died?"
Il can prove it by as many wit
nesses as you wish to call"
"Now. about these letters, Haw-
kins." Sperry said. "The letters in
the bag. Have you still got them?"
He half rose-we had given him
a chair facing the Highland then
sat down again. "What 1etters?"
"Don't beat about the bush. We
know you have the letters. And we
want them"
Il don't intend to give them up,
sir"
will you tell us how you got
them?"
He hesitated. "If you do not
know already. do not care to say" /"
placed the letter to A 81 before
him. "You wrote this. I think?" I
said.
He was genuinely startled. More
than that, indeed. for his face
twitched. Suppose I dida" he said,
~I'm not admitting it."
''Will you tell us for whom it
was meant?"
''You know great deal already.