THE LAUGHING GIRL MYSTERY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12866, 21 May 1936, Page 2

THE LAUGHING GIRL MYSTERY

SUMMARY OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS. Sheridan Dinarfl, a young expert at a museum when on a visit to his fiancee who lives in an apartment house, is amazed at finding a replica of a statuette recently excavated in Egypt as a door-knocker in one of the apartments occupied by Mr, and Mrs. C°ggs, an elderly couple. He hears laughter inside but it stops suddenly. Ho pictures the person laughing as a beautiful blonde. That night a blonde girl is found murdered in the room and Mr and Mrs Coggs who had been absent, know nothing of the girl. Sheridan rings up Atari in, the caretaker of the museum, who after a search states that the statuette is missing from the museum. Marlin then disappears. The police find that" the hole inside the door in which the strange knocker rested has been closed up with putty. Sheridan takes his fianceo home and in procuring her a smock sees a long new scratch at the back of the cupboard. On his way home he is attacked in the street but is rescued by the police. Next day lie i- told that Dr. Coe, his employer at the museum, will not be down that day, and finds a Florentine dagger missing. Tho police arrive at the museum for signs of Marlin and ascertain where be resided. In an interview with his former landlady they learned that he left the place some time before because he was asked for his rent'. At that time he was keeping compang with the landlady’s daughter but had informed her that he was married, and as his wife was insane he could not get a divorce. At the apartment i house next day Sheridan’s fiancee , tells him that on the papers on her desk in her room she found a strange baggage check, and being frightened tore it into small pieces and threw it away, though she- remembered the number, 8—14—G63. Next day the police find the dagger in another ease in the. museum and in course of conversation one detective builds up a case against Sheridan, whom lie suspects of murdering the girl, whom they ascertained had arrived from England. In the course of questioning Sheridan’s fiancee she discovers they know of xho baggage check she destroyed. Sheridan wants to marry his fiancee but to his consternation finds the marriage license missing.

“"yyELL, what about Dr. Coe?” Wifi-ox inquired. “W by did you get. into Dillard’s taxi?” “Why not? We were all going to tho same place—the Ballards’.” “How long have you been with Dr. Coo?” “Seven years.” “And Dinard-?” “About six.” “Who is Dr. Coe’s first assistant?” “Dinard. What of it?” “And you and Dinard are friends?” “We’re not- enemies, certainly. If von mean because Dr. Coe chose to promote him over me—well, that’s Ill's privilege.” “Why didn’t you speak lo Dr. Coe when you saw him on Twelfth Street?” “lon heard me explain that to Dinard. Dr. Coe had said he was leaving town. I assumed lie did not wish to be seen.” “And you yourself, perhaps, did not wish to be seen?” “You’re partly right. I had told Dr. Coe 1 was going to play golf. And ? was. But at the last minute I changed my mind. No reason in the-world why .1. shouldn’t.” Alby lighted a cigarette, leaned back in his chair. Then, ns an afterthought, ho offered Wilcox one, saying rather wearily:

“The truth would save a lot of time, Wilcox. However, let's get on to the Ballards. What time did you leave that party?” “Does that matter? You’ve fixed tho time of the murder, haven’t you?” Albv did not answer, but his silence had tho same effect as a repeated question.

“About nine,” Wilcox said, sullenly. “1 had explained to the Ballards that I’d have to leave early because of a previous invitation to another party.” “You went direct' to the next party?”

“No. I called for my cousin, Virginia Wilcox, who lives at Riverside and 155th. I left there with her, and it was nearly twelve when we got back downtown to the next party, which was given by some people named Barrymore, also connected with tho stage. You may have heard of them. Anything else you’d like to know ?”

