Argosy, Vol. 122, No. 1 — page 92: what you’re looking at

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82 ‘Of course you will,” agreed Vale promptly. ‘ You’ve a good alibi, I under- stand.” ‘TI mean, that if you should change your mind and testify against me in court,” Al- lan hesitated to say, “ I should stick to my denial. I’ve thought it over. It would be only your word against mine, and I’ve got Mr. Jim Dunbar to back me. That’s all.” He started up the steps as he concluded; but Vale caught his sleeve and wheeled him around to face him again. “Hey!” he said sternly. “None 0’ that! You can’t put anything like that over on me, Mr. Maywell. I’m not inter- ested in your alibi, nor will I make you trouble. Far from it! But I do want to know who cracked that safe and how it was done. And if you know, I want you to come clean.” “Ts this official?’”? demanded Allan, scowling at him. “ The police have al- ready grilled my sister and me. What have vou got to do with the police investiga- tion? It is a small matter—losing that two thousand dollars. The sooner the police drop it, the better I shall be suited,” and he said it haughtily. ‘You don’t know Uncle Dan McKane, lad,”’ said Vale quietly. ‘ He’s like a bull- dog. Once his teeth get set on this busi- ness, he’s not likely to let go. They may grill you to some purpose if I add my in- formation to what they already know. Don’t forget that.” ‘“T don’t know what you mean!” “Ah! And I = suppose your - sister wouldn’t understand, either?” Vale asked, thumbs in belt and eying Allan narrowly. ‘“T don’t understand you!” snapped Al- lan. ‘“ What has my sister to do with you?” Vale caught the point instantly. It was an added bit of information that he was glad to obtain. He had suspected it al- ready from Allan’s manner; for unless the fellow was a cad he should have been more grateful to Vale for his sister’s sake if not for his own. But it was plain that Allaine had told her brother nothing about her adventure at the Vandam Street fire. The brother and sister were not on confidential terms. THE ARGOSY. Vale jumped to the conclusion that Allan had hidden the will favoring their Cousin Andrew, while his sister had tried to recover it all unknown to him. Now Allan felt complete surety that the docu- ment would never bob up to threaten his enjoyment of the Maywell fortune. But how did Allaine feel? What had been her attitude in the matter of the con- cealment of the second will? And what was her attitude now? This was the prin- cipal puzzle in Vale’s mind. But he be- trayed none of this puzzlement to Allan. ‘Come, Maywell,” he said confidently. “Both you and your sister know more about that safe robbery than you have told to Inspector McKane or his men. That “crack ’ is all that the police are interested in. Your family squabbles are another matter entirely and outside their bailiwick.”’ ‘IT don’t see why you should be butting in,” complained Allan, suddenly losing a measure of his perkiness. “If you want to know more about that safe robbery, why don’t you ask "Drew? That’s what I told those detectives, too.” ‘Ask Mr. Andrew Maywell?” repeated Vale, seeing that the harassed young fellow was quite in earnest. “Or his henchman—a fellow named Pelley,” exclaimed Allan hotly. ‘“ They are the ones for you cops to cross-examine ——not me and my sister!” -He got away then and angrily tramped into the house. And Harry Vale, as he privately confessed, went away with a flea in his ear! Pelley? He knew who Grif Pelley was. Indeed, Uncle Dan McKane had referred to him as an old-time safe-blower who had “squared things” and whom the depart- ment had got nothing against for ten years. Grif Pelley kept that cigar-store on the corner, into which Vale had seen Andrew Maywell go on the occasion of his first in- terview with the criminal lawyer. The police officer possessed an excellent memory. He knew Grif Pelley had fallen ill and had been taken to the hospital for an operation on the very night the Maywell safe was robbed. Why! There was no sense in what Allan had just said. How could a man suffering cComiclbooks.com