The Ely miner., 1939-05-04

While, Out she SAID at last, Smlllng |:
''He didn't imagine this. / saw your
man come out of the woods. The
garage proprietor has a daughter.
He calls her LiSsa. think that was
her young man. She was with me
when he came in sight, but she left
me then, and neither of them re-
appeared"
Tope chuckled. ''Trust you to dig
up any romance that's lying
around!" he exclaimed. "Don't
know who it was, do you?"
"No, but I know LISA Thayer
was troubled by his coming" Miss
Moss declared. "That was plain, in
her eyes," And she asked: "This
Mr.. Glovere-how old did you think
he was?"
The Inspector watched her. "For-
ty-five and up," he said. Maybe
ten years more"
"Old enough to be Miss Leaford's S
father,'- Miss Moss reflected. And
she added, still smiling: "You see,
I begin to wonder about things too,
Inspector. I've caught the habit
from you" She ceased to smile.
"I'm wondering now," she sand
gravely, chow many of these tab
lets it would take, to kill a person
so quickly"
The Inspector looked at Miss Moss
with sort of wonder. He said at
last:
MRS. Tope, you make me feel
like man on crutcheS. You can
jump farther, and straighter, than
anyone ever saw"
81 was just wondering" she pro-
tested, her cheek bright with pleas
ure in his praise.
81 think you've hit it," he said.
"Derrie missed it, and Heale, and
so did 1. But I think you've hit it
on the nose, Well see." He looked
ahead. "Clint,, pull in at the first
drugstore" he said. 81 want to tele-
phone"
When he came out to them again,
Clint asked quickly: "Did you call
Doctor Derrie?"
81 called Doc Gero," Tope ex-
planned. This was the Medical Ex-
aminer with whom the old man had
worked for so many years. doc
tor Gero thinks that it would need
eight or ten tablets, maybe more,
to have killed Mrs. Leaford so soon.
He said if one was dose, and three
made her pretty sick, four or five
might put her into coma so that
she would die in twenty-four hours
or so. Specially if she had a weak
heart.
''But to be dead in three hours,
that would need eight or ten tab
lets, and maybe more"
His tone had the finality of doom.
Sand there weren't that many tab
lets left in the bottle!" he con-
cluded.
Miss Moss said in a low tone:
81 was afraid so. Then it was muir
der. What will you do?"
Tope shook his head. "Why," he
said, 81 guess we'll have to go
back" He chuckled in dry mirth.
''It looks like I'd have to annoy
young Doc Derrie again."
When they came back to head
quarters, Heale was there.
''Now what is it, Topper" he asked
patiently.
Tope hesitated; he said then:
Here's the sticker, Heale. Miss
Leaford gave her mother two tab
let's: There were two more left, in
the bottle in the bathroom cabinet.
And Doctor Derrie figures the dead
woman got up and took those
two. That's right, isn't it?"
Heale nodded. "Yes," he said.
''Now then," Tope explained, "two
and two make four. If Doctor Der
rie's right, she took four tablets.
And two or three hours later she
was dead"
"Sure," Heale repeated.
Tope leaned back in his chair.
"Then here's the rest of it," he
said. "You know Doctor Gero, the
Medical Examiner in town."
''Of course"
''Well, Doctor Gero says it would
take at least six, and more likely
eight or ten tablets to kill this wom-
an dead in three hours"
Inspector Heale looked at Tope,
frowning a little, for a long time. He
started to shake his head; then
abruptly he lifted the telephone be-
side him.
sect me Doctor Cabler," he di-
rected; and presently: Doctor Ca
bier? Inspector Heale speaking. I'd
like to consult you on this Leaford
case. Can you come down? /.
Thanks" He returned the receiver
to it's hook again. Doctor Cabler
will know" he told them.
Tope nodded. .'The bottles miss
ing," he reminded Inspector Heale.
"That may have significance or not.
Have you been in the house,
searched the bedroom?"
Heale shook his head. ''No ex.
cuse to do that" he protested. $50
far as, we knew officially, it was
an accident. I don't want to antag-
onize those people unnecessarily,
Tope. You can see that"
''I'd like to look around in there, -
Tope confessed. 'Unofficially. With
out their knowing"
Inspector Heale grinned. "Not
much chance" he said.
Miss Moss spoke for the first time.
'sWhen is the funeral?" she in
quired.
''It might be managed then," In
spector Heale agreed. eff they all
go. Of course, they'll lock the house.
They have no servants. Well have
to get someone to arrange it so
we can get in"
miss Leaford will do that" Clint
proposed.
''I'd rather try Asa Taine," In