Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1947-04-11
. RoWN
VIM. FEATURES

| io": McCale was deVaStat1ngly
| formal.
"Quite, quite. She could have
gone a half hour ago, but when I
learned she had phoned you, I
thought-that is-Miss Bigelow was
bit under the weather" He dis
regarded Veronica studiously, his
manner to her hard, restrained.
So that's the way the wind blows,
McCale thought, and said to Ann,
You run along now. Wait for me
at the Office" He looked at his
watch.
Then he added pointedly to Don
levy, though he faced Ann, "I'n
see that Miss Bigelow gets home
safely, unless, Of course" - he
turned steely eyes to the lieutenant
unless you are not willing to re-
mand her in my custody"
""Oh, quite all right" Donlevy
said. A cynical grin masked his
thoughts. He turned away, drawing
McCale with him.
Ann murmured a few CHEEKY
words to the girl and went out.
At the window, Donlevy spoke
with an impatient gesture which
took in the whole room. "a little
more Of the same mess" he said.
"Eh, my friend?"
McCale sighed. 'Looks like it."
he said bitterly. "The worst part
of it all is that if I'd had nv wits
about me, it might have been pre-
vented"
"What?"
II was here in this room talking
with Miss Lynn about two this
morning. I'm convinced by what
she said that she knew something.
When l came in I had the feeling
that she expected someone else"
"A little blackmail, what?" Dom
ievy's eyes showed their intent in
terest.
eyes" Mccale began to prowl
around the room. E VERIFYING
seemed just the same as it had been.
He stopped before the collection
OF snapshots and photographs he
had noticed on the wall the night
before. He pointed to a space.
Someone has removed a pic
ture," he exclaimed.
Donlevy came right over. IT no
ticed that. But whose picture-that
We'll probably never know. You
didn't by any chance"
mo. I looked them over last
night, but didn't recognize anyone.
What about the rest of the placer"
"Oh, the whole joint has been
searched. Bedroom torn apart.
What they were looking for is prob
ably gone"
McCale let his voice drop to
murmur. "Then why in Gods
name are you determined to pin it
on that girl over there?" He indi-
Gated Veronica. "Surely-"
Donlevy shrugged. "The motive,
my friend. The motive always
comes back to that The motive
has piled up in the last twenty-four
hours"
McCale sounded sullen. He knew
only too well how it had piled up.
"You satisfied"
Donlevy wrinkled his brow.
Come now" he said. you're too
romantic, Duke. I've got to be con-
WINGED. Besides, some of our clever
est murderers are pretty young
women of good American family
and background. Then, too, my in
vestigating staff, the D.A.-they're
all satisfied. Everyone except you"
He smiled. He was very sure of
himself and confident.
eyes, I know. 1 seem to be
unique. You're not arresting her?"
'We can wait for the inquest,
think. And you-?"
II want the truth, of course" Nc
Gale showed his teeth in a danger
Gus smae. ''I'm going on with the
investigation, as you know"
Beside McCale, Veronica Bigelow
lay back against the seat of the cab,
silent. She looked drained of all
vitality, a figure of carved gray
stone in the terror of her inner
thoughts. There was the distilled
essence of tragedy in her young
face, face too young to be so
harrassed, so bewildered. She
seemed to have grown up overnight,
and the growing had been too sud
den, too awful.