Evening star., 1936-09-23
INSTALLMENT XII.
AwRENCE FENTRESs laughed.
"Yon shoilld try heiYnc n Grim.

You should try being a GRIM
inal lawyer. Riley" he said.
- Its always that way. Trails
that cross and recross and drive you
crazy. Clouds of witnesses, each one
telling a different and more amazing
story. Truth and falsehood and con-
lecture inextricably mixed.
"A murder touches a great many
lives in one way or another. It's like
q stone tossed into the understanding
out little circles of disturbance that
keep forming and spreading In sort
Of mathematical progression"
He shrugged his broad shoulders.
eff this Jones reptile would only walk
In at the door there and give us hint
OF what it's all about it would certainly
be very helpful"
1t was Monday morning and there
had been no whisper from the missing
announcer. The newspapers, how
ever. were feverish with false reports.
He had been seen in Indiana. in Iowa,
In Minnesota, and even in New YORK
and Pennsylvania. He had been seen
in street cars, in automobiles, in air.
planes and on railroad trains. HIS
portrait was probably on the front
page of every newspaper in the Ma
tion.
Well" said Blackwood. Il just
dropped in to see If there'd been any
word of him. You'll be the first person
notified. Even if the police get him
he'll scream for you. You haven't
told them that you saw him." l hope.
This morning." answered the law
yer. "It had to be done, Riley.
There's a squad of men questioning
oil taxi drivers right now, ! fancy
Blackwood was discouraged. Then
he frightened. Probably they won't
find anything" he commented. They
never do. You know, had thought
about that last night"
About what?"
THE taxi journey. 1t occurred to
me that he might have been going
hack to the aunt's place. mean
wherever it was they picked up the
kitten. Somewhere south OF where
you met him maybe"
Its possible, suppose" admitted
Fentress, but little optimistic, I'm
afraid. Why should he be going back
to the aunt's?"
"I don't know. He was going some
place"
mo doubt. But that's the widest
sort of guesswork." Fentress crossed
his knees and knocked the ash from
his cigar. II suppose it has occurred
to YOU. Riley, that If this Lansing
woman knows the Hindu in the case
she probably also knows the aunt and
all about the house you're looking
for?"
I'm not forgetting it. Just wait
till get hold of Zelda lansing! Mr..
Blackwood smiled in baleful antlclpa-
ton of that pyrotechnic moment
"But the case of Janice Hume Is even
more mysterious. What the devil can
the woman have been searching forP
She obviously knew the Wingfeld
woman" said Fentress. That's clear
enough. But it's all you're safe in
guessing. It's suspicious. of course,
that they were in the same building,
but you were there at the party.
What chance had she to"
Plenty" interrupted Blackwood,
with conviction. I'VE all had. We
weren't watching each other. could
have done 1t myself, as think 1t
over"
Did your" asked Fentress, smiling.
IT did not. When commit my
first murder, Lulu, it will be . master
piece"
The lawyers smile widened. This
one isn't exactly q primer perform
ance," he pointed out. your kitten
deduction Is ingenious. but I'm afraid
1t wouldn't make much of an impress
sion in a court of law. My private
opinion Is that your friend Percy Is
Just a first-class chump."
, Mine, too." said Riley Blackwood
heartily.
He was rapidly revising his opinion
that no member of the eleventh-floor
party could possibly have had hand
in the crime. Pattern or no pattern,
there had been opportunity and quite
possibly motive. Janice had even
mentioned murder at the party-apol-
ogized for not arranging one.
He created some excitement in the
Offices of the Morning Chronicle by his
appearance in the local room at an
hour when usually he was known to be
In bed. He had q question to ask.
Was it entirely certain-quite posi-
-tive-that the police had no definite
line on Percy Jones? Or on the mur-
deror ~ Pito Winufeld
The city editor, gray-haired young
man with weary, cynical eyes, re-