The Washington times., 1937-06-14
Now Read On
By MICHAEL o'MALLEY

well. let us say that would
have eliminated the prosecutors
friend, for one thing. Let's get
back to the footprints again. Their
presence there outside Wrenn's
studio indicated what to you?"
That We were being watched"
mot you and /, but Wrenn. Re
member what he told us about the
other prowlings around there? Re
member, also, that Wrenn has
been spending more of his time
in the studio and frequently sleep
ing there. Perhaps he wanted to
surprise this prowler and learn his
identity; perhaps he was afraid OF
losing something of value and
wanted to protect it with his pres
ence as much as possible. At any
rate, we learn from Wrenn that
shortly after Margie Shannon's
murder someone tried to break
into the studio. We learn from
him of other suspicious happen
ings there, and with our own eyes
we see the evidence Of another
visit. When you told him that the
police were going to keep an eye on
the place he seemed greatly re-
lieved."
I nodded. II would myself in
the same circumstances. It doesn't
help ones peace of mind to have
someone spying around the prem
ises. What do you suppose could
be at the bottom of it,"
I'VE can make several guesses,"
answered Brant, squirting at his
glass. First, an ordinary thief
in search of easy plumber"
I shook my head.
You don't like that one? Well,
then, someone who wanted to get
into the studio for a definite rea-
son. Third, someone who had de-
signs on Wrenn himself.
Murder"
That's possible"
But if someone wanted to kill
him he could have shot him
that night through the window"
Not very safely. Let's give him
credit for caution and cunning,
who ever he was. Besides, Wrenn
wouldn't have been an easy tar
get through that window. Mind
you" said Brant, I'm not saying
that someone wanted to kill
Wrenn, but in a case as crazy as
this one no guess is too wild.
Someone murdered Margie Shan
non and had a motive for it. The
motive, let us say, was jealousy.
Remember that Wrenn was Mar.
gle Shannon's employer. Is it too
absurd, then, to suppose that this
same murderous jealousy also eX-
tended to the man who spent so
much time with her and even
painted her in the nude?"
Catch-aS.Catch.Can
Theories Plentiful
Brant finished his drink and
uncurled himself from the chair.
"Just a couple of amateur sleuthS
wasting a lot of words, eh?" he
laughed. Anyway, I enjoyed your
hospitality. imagine Cropsy
would be amazed if he could hear
some Of our catch-as-catch-can de-
auctions, don't you think?"
ooh, CropSy wouldn't be sur
priSed at anything. He got over
that long ago. He's been busy at
something today. I tried to get
hold of him but couldn't find him.
Perhaps he was busy with Saul
Mitchell again"
Brant nodded. Then I hope 1t
was time profitably spent" He
said good night and then left.
Looking back upon that even
ing, I can still remember that
Brant's demeanor throughout our
conversation was marked by
strange air of detachment. 1t was
If I may put it that way, as
though only half of Brant were
there in my room and the other
half Of him far off; or, more prop
erly speaking, as though he had
neatly divided his mind, reserving
part of it for his private thoughts.
In view of the events which
rapidly followed, I attach a great
deal of Importance to this now,
though at the time I thought
nothing of it. You see, within "a
hours Brant had solved the muir.
ders of Margie Shannon and Pink
Flint. All the while that we sat
there talking in my room, then,
his inner mind was graphing with
q secret problem; and when he
left me, though he had not yet
mastered it, he saw pretty clearly
what stood in his way. From my
room he went straight to his own
and sat down at his typewriter
and wrote what to my mind is a
remarkable document.
Afterward he confessed to me
that the key to the solution which
he finally worked out came to
him during his visit with me and
was contained in part of our con-
versation. I repeat that portion of
1t now:
I had said: But if someone
wanted to kill him he could have