Evening star., 1940-06-23

ptt Iptofes GIi]aue,n ana maLIy tne actIess,
family is apprehensive lest the scan
dal afiect them. Lucy is desperate;
stantiaI inheritance would come to her
and she would be able to help her
E1fr 81 she WoSa he s
snt and Guy would no longer have to
beg money ;yo from the intolersntt Luke;
impersonator. tells Lucy he knows Rita
Star and is sure she isn't marrying Luke
hm Re can ne pfoss foss Z sns
Luke takes him up, makes phone call
st e APPOINTED time. and hears Rita
his ensagement to Rita that nieht and
next morning he is found poisoned in
CHAPTER vi.
Sandy Block arrived just a second
or two before Inspector Chalmers
and his officers. 1t hadn't occurred
to Lucy that by calling Sandy she
had dragged him into the investi-
cation until Inspector Chalmers an
nounced Immediately upon his ar
rival that no one was to leave until
he'd had chance to question them.
But I just phoned Mr.. Block to
come-after-"
"Why did you phone him?" Chal-
HelS asked Idly.
"She just wanted some one to-
stand by, sir" Block put in. His
arm encircled Lucy's shoulders, and
he flashed her faint smile.
Inspector Chalmers cleared his
throat We'll it won't hurt for him
to stay. After all, this may be
somewhat of an ordeal" He too
smiled at Lucy.
At that moment Tony appeared
In the hall at Chalmers elbow.
''The body wasn't found upstairs
there, chief" he told his boss. They
carried it up there from the study"
He nodded toward the study, the
door to which was standing open.
Chalmers rolled his eyes and
shook his head in gesture of dis
pleasure. And I suppose the
study's been trampled over until
we won't be able to find thing!"
Shall I ask them all to come to
the living room?" Tony asked.
Looks Study Over.
Chalmers nodded. He strolled to
the doorway of the study and hest
tated there, his quick eyes taking
in every detail of the room. He
turned about, half in the shadow,
to watch as Tony returned pres
emily with Bertha and Laval and
Guy in tow.
THE doctor said he'd stay with
Mrs. Granville and you could come
to her room and ask her any ques-
tions. She's too upset.
"You people look intelligent
enough to know that in case of
this sort the body should not be
touched" Chalmers began angrily
as he faced them all.
1t was Guy who tried to explain
Laval shouted down to mel
was in the basement-that Uncle
Luke was i'll, and he wanted me to
come up at once. He insisted that
I help carry him upstairs to his
room, while Bertha called the
doctor"
you knew he was already dead,
didn't you?"
"Why-yes," Guy answered slow
ly, II could see that he was al
ready dead, but Laval was so up
set. He was devoted to Uncle Luke.
I thought it best to go ahead and
help him carry Uncle Luke up to
his room, If that was what he
wanted"
Chalmers wheeled toward Laval.
"You knew he was dead, too, didn't
you? You just wanted to get the
body out of the study! Wasn't that
it?"
Laval hung his head miserably.
u suppose I did know it, sir" He
lifted his gaunt face and looked
straight at Chalmers. Truth is,
sir, I thought if we carried him up
stairs to bed and called the doctor
that-the family would be spared"
Chalmers silences him with a
lifted hand. "It's quite obvious what
you thought" he said Just who
was here in the house when the
body was discovered?"
Laval moistened his lips nervous
ly. Well" he stammered, there
was Bertha and myself, and Mrs.
Granville and-Guy. That was all"
Chalmers looked at Lucy. "You
weren't here, them" he asked.
She started Shed been thinking
about that walk with Sandy, how it
had puzzled her then. But Uncle
Luke had been alive when they'd
left the house! NO" she said. I'D
gone for a walk with Mr. Block
He'd been to see Uncle Luke, and
when he left went for a walk with
him. Laval met me as I was re-
turning and told me Uncle Luke was
dead"
"Oh. so Mr.. Block had been to
see your uncle this morning."
Yes. 1t was about-about a play
of his. And anyway" she added
hastily, Uncle Luke was alive when
we left. Laval can tell you that"
Hmm" Chalmers sighed. What
time was that?"
About Is minutes until TO-" Lucy
answered.
Checks On Mrs. Granville.
Chalmers and Tony glanced at
each other. Tony's look was puzzled.
WELL Chalmers said, Il think
we'd better check up on all move
mentS in the house during the
morning" He turned to Bertha
abruptly. what about Mrs. Gran
ville?"
"She-she had breakfast in bed,
as usual. She was always ac-
customed to spend the morning in
her room. She never came down be-
fore noon" Bertha was obviously on
the defensive. What bewildered
Lucy most. however, was the quick
look Bertha gave Laval as she was
telling this to Chalmers. Was it a
look of warning?
1t evidently was, according to
what happened few moments later
Elizabeth herself swept into the liv-
ing room. I'm quite all right!
they heard her tell the doctor
angrily as she came toward the liv-
ing room.
r. uos Tl1v uho h,1rried foruo RI