The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-09-26
CHAPTER TII-COntinued

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at wasn't completed" Shannon
replied. IF it had been we'd have
been here an hour sooner. He was
calling Police Headquarters when he
was killed"
He pumped into his chair as
though the weight of jumbled facts
had pushed him over.
From three-thirty on, there was
someone in the hall all the while?"
IT think so. I left Higgins there
when brought Miss Paget upstairs.
Hoyt was there when I went down
again"
And neither of them saw anyone
90 out,'' he snarled like the victim
of a practical joke. "And you
didn't?"
mo"
He jumped up and began to walk
the room, his jaw hard. Miss Aga
tia, leaning forward in her chair,
watched him with the interest of a
spectator at play.
Gould anyone leave without pass
ing through the foyer" Shannon
threw at me.
There's the fire escape" I sug-
gested, ''or the dumb-waiter.
Thanks" he said savagely. "The
fire escape hasn't been used in
months. I happened to think of that.
And the dumb-waiter rope broke this
morning and that tub of lard Hig-
gins hasn't fixed it yet. Yet some
body stabbed that guy next door and
got away. How?"
Stabbed him with WHAT" asked
and only made him angrier.
IF knew" he squalled, "I'd not
be suffering here. A knife, you goof.
A knife that was in this"
He darted to the desk and held
leather sheath, blackened by long
wear, up before me.
Ever see that before?" he de-
manded and, scarcely waiting for
my denial, plunged on. 1--WE found
this under Blackbeard's armpit-
empty. Where's the knife? Gone
with the murderer"
The hands he ran so frantically
through his reddish gray hair
seemed at last to control his mind.
He asked me suddenly:
Higgins had key to that f1at?"
Eyes"
Anyone else beside these Ferri-
ters?"
At don't think So"
Higgins says not" he growled.
Higgins goes in and messes up that
phone receiver with his big paws
until there's not a clear fingerprint
on it. Wait minute"
His eyes sparkled.
Where was Higgins when you
took that call?"
l saw Miss Agatha shift little
IN her chair, start to speak and
check herself. I said:
Upstairs on the elevator"
Doing what?"
! kept all feeling out of my voice.
He said he was fixing the water
tank On the roof"
You can CO." Shannon decided.
Jake, bring that big beef back
here"
Miss Agatha said mildly as rose:
Timothy was on the fourth floor
Pm certain, Captain"
Sure he was" he agreed. "I
just want to see if anyone saw him
there"
He was pacing the floor again
and the old lady was smiling oddly
as Jake led me out. I felt Miss
Agatha would confde in Shannon
when was gone.
Hoyt was on the elevator. He
looked at me hard but said nothing
while Jake took me downstairs. Hig-
gins was arguing with half-dozen
men in the foyer and getting no
where. could tell they were re-
porters and the sight of them made
me homesick. Higgins looked worse
than felt when Jake led him back
to the car. His face was gray and
his eyes made me think of a steer
in slaughterhouse chute. waited
by the elevator shaft till Hoyt came
down again. With him was a po-
liceman who shooed the reporters
off the settees and out of the door.
followed Eddie over to the, switch
board.
You don't think" I asked and the
words sounded foolish, ''that Hig-
gins is tied up in this thing?"
BE your age" Hoyt advised me
and then grinned. ''The big boy looks
sick, don't he?"
That's what made me wonder"
Look" Eddie muttered. "You
know that smart little trick on the
fourth fioor-Mrs. Arnold's maid?
Well, Mrs. Arnold's out this after
noon and Mrs. Higgins is away till
tomorrow. And two and two
makes"
! ''Ah-hahl" I said.
Right" Hoyt agreed. Higgins
has got an alibi, all right, but I
think they'll have to tear it out of
him. That's why he looks so sick"
WELL" I told him, ''an alibi is
an alibi."