Albv noted tho truculent tone, but kept his own mild and even. “Yes,” be said. “Wasn’t nine needlessly early to leave the Ballards’, for a midnight party?” “I happened to be bored.” “And yesterday afternoon. Will you kindly tell mo exactly what time you left the museum, and where you spent the afternoon?” “I will not!” Wilcox was angry. Alby shrugged. “It puts you in rather a bad light.” “Nonsense. 1 happen to have been in very good company all day yesterday up to within ten minutes of your murder —which could be proved if necessary. I shall not involve anyone else. That’s,, final.” ■

“Who’s the murdered girl, Wil cox?”

“Damn you, Alby, I never saw the girl in my life.” “Yet you went to the morgue to see her this morning.” Wilcox's manner changed slightly. So you’ve had me followed ! I tell you I haven’t tho least idea who she could ho. I went to the morgue out of curiosity.. ..Natural, wasn’t it? With the museum involved?” Harrod returned to tho room. Alby said to AVilcox, “Wait out there with the others.” And, when Wilcox had gone, he turned to Harrod.' “Coo’s on the way down,” Harrod reported. “Tho florist’s clerk is here. It’s ; th*e same girl, all right. And every thing’.4 set for the .handwriting test, whenever' you’re ready to spring it. Meanwhile, Higgins is having no luck with our dark friend, Ostv-ald. Ho knows .something ho won’t tell. Scared purftje. Want to try . him

By VIOLA PARADISE (Copyright to the Gisborne Times)

“Key ?”

yourself ?’’ “Yes. I’ll see him alone.”

JJARROI) had not exaggerated Okf wald’s fear. His knees were shaking. “Please, boss, don’t you give mo none of them third degrees. I ain’t done nothin’, nothin’, a tall. I done tole every last thing I knowed bouton that murder. So please, boss

“Sit down, Oswald. Nobody’s going to give you any third degree. This thing you don't want to tell —you’re sure it has. nothing to do. with the murder?”

“Sure as I’m livin’, boss. I done tolo everything—” “AU right; I’ll take your word for it. But .1 want to know what this other thing is that has no connection with the murder. Or maybe ” lie continued, “you’d prefer to tell it to Mr Coggs, your employer. T’ll call Mr Coggs. ’ ’

“No, Mr Algy, please don’t do that! I’d lose my job sure miff.” 1 “Very well, then,” Alby’s manner had become sharp again, “tell it to mo.”

“It wasn’t nothin’ wrong, boss. Only Moralda—she’s the maid that ivories for Miss Sayre, and for Mis’ Coggs—sho and my done got marnod.”

“And why don’t you want Mr Coggs to know that?” “I was working there when Mr Coggs bought the building off Mr Wells. Mr Coggs, ho says, Ms you married?’ and I says, No.’; and lie says, ‘All right, you can keep the job, but if you marries out you go’. But a, man ain’t got no right to keep you from get-tin’ married. Marrrin’ is a man's entitlement.”

“All tho same, you want’s to keep it dark?”

that s it, boss. And we didn’t mean for to marry till we got enough money saved up if 1 was out. of a job. But Wednesday Miss Sayre give Moralda some ole clothes hardly wore at all, so we thought, well, let’s get married, secret.”

'So you got married Wednesday?” “No, sir, not till Friday. We ain’t had no time before then. In i'ao’.” Oswald added gloomily, “it- don’t do much good anyhow, with Moralda living way up in Harlem, and me havin’ to keep on the job nearly every minute—”

“Mmm. T see.” Alby suddenly guessed the cause of Oswald’s terror. “So, when you knew the Coggses were going to be away for the week-end you thought you and Moralda might move

“Ob, no, boss! Nothin’ like that! Wo jos’ wanted some place we could sit and talk over what, we better do.” “"bat, was the matter with your own room in tho basement?”

“A cot next to the furnace, and six hooks and a telephone’s the onliost room J got. And that telephone— Lordv it done run me ragged all this week.”.

“Hmm. Bo after the Coggses left on Saturday you and your wife took tho key and went in?”

Oswald had brightened at the word wife, hut only for a moment. “No, .sir; on account of the kev.”

