Argosy All-Story Weekly — "The Purple Limited" — page 153: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

HOW MANY CARDS? all in its outcry against us for charging Hill with the murder and then having to let him go again on the strength of his alibi. And you gave that young pup, Ballard, the beat on it Saturday! That’s gratitude for you! We get no credit at all for finding Ilsa Helwig.” ‘“‘ And since when are you looking for gratitude from the press, or even recogni- tion?’’ McCarty shrugged. ‘“ Sure, the loss of the emeralds and that girl’s jumping her bail are lost sight of in all the excitement about the murder, and small wonder.” “ Well, qf we're at a standstill it 1s some satisfaction to. know that Terhune is, too!”’ A smile of grim humor twitched the inspec- tor’s mouth. ‘“ George Alexander is too proud to explain publicly why that pistol belonging to the bookkeeper was in his pos- session or I believe he would prefer a charge or criminal libel against our celebrated scientific criminologist.” “At that ’twas not a bad case he made out against him,” remarked McCarty. “Only it fell down flat. We found that taxi-driver yesterday afternoon; the one with the scarred face who drove Alexander home from Columbus Circle. He substan- tiates this. story all right, and Terhune is hiding this sulks behind his usual calmly superior air. I saw him last night and he intimated that he had something fresh up his sleéve.” * Well, so have we,” McCarty smiled. = There’ s nothing up my sleeve but my arm,” the inspector admitted frankly. ‘“‘ Every suspect we get in the case seems to have an alibi pat. Have you doped out anything since yesterday?”’ ““T lost a good night’s sleep over it, sir, but maybe ’twas not wasted after all.” Mc- Carty drew a chair up to the desk and seat- ed himself. “I was that twisted and turned in the case that I went back to first prin- ciples and thought over everything in my mind from the minute I saw that Bodansky lad skulking along ahead of me on the ave- | nue, and I got an idea. What ‘have you done with him?” . ‘““ Bodansky?” The inspector looked across at his colleague in surprise. ‘‘ He’s up in the precinct station-house waiting to be charged with attempted burglary.” 719 “ Will you send for him, sir? I'll explain while he’s on the way down. I want to ask him a few questions along a different line than we took with him before.” Inspector Druet pressed the buzzer in his desk and when his subordinate appeared, briefly gave the order. Then as the door closed once more he sat back in his chair. ‘““Go on. What’s the idea? Don’t try to have him charged, Mac, with a crime we can’t prove on him or this time the press will howl for my official head!” ‘“‘They’ve howled for it more than once before, sir, but it hasn’t fallen yet!” Mc- Carty grinned affectionately at his chief and then his face grew serious. ‘“ I’m not going to bring any charge whatever against the young crook, but instead, with your permission, I’m going to tell him we'll let him down as easy as we can if he'll come across with a little information.” “Information?” the inspector repeated with raised eyebrows. ‘“ Didn’t I have him on the carpet down here for three hours on Friday? Your own statement proves that he couldn’t have fired that shot, and he beat it the minute he found the body.” “Yes, but why did he pick on the Crev- eling house in the first place?” McCarty asked suddenly. “ He was not just saun- tering along looking for a likely lay when I saw him first; he was on the job and knew where he was going, you can bet on that! He said it was his first trick and he only tried to turn it to prove to the rest of the gang that he was all there, but you know from experience yourself, sir, that the yellowest crook will keep faith with his bunch if he’s got the fear of God in him.” “What do you mean?” the inspector asked. ‘You don’t think he was working alone then?” | ‘‘ Alone, maybe, but he was not wander- ing along the avenue looking for the first open window to crawl through! I don’t say he was working under orders, but he’d either been tipped off or else he’d found out there were valuables in the house and it is not any too well guarded just now. Something steered him toward Creveling, sir, and I’m going to have it out of him!” But when Bodansky was brought in he did not at first find the matter as simple nn) (C 6)(0)O) (C(O) S (C(O)