The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-12-21
5 Would Kill

BY TOM HoRNER
Copyright. 1889. sEA Service. me.

Continued from Page 1o)
words. The suaye. sympathetic
eriminologist had given way to a
hard, relentless police officer deal
ing with cool, calculating group.
one Of whom be knew to be a des-
perate killer.
Il was resting. as you suggested.
in Mrs. Benthorne's room. guess
was almost asleep jumped
up when heard the shot-it
seemed to be very close-then
heard you shouting and running
up the stairs =
Would you have had time to
get from the head of the stairs to
Mrs. Benthorne's room before
started up? What I mean is. was
there a sufficient interval between
the shot and the instant I topped
the stairs, for you to have made it
back to the room ,"
Ara stared at Dawson in Won
der. Did he think he was gong
to trap her? IF you're trying to
make me admit I shot Mr.. di
Torio--" she began.
Answer the question: Would
you have had time to get from
the head of the stairs back to the
room ?"
"Why-why, yes. suppose So
Good" Dawson's searching
gaze focused on Aston. II sup
pose you slept through it all, Mr..
Alston.' Dawson said sarcastically.
You probably wouldn't have heard
the gun if it had been shot under
your pillow
The older man smiled, bit
wanly, almost condescendingly.
TO tell the truth, Captain, I
didn't hear the shot This whole
affair has exhausted me. I've
taken three sleeping tablets"
That's right, Captain" Krone
broke in. II gave him the last
one not more than Is minutes ago.
And 1 stayed there with him until
he went to sleep Mrs. Ben
thorne asked me to-"
I'm hardly awake yet," Aston
went on, yawning. Please excuse
me if I appear frightfuily dull"
You were pretty sound asleep
when tried to awaken you, AL
ston." Dawson looked at Ben
thorne's partner speculatively, and
his glance let it be known that
there was much left unsaid. "You
had to be, to miss a revolver shot,
not 20 feet from your door" He
went on to Helen Benthorne. And
you, Mrs. Benthorne ?"
Il had gone to Jameson's quar-
tiers to use the telephone there"
There are other telephones
more convenient"
Yes, Captain. But with so
many people in the house. I pre-
ferred using Jameson's. 1t is on a
line separate from Mr.. Ben
thorne's. 1t is also possible to cut
off the upstairs extensions from
Jameson's room"
How long were you there?
Where was Jameson ?"
Il was there about five minutes.
I had talked to Jameson and the
cook in the kitchen. I left him
there"
could you have made it, with
out being seen by either the cook
or Jameson, from the buffers quar-
tiers to the rear stairway ?" Daw-
son machine gunned the question
at her.
Mrs. Benthorne eyed him icily.
dont know just what you mean.
Captain, l suppose, as you sug-
gest, that I could have sneaked
upstairs without being seen. But
could hardly have run back down
then up again, as was doing
when we collided, without arous-
ing some attention. That's silIy!'
Not as silly as you imagine.
=. Now, Douglas, where were
you ,"
Right in the study, where you
left me. Haven't moved out of
lhe cnalr And, Captain, I'm
sure the shot was fired from
above. would have heard any,
one who went by the study door"
SO you haven't been out of the
chair, huh? Just sitting around
waiting for things to happen"
Dawson's voice turned dangerous
ly soft. Then how do you explain
that damp mud on your shoes ?"
ITO Be COntinued)
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