“It wasn’t there.” Oswald was trembling. “L mean there was another one instead.” “1 don’t understand.” “Mr Coggs always leaves the key or a certain nail that just .him and me know where it is. Yesterday, when Moralda come down after cleanin’ for Miss Sayre, we thought we’d go in, like I. said. But, when we smile up with the key, it never fit the keyhole.” “And then?”

“Then we got scared. Because wo thought maybe Mr Coggs snspicioned—” Alby nodded.

“But bo never. Because the murderer done put the wrong keys there.” Oswald’s voice went up an octave in a new accession of terror. “He musta been in there while mo and Moralda was tryin’ the wrong key.” “What makes you think that?”

Alby’s quiet voice somewhat diminished Oswald’s terror. “Because,” he explained, “when Mis’ Coggs telephoned I should turn ofF the icebox, I didn’t rightly know what to say. I kinda didn’t want her to know I done tiiod the key already. So I says all right. An’ I thought, I’ll go upstairs oneet more and try it, and then I’ll telephone it ain’t the right key, and. there’s no way they can figure the expense of telephoning wasn’t necessary.” “And then?”

“Then, Mist’ Alby, it done turned out to ho the right key! That there murderer musta been down in my basement and changed,the key hack again!” “Who else knew about that key?” “Nobody, boss. Not even Moralda. Because Mr Coggs he had me change the place for it Tuesday. The gas,inspector come when I was out, and Mr Coggs lie went down with him in the basement, and lie soys to mo that night that tho gas inspector kinda looked at the rail where the key.hung,! though there wasn’t no key- on it then.”

“H—m. When did Mr Coggs give vou the key?”

“Yesterday mornin’, boss, right afore he left, only he never rightly givo it to me. he jest hung it on the nail.” j “What timo was it.when you ,qnd Moralda tried to get in?” - „ “Jest a hint after half-past two. Right after Moralda done finish Miss Sayre’s lunch dishes.” . “And you didn’t try the key again till Mrs Coggs telephoned?’.’ “No, sirec, boss!.-And even if I wanted to, they wasn’t a- minute 1 could. Because the hydrant broke in Miss Sayre’s kitchen, and she telephoned down to me to fix -it.” • “What time was that?”

“Jest a mite after Moralda went home. . I didn’t rightly i. notice ' the

clock'. And then I kep’ getting calls from seventy-nine—” “What’s, seventy-nine?” j

“Mr Coggs’ other house on Ninth Street. Seems Mike everything went wrong. The coal man. done,, brought a ton of coal and I had to wait over thero whilst he put it-in, though Mr Coggs ho didn f tell mo it’d come before Monday. And then it was time to fix the fires there. And then I

come back to Twelfth Street to fix the fires there. And then I coijio up through tlio back hall, to see Mr Coggs’ evenin’ paper come, and thero was Mr Dinard stud,vin’ that doorknocker. And 1 stayed there study in’ to. remember that door-knocker, whilst he went upstairs and come down with Miss Sayre, and then went up again. But the more I studied the more I dis remem bored it. And I jest finished disrememberin’ it when my telephone rung, and it was from' seventy-nine again, about a leak, and I run all the way, and when I got there they wasn’t any leak. And when I got bock I went up to look at that heathen idol door-knocker again, and it ws gone. I tells you, Mr Albv,” —Oswald’s assurance was re-estabiishing itself.— “there’s somethin’ ahouten all this ain’t right.” Alby nodded. “Tell me, Oswald, do you usually have such busy days?” 'Yes and no.” “Then to-day was nothing extra?” “The coal was extra. Mr Coggs he’ll be mad when I tell him it come. He likes to see how much there is.” “What kind of boss is Mr Coggs?” Oswald hedged. “Ho pays my salary regular. Boss, you ain’t gwine tell him about mo try in’ to get in his flat, is you?” “That depends, Oswald, on how well you co-operate with us. What kind of boss 's Mr Coggs?” (To be Continued Daily.)