The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-11-25

THE telephone in the hall
l. tinkled Engle involuntafily
started to rise, only % be jerked
back to his seat by the heavy hand
Of a deputy Larry looked keenly
at the two captives The phone
tinkled again. and the eyes Of the
man and woman became anxious.
Larry went to the phone, took
the receiver from the hook, and
said, Hello The operators voice
said, Portsmouth is calling Mr.
Fred Engle,"
This is Engle," said Larrv. He
heard the prisoner in the parlor
give muffled gasp; then the
operators voice, far off, said, AN
right, Portsmouth-ready with Mr.
/ Engle," and a moment later
mans voice came on the line.
Hello-Engle," the man said
Listen. Jack Floyd may show
there this afternoon or tonight. If
he does, tell him we're at French
Petes. Got it?"
Larry tried to give his voice the
sullen, respondent tone that Engle
always seemed to use.
IF Jack Floyd comes, you're
at French Pete's," he said. Then,
on a venture, he said, How does
he get there, from here?"
What the hells it to you how
he gets here?" snarled the voice
suspiciously. YOU give EN- the mes
sage and keep your lips buttoned,
y hear?"
All right" said Larry. There
was click as the man hung up.
Larry replaced the receiver and
called loudly for Al Peters When
that agent came down the stairs
Larry ordered him to go to the
/ telephone company Offices in Mid
/ lothian at once and try to trace
/ the call that had just been made
Then he summoned LaRocco and
the sheriff and told them of the
call.
Portsmouth about 100 miles
north of here" said the sheriff re-
hcctively. That's a long way out
of my bailiWick l never heard of
/ any French Petes. Maybe we can
sweat it out of the Engles, though"
We'll try it." said Larry. only
listen Mr. Sheriff. they won't
tell us, we can't"
The sheriff looked at him and
nodded, grinning
Sure" he said, you mean no
third degree. l don't go for it my
self but they say sometimes it does
help
SO they questioned the Engles,
learning precisely nothing and
getting no replies but GUM shakes
of the head to all their questions
and at last Larry told the sheriff
| to take them off to Jail and lock
them up on charges of harboring
criminals in violation of Federal
/ law.
III leave AL Peters here with
you he said It'd be a fine thing
If you'd let some of your boys wait
here at the house with Al to pick
up this man Floyd when he shows
up. Book him as a suspicious person
and we'll shoot his flngerprintS off
! to Washington and see who he
really is, and meanwhile I'll head for
Portsmouth and see what l can get
there"
TINE sheriff agreed and detailed
IL two deputies to wait at the
farm house. Then, with his priS-
oners and the remaining deputy,
he set off for the county seat.
Larry and Tony discussed the
situation on the farm house veranda.
We'll fly up to Portsmouth and
then dismiss our plane" said Larry.
"Portmouth's not far from Dover,
and if we need any help some of
the boys can get over there III no
time l wish"
He broke off suddenly, went to
The telephone, and put in a call
for Mike Hagan of the Dover police.
Two minutes later he had Mike or
the wire.
Briefly and inciSively he outlined
the situation to Mike, winding up
by saying. Mike. you seem to know
a little something about everything
have you got even the foggiest
kind of notion where or what this
French Pete's might be?"
"Hmmm," said Mike reflectively.
There was a long silence: then he
said, No, Larry, l haven't. I'll tell
| you what I'll do, though. I've got
good friend who is a plain clothes
man on the Portsmouth force I'll
Just run over there and meet you
! there, and we'll talk to this friend
of mine. He might know something.
At any rate he can give you a steer
or two around Portsmouth
Fine" said Larry. Wen be
there by s and meet you at police
headquarters. Okay?"
"Okay," said Hagan, and hung
up, Larry turned away from the
phone just in time to greet Al Peters,
back from the phone company
offices.
He reported that he had displayed
his credentials and had been i'm
mediately put in touch with the
chief operator in Portsmouth, who
had been requested to give him
every assistance After some diff
culties the call had been traced
/ 10 pay station booth in a Ports
mouth bus station.
That's not much help admitted
Larry. But we're on hot trail,
Just the same. I've got a bunch We'll
catch up with this gang before
we're "a hours older
He suddenly thought of Jean
Dunn, and his mouth grew grim.
Hot trail or cold trail he said,
wed better follow it. We've got TO
catch up with EN-, this time!"
ITO D.