The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-11-23
GOLDEN FEATHER
by Robert Bruce

mer re-entered the kitchen.
Here it's" said Mr.. Engle, ex-
tending creased and soiled docu-
ment. Larry took it, scanned it
with an air of vast interest, jotted
down couple of notes in his little
book, and then returned it.
I'm sorry to have bothered
YOU he said, smiling. Nov, if
l can have a look at your stock.
I'll go away and leave you in peace"
He got up to follow the sluggish
Mr.. Engle out the back door; and
at that moment he heard more
footsteps IN the hall, the swinging
door thumped and swung, and a
stout, red-taced woman came into
the kitchen, carrying an enormous
armful of sheets rolled into a huge
ball.
She stumped across the room and
dumped her load into a wicker
basket; then, turning, she saw
Larry, and looked at her husband
in quick inquiry.
"IhiS'S one of those AAA fellows"
said Engle. Hes inquirin about
my corn, and so on"
She looked at Larry uncertainty,
then turned back to the clothes
basket.
Well she said, I'll get on with
my washing. You won't need me,
Will you, mlster?'
Larry smiled and shook his
head, and followed the farmer out
into the back yard, thinking, Six
places for breakfast, and enough
used sheets to sleep a regiment
for a family of two
He followed the farmer through
the outbuildings, squinted owl
ishly at the pigs, pretended to
take more notes, and managed to
observe from the indentationS in
the soil and the black grease
drlpplngS on grass and gravel that
at least two cars had been parked
in the back yard very recently;
and finally, half an hour after his
arrival, he shook hands with
Engle, wished him good day. got
into the roadster and drove away.
Instead of turning back to Mid
lothian, he hurried on to the
county seat, 10 miles away. There
he returned the car to the garage
from which he had rented it that
morning, and took a taxi 20 the
little city's airport. The chartered
plane in which he had flown down
that morning was waiting for him,
its pilot lettering in the hangar.
Get her warmed up, quick"
said Larry. Il want to get back
to Dover as fast as you can put me
there"
TT was still before noon when he
l. entered his Office in Dover. He
took from his pocket the little
bundle of purloined table knives
from the Engle kitchen and care
fully unwrapped it. Then he called
for Tony La Rocco.
Tony" he said, as the Italian
entered the room, Il think you can
make some prints off of these. Try
EN- and see what you get, will youP
And-step on it."
Tony took the exhibits and de-
parted, while Larry sat at his desk
and took hurried glance at vari-
Gus papers and memoranda that
had been accommodating during his
absence. He raised his eyebrows
over one memorandum, studied it
with care, called Agent Frank
Watson into his Office and talked
with him earnestly; then he rang
UP that honest, hard-fisted friend,
Detective Sergt. Mike Hagan of the
Dover police, and held a telephone
consultation with him. AS he hung
up Tony came back into the room
carrying a huge blotter on which lay
three Photographic prints, still wet
from the fixing bath.
Three of the knives were too
smudged to do any business with"
said Tony. Il got these off the
other three. Here's what looks like
two fingers and a thumb, from one.
Then here's couple of fingers, from
another. The third had a lot of
smudgeS and one halfway decent
impression. l dunno"
Larry looked at the prints, auto
matically drawing out the envelope
in which he carried the fingerprint
impressions of Red Jackson, Wingy
Lewis and Sandy Harkins. He laid
the cards on the table, and Tony
bent over them with him.
This one we don't have" unused
Larry. Wen send it to Washing
ton. This single, here by the
Lord, Tony. if that isn't Red jack
sons! Look"
They made a careful, painstaking
comparison, checking loops and
whorls with methodical exactness.
Then they Strengthened up, looked
at one another, and nodded.
This other one-looks like
woman's,' said Tony. Larry looked
at the print. L blew it up so much,
But on the silver the prints were
a lot smaller than the others. 1 bet
you can't tell" explained Tony.
it's a woman's."
Might be Mrs. Engle's," said
Larry slowly. OR maybe the Brady
woman is with EN-. Well, it doesn't
signify"
He broke off as his bell tinkled,
and took up the telephone. He
smiled and spoke a word of greet
ing into the mouthpiece: then. as
he listened, he grew tense, and his
face became stern.
My God. man, it can't be-" he
said. Listen"
TO Be Continued