The Washington times., 1935-06-08
WHOSE WIFE?-SOCIETY NIGHT LIFE SECRETS Barred
Who Holds
Answer To
Riddle?
ing about, but you'd better come
in" Wilbur yaWned.

x1C AAAACNvSN - SsSA o.
for the sergeant, offered him o
cigarette, Lit one himself, and sat
down opposite him.
Nov, fire away, sergeant" he
said. ITO what telephone mes
sage do you refer?"
THE one you sent last night,
sir, about the fight on the roof
opposite. Lawrence Vane muir
dered his wife. We weren't In
time to stop it,"
Wilbur leapt from his chair as
though he had been shot.
"What?" he cried.
The Sergeant looked surprised.
Don't you remember" he
asked. you rang up headquar-
tiers round a quarter after twelve
and said there was a desperate
fight going on over on this other
roof between a man and q
woman. We got him in time.
The murder was done but he had
tried to commit suicide. We
pulled him round. want to
get your report, that's all"
On Guard
But Wilbur was instantly on
his guard. The events Of the
night before came wildly to his
mind. He must have been only
q matter Of a few yards away
from the actual murder. In a
flash all the heated words he had
uttered came back to him. OF
his hatred of Isobel Vane. OF
how he wished her dead. How
he had wanted to throttle her.
Great Heavens! He mustn't drag
Betty into this scandal. She
loved Vane. He recalled that he
had chosen to walk downstairs
after leaving Betty at twelve
thirty. No one had answered his
repeated ringing Of the elevator
bell. He understood why now.
No one had seen him leave the
building. He would have to pro-
tect Betty. Shed back him up
in any story he told the police.
He'd have to get in touch with
her right away though, before
anyone else talked to her.
You must have made a mis-
take, Sergeant" he said easily.
Il certainly never saw any fight,
and I certainly never rang up the
police station. At what time did
you say I was supposed to be
speaking to headquarterS'"
"At twelve seventeen exactly,
sir"
But that's impossible" re.
peated Renton with complete as
Surance. Il went to bed at
eleven, and was sound asleep long
before than"
The Sergeant looked puzzled.
But you are Mr.. Renton?" he
asked again, Mr.. Wilbur Rem
ton?"
Renton laughed.
ooh, yes!" he said. There's no
mistake about that. I am Mr..
Wilbur Renton all right, but I
didn't ring you UP last night.
That's all that I can say"
But you gave your name and
address over the telephone at the
time" persisted the Sergeant.
II can't help that" retorted
Renton. ut must have been q
fake message or a practical joke;
unless, of course, I was talking in
my Sleep"
But the Sergeant was more
than puzzled. He was suspicious.
1t looked nightly to him as If
there was something wrong here.
He wondered if perhaps he had
told this Suave chap too much.
Renton thought to himself:
"Suky went to bed long before
H.. I'm sure she did. I didn't
hear her when she went, but
she always goes early when Betty
has well-known caller. So she's
all right-She couldn't have heard
anything, and no one saw me
come out Of the apartment. I'm
sure of that. With Betty to back
me up, I can stick to that story,
and save her from getting mixed
up in it at all. ISobel certainly
brought nothing but tragedy to
everyone she came near. Good
thing she's dead. Poor Vane!"
The Sergeant disturbed his
reverie.
Look here, sir" he said ear.
nestly, "the party who rang UP
actually saw the fight going on"
HE didn't see it from here"
said Renton CURLY.
But he said he did, and he
said he was Mr.. Wilbur Renton,
speaking from the twenty-first
floor of 7s5. That's why I'm here
now"
I'm afraid I can't help you.
Sergeant" he said with a note
Of finality, land that's ali there
Is to it."
But the Sergeant had not fin.
ished yet.
Where do you keep your tele-
phone?" he asked,
over there by the window"
DO you mind If I look out?"
mot a Bit" replied Renton,
with q bored yawn. You may
see another fight for all 1 know"
The Sergeant crossed to the
window and pulled the curtain
aside. 1t was still pretty dark,
being murky dawn. He peered
out across the street. He could
see very little.
He then moved to the door
and, receiving a nod of permits
sion from Renton, switched off
the lights and returned to the