Evening star., 1939-05-21


"On account of the lights?"
Partly. And we've got to go four or five
blocks along there to an entrance to the park.
She whimpered, "Oh, God" and huddled
lower in the seat.
But the five blocks were the easiest part OF
the trip. He kept the car at good pace,
blending with the stream of traffic and gather
ing anonymity from the very number of
other cars Are we safe?" she murmured as
they turned into the park
so far" He followed winding road and,
at an intersection, twisted the steering wheel
sharply and swung the car onto the bride
path He ran along it for score of yards and.
where trees screened them from the road,
stopped and cut off his lights.
The park was silent as he got out of the
car They can't stop us now. He took Oft
his gloves and gave them to Edna to hold.
Using flashlight would be risky, so he groped
along the front bumper until his hand met
something damp and sticky and thicker than
rain. He knew, even in the dark, what its
color was.
Below him and to the left of the bride
path, thin ice covered the surface of pond.
He scrambled down the bank, broke the ice
with his heel, and soaked his handkerchief
in the chill water Then he returned to the
car and set to work.
"Is it coming off," Edna called.
Think So" As far as he could determine
by the sense of touch. his victims blood was
washing easily from the bumper.
Then hurry" She was out of the car and,
with the front seat tipped forward, was CROP
ing in the tool compartment beneath.
Right away" Taking chance. he snapped
his cigarette lighter briefly on, keeping the
flame shielded with his hat. The bumper was
Clean Got the lenses" She nodded, for
getting that he could not see her.
"Haue you?" He dropped the sodden hand
kerchief in the frozen mud of the path and
came toward her. The lenses had been under
the seat for nearly six months; if anything
had happened to them =.
They're here" She giggled Historically.
DO you remember the day you bought
them"
Sure" He tore the wrappings from the
two glass discs. They were supposed to do
away with glare. or something; and you said
was sucker for gadgets."
The moon was too well-hidden by clouds
to give much help as he fumbled at installing
the lenses His fingers we're stiff with cold.
He twisted at the fasteners and cut his left
hand in removing a piece of broken glass,
but he got the new ones in place. The dis
carded glass and the stained handkerchief he
carried to the pond and pushed through the
hole in the ice. If they were ever found it
would be too late to harm him.
Edna giggled again as he got into the car.
and he asked, What in hell's so funny"
Those lenses There must have been
dozen times since you bought them that |
was on the point of asking you if you weren't
ever going to put them in.
They were laughing with relief as they
came out of the park. Police looking for car
with a smashed headlight would not bother
them now But. for perfect safety. Mr. Britt
planned one more move. He kept the car
headed east across 59th Street until Edna
said, This isn't the way home
II know" There was little garage over
near the river whose sign he had noticed. IF
being safe means taking loss on the car,
I'm willing to do it.
Taking loss :.
Look: when we'd be ready to buy new
bus in the Spring we wouldn't get more than
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