Nogales international., 1936-02-08

RANKIN eyes W1QcneQ III SuIPI lSc.
"Deserting?" he repeated. "Of
course, that would explain his sec
recy about his past and why he
destroyed the evidence that he was
ever in the service. He wasn't
caught, was he?'
NO, he evidently escaped sue
cessfully."
Il suppose that's his picture, on
the next page" the detective OBJ
served.
"Yes, the one that was taken at
San Diego" Mr.. Roche held out
the pamphlet.
Rankin reached for it eagerly
enough, but without anticipating the
ahock that followed. Suddenly, at
the sight of the features staring at
him from the portrait, he gaSped.
Experienced as he was in extraor-
binary developments in his investi-
cation of crime, he could not con-
ttrol his astonishment. The passage
lof eight years was insufficient to
Iprevent his recognition of the face
in the picture.
Such was his overwhelming
Iamazement that Mr.. Roche eyed
him wonderingly.
What in the world is the matter,
iMr. Rankin?" he demanded hur-
lriedly. you're not i'll, I hope?
You act as if you're acquainted with
che man."
The detective wiped his brow
'"That's just it, l am. But it's abso-
lutely incredible; for the life of me,
I can't understand how it can be
possible. You see" IN time, he
rl.ltled how little MIR. l>ocne knt
O the true reason he sought the eN7
soldier. He's q notorious second
story man, and wanted badly n
many cities.
With this revelation, he grapsed
in one fell sWoop all the elaborate
mechanism of the murder. At one
moment he was blindly following
his nose; the next, every piece OF a
complicated and ingenious puzzle,
the sheer originality of which he had
not even dreamed, fell into place.
He needed no more information
from the marine records. Now he
knew how the crime had been engi-
neered and when it was committed.
He perceived all the subtle safe
guards by which the murderer pre-
vented suspicion from lighting on
him, the daring that revealed his
perverted mind. Always ready to
allow his opponent due credit, Ran
kin appreciated his plot, as brilliant
and audaciouS as any he had ever
encountered. The measure of its
success was the completeness with
which it had baff1ed him until this
very moment. With the solution
confronting him at every turn, he
had been a victim, throughout the
case. of a cunning with which he
could not cope.
His only consolation lay in the
TACT that back in Philadelphia he
already possessed his quarry
fngerprints. Hence, even without
the photograph, he would eventually
have discovered Dennis identity al
Headquarters, when he compared
bis prints with those he took early
in the investigation.
Yet, despite his information and GER
tainty, he lacked positive proof OF
the criminals guilt. Not one iota OF
his evidence was more than circum-
stantial nor could it be established
directly. Though he could show the
mans motives and opportunity, and
4 dozen suspicious moves, they had
only the force of suppositions. Den
mis- had no eyewitnesses to positive
acts that linked him inescapably to
Barbara Keith's death. So. incrim-
mating were the circumstances that
Rankin depended on them alone tc
convict him; but he was not satifed
He wanted to leave no 1oophole by
which the man might escape and
this he could accomplish only with
some testimony that brought the
deed straight home to him.
While he continued his conversa-
ton with Mr.. Roche, Rankin's mind
raced in search of some fact thai
would close his net. Step by step
he reviewed every transaction of the
criminal, his preparations, precau-
tions and final act; and each detail
ef the plot he discarded as being in
capable of direct proof. That is
until he considered Dennis pur-
chase of the chloroform. In obtain
Ing that, he committed a distinctly
incriminating act. which lent over
whelming significance to the purely