The Coolidge examiner., 1933-10-06
CHAPTER v
The Jordan state.

interest IN JUrdanS account But
the cashier could not aid In tracing
the identity Of the recipient of the
dead boys mysterious monthly
checks for four hundred dollars
Cancelled checks, he related. were
returned To their makers quarter
IL. Jordans most recent payment
that of March secondhand not yet
been cashed. il appeared.
by ten O'Clock the detective was
back at headquarters. There he
turned over 10 Detective Lester Cor
don the task of finding the taxi
Buckley must have taken from the
Morton club. TO reach the Mu Beta
Sigma house by eight-forty We
Tuesday evening. without the taxi
drivers testimony, he had neverthe-
less ample evidence to justify an ar
rest; and once Aberdeen college re-
piled TO his inquiries there, and Gil
more reported. he intended swear
ing ont a warrant. But this gave
Rankin no excuse for neglectlng so
obvious a link in his case as the
drivers deposition.
The detective also instructed Cor
don 10 visit Croft hall at his frst
tigatlon he had left unfinished
there. Also. there was the cleaning
woman To he interviewed
BE particularly thorough when
you question her. Lester" Rankin
admOnished Someone marked all
of JOrdan's shoes with thumb -tacks /;
and IL was done recentIy-within a
few days before his murder. | want
to know when anyone might have a
chance 10 get at them: also wheth-
er she saw any person about his
rooms. acting the least bit suspi-
cious. And Jordan's desk looks as
IL IL had been searched. Find out
from the charwoman II she observed
anything in connection with that.
Probably his shoes and desk were
both tampered with at the same
time by the same person"
"All right. Tommy. I've got that
all straight" Rankin's colleague
nodded.
Another angle of the problem
Rankin decided TO handle himself
as soon as he could This was the
Interview with the graduate nurse,
Ben Crawford's companion of Tues
day night, to get her confirmation of
his account of himself.
After Gordon left. he conferred
with the coroner and Superintend-
ent OF Police wainwright about the
inquest on Jordan Ii was TO be
held that afternoon. a purely rou-
tine affair il was decided and little
OF Importance would transpire
On his return to the central bu-
reau after the consultation, an Off.
Ger Informed him that two gentle
men had called about the crime at
the fraternity house.
~one OF them said he was from
tlie university. sir" he told Rankin
Il said you would be back shortly.
thought IL would be all right for
them TO wait in Captain Thomas
Office"
As IL was close upon eleven
O'Clock. the detective surmised that
his visitors must be Mr.. Warwick.
with Jordans guardian who had
just arrived.
THAT was o. X. Simpson," he re-
turned briskly. "I'll see them i'm
mediately."
In the office, the supervisor greet
ed him and presented his compan-
ion. a tall. well built. middle-aged
man, as Howard Merrick. The
lengthy contour of his face was the
only likeness to Jordan that Rankin
could discern. indicative of their re-
IStionship.
tie motioned both his callers 10
chairs THE journey east must have
been rather strain" he ad-
dressed Sir. Merrick sympathet-
.rally. and sat down himself. did
yju Just arrive. directly from Van
dhlia this morning?"
Il have been here almost two
hours. now." the visitor replied
after travelling twenty hours. Nat
urally I went directly to Mr.. War
wick at the university. as il was
from him heard what had hap.
pened."
And then accompanied Mr.
Nerrick 10 the mOrgue," the super.
visor added. Ito pay our last re
spects To the boy That is where
we have come from"
a look of psin tempered Mr.. .Mer.
rick's stern features. 1T is my de
sire. Mr. Rankin. to have Stuart's
remains sent home as soon as pos
7ihle. don't want him buried
among strangers; he'd prefer. him
eelf. to rest beside his parents. Nc
.loubr that can be arranged"
Al your convenience. And
now. Mr.. Merrick." Rankin went on
distressing as the subject must be
l will ask YOU 10 bear with my ques
finns about the boy. his life anC
f.tplfiV nnlv II, this WAY cHn ws