The midland journal., 1946-03-08


closed, SO that he did not see young
Joe Dane at the wheel of car that
presently went racing by.
Adam returned from the tele-
phone. They'll get it," he said
briefly. He put the car in motion,
then asked: "Why do you want that,
Tope?"
Tope said abstractedly: 81 figure
he had Flint fly him up here, and
back to New York in the morning.
He could give Flint drink of doped
whisky, say. Flint would take off
in the plane, pass out after he got
into the air, and crash. Then he
couldn't testify"
Adam uttered an ejaculation:
"That's awful"
81 know it," Tope agreed.
"But who, Topper" Adam insisted.
"Who is 'he'?"
Tope said impatiently: "Oh, let
me alone, son!" And he said no
further word till they came into the
borders of North Maddersen. Then
at last he spoke.
go to the Jail, ADAM" he direct
ed. "We'n get something out of KeH
now-enough so we'll know how to go
at Holdom."
Adam nodded. Something hap
pened on their trip up here Friday,
all right" he agreed. "But ] don't
see what it wasl"
Tope said briefly: ''It was plant,
a game, a play somebody tried to
stage"
'How do you figure that?"
because Holdom told Kell to hit
him over the head"
Adam nodded. "That's right" He
asked eagerly: 'That was to make
Holdom look like victim too? Then
you think he"
Tope said grinly: 81 think some
one made a sucker out of Holdom.
Used him. Holdom's crook, Adam.
Always has been, in little ways. You
heard Mat, at the quarry; heard
what he said about Ledforge filing
charges against Holdom, with the
Stock Exchange authorities"
"You figure Holdom was double
crossing Ledforge, and knew he
would be found out, and killed the
old man."
Tope said quizzically: "Ledforge
filed those charges himself yester-
day, Adam. How could he do that
if Holdom killed him Friday?"
They reached the jail behind the
courthouse; and when barriers had
been removed they came to Kell.
They found the big man sitting on
the cot in his cell. his head between
his hands. He did not look up at
the sound of their steps, nor when
they paused before his cell door.
The guard who had led them thus
far knew Adam of old, and at the
young mans word left them here;
and Tope spoke, gently.
"Kell?" he said.
Kell reused, and he came slowly
to his feet, the bars between them.
He stared; and then he seemed to
remember them.
II know you, sir" he muttered.
"You promised to tell me if Mrs.
Kell was found"
"Yes, Kell," Tope assented; and
he added harshly: "She is found!"
"Where is she, sir?"
Tope said pitilessly: ''The coupe
was in the quarry, Kell. We got it
out today. She had been murdered,
and tied in it, tied to the wheel,
before it was run over the preci-
pice into the quarry"
"Dead?" Kell whispered, holding
his breath.
eyes, dead" said Tope; and the
breath came out of Kell in long
sigh, and the big man shivered like
stricken animal. He backed away,
his hands up before his face; he
slumped down on the cot again.
Tope added harshly: 81 think you
killed her, just as you tried to kill
Holdom!"
81 didn't, sirl" he protested. II
didn't"
'Mr. Holdom says you did!" Tope
declared. "You tried to kill himl
Because he was chasing your wife,
Kelll"
mo sir, didn't, sirl"
Kell mumbled: Dead? She's
dead?"
"Of course," Tope insisted. "You
killed her."
mo sir. mol"
"Then did Holdom? Was that why
you tried to-"
''No, it wasn't Mr.. Holdom," Kell
answered. 81 took him back, left
him by the road. But when I came
home, she was gone"
And the big man cried suddenly,
starting to his feet: 81 meant to hit
him easy, the way he told me to;
but when the wrench started down,
/ thought about the way he had
bothered her; and / hit harder than
I'd meant to-"
He caught himself. ''Where is
she, sir?"
'sThey're bringing her to town."
Tona told him stWhat did Won do to