The Washington times., 1937-06-11
Now Read On
Rz MICHAEL o'MALLEY

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I'm not missing anyone" "
growled Cropsy, and chewed his
cigar.
Mitchell" I said, evidently
finds business that takes him out
at night in pretty bad weather. r"
I told him then about seeing
Mitchell alone in the storm and
about the footprints outside How
ard Wrenn'S studio. Cropsy heard
me with Squinted eyes.
He said, after a Thoughtful pause,
Mitchell lives only half the length
of the hall from the room where
Margie Shannon was murdered.
He was home that night-reading,
he says. Now get this" He swung
his feet down off his desk and
leaned forward. Does it strike
you as a bit funny that a man
who has been reading in his room
all evening should open his door
at the very moment that Janice
Fowler is standing in the hall with
a knife in her hand? You're a
better mathematician than am,
so figure out the chances.
But on the other hand let's
figure another way. Suppose Saul
Mitchell did the job. Wouldn't it
be a wonderful little scheme to
leave the dagger outside Margie'S
door and then watch for some"
body to come along and pick it
I'D so he can tell about it and
throw suspicion away from him.
self? Pretty cute, eh? Remember,
he's home all evening. By leaving
his door part way open he can
hear Margie and Rinehart return
ing from the theater. Then when
Rinehart goes he pays Margie a
call"
"It sounds too plausible; that's
the only trouble. How about a
motive?"
Cropsy. scowled. II told you once
that I look for murderers before
motives. Anybody can have mo-
tives that we don't know a thing
about. A hundred people might
have had a motive for killing
Margie Shannon, but we're only
looking for one. And as for Pink
Flint -" He left the thought
suspended and returned to Saul
Mitchell. "That guy, as you know.
paid a lot of attention to Janice
Fowler, and got nowhere. I also
know that he tried the same thing
with Margie Shannon, and with q
little more succesS-Margie did go
out with him once"
"I didn't know that"
There's a lot you don't know
and never will. I've also found out
that he's one of these guys who
think they're vows with the
women Wonder why it is that
the homelier they are the worse
they are? :. He's almost cracked
on the subject" ,.
Cropsy thought it might be a
good idea to tell Brant about this
theory. Without knowing Brant,
he respected him. But don't let
it get any further. AS far as any
thing officials concerned. Pink
Flint killed her"
l laughed. The police depart
ment, told him, was about to be
taken for a ride by the Express.
"And the county prosecutor. too.
It's not going to be comfortable
to drop the case by blaming 1t on
a dead man."
Cropsy showed no displeasure at
this. He merely grinned. Let EN-
rave" he said. and shrugged bis
broad shoulders.
"And what" asked, "were Saul
Mitchell's activities last night?"
It appeared that Mitchell, II
his own word was to be believed.
had been wandering on the loose.
"Lewicki says he came back to the
apartment late-after midnight.
Mitchell says he was just hanging
around downtown warming chairs
in hotel Hobbies. That might be
true and it might not. l think I'll
ask him what he was doing out In
that storm the other night and
see what he says"
One thing more I wanted to
know before I left. Let's not for.
get our old friend Nelson Rine-
hart" I reminded Cropsy.
Disbelief Expressed
in Rinehart'S Alibi
Plausible but not alright" was
the answer. "Rinehart says his
fiancee is out of town visiting
some relatives and he spent the
night at his club. Says he worked
over some papers in his own room
there. then played solitaire and
went to bed. Sounds reasonable.
but he could have come or gene
from the club without being no
ticed if he'd had a mind to-"
HELL" said Cropsy disgustedly
mot a one Of 'em but Lewicki has
q real alibi. Weiss out riding;
Mitchell sitting in hotel lobbies:
Rtnehart playing solitaire. Even
Wrenn-I checked on him even
had an opportunity to do it. He
had some students out at his
studio until 10:30. After they left,
he says, he did some painting and
went to bed there"
81 happen 70 know he's been
doing some sleenip9 there He
slept there the night Brant and
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