Evening star., 1950-10-11
Double Jeopardy
By WiIIiom Irish


THE STORY THUS FAR: Gary Severn
went out about midnight as usual to buy
paper paper When retuTning home he was o,re ar
Sergt. O'Neill. News dealer Mosconi up
held Severn's alibi, but two witnesses-a
say they saw him running away. from the
scene Months later, Severn and q
gunman named Gates were convicted and
Gates tried in vain to clear Severn and
said COON named Donny Blake was the
real aecomplice: Blake Is arrested and sdS
tive Elk Rogers. GO on WITH THE
STORY:
CHAPTER III.
They met in the main corridor
at headquarters few hours later,
the detective and the murderer
who was already on his way back
to the outer world. Rogers just
stood there against the wall as
Blake went by. Not a word was
exchanged. Blake had a strip of
plaster on his nose, another dab of
it under his lip.
He met the detectives eyes ar
rogently, turning his own head to
maintain the stare between them
unbroken. Then he gave a de-
risive chuckle. It was like a blow
in the face. It smarted. 1t hurt
Rogers where his beliefs lay. His
sense of right and wrong. His
sense of jusice. All those things
that people-some of them any,
way-have, and don't let on they
have.
Rogers face got white. Not all
over. Just around the mouth and
chin. The other man went on.
Along the short remainder of the
corridor, and out through the
glass doors, and down the steps
out of sight.
Rogers turned and went swiftly
down the other way. He came to
the lieutenant's door, and pushed
it open without knocking and
went in. He put his hand down
fiat on the desk, and he took it
away again.
The lieutenant looked down at
the badge left lying there, then |
up at him.
MY written resignation will
follow later. I'm quitting the
force"
Rogers, come back here. Now |
wait a minute-You must be
crazy. Where you going?"
wherever Blake is, that's |
where I'll be from now on.
Wherever he goes, that's where
you'll find me-" The door closed,
and he was gone.
(Which way'd Blake go?"
Rogers asked cop on the front
steps.
He got in a cab, down there
by the corner. There it is. waiting
for that light to change"
Rogers hurried into another
taxi.
Where to, Cap?"
"See that cab, just ahead? Just
go where it goes, from now on"
x x X
Blake left the blonde at the
desk and came slowly and pur-
posefully across the lobby toward
the overstuffed chair into which
Rogers had sunk. He stopped
squarely in front of him, and
snarled: WAS the show good?
Was the rest'runt? Maybe you
think I don't know your face
from that rat-incubator down.
town. Why I've seen you all night |
long, everyplace I was"
Rogers answered quietly. What |
makes you think I've been trying
to avoid you?"
Blake opened his mouth, closed
it, swallowed. You can't get me
on that O'Neill thing. You guys
wouldn't have let me go in the
first place, if you could have held
me on it, and you know it! It's
finished, water under the bridge"
Rogers said as quietly, as readily
as ever, Il know I can't. I agree
with you there. What makes you
think I'm trying to?"
Again Blake opened and closed
his mouth abortively. The best |
answer he could find was, II don't !
know what you're up to, but you
won't get anywhere"
What makes you think I'm try
ing to get anyWhere?"
After an awkward moment. he
turned on his heel and went back
to the desk.
He conferred with the blonde
for a few minutes. She began to