Chapter XVII
BACK in the city, Betty Dale had been wondering why the Secret Agent did not call her back. She had communicated with the switchboard operator at the Herald, and gotten Rice’s telephone number. Now she waited patiently, her uneasiness growing with every moment that passed without the ringing of the telephone.
She felt that “X” must be in trouble, or he would have called as he had promised.
After an hour of fruitless, restless waiting, her eyes closed involuntarily, and she dozed in her arm-chair. Her troubled sleep was at last interrupted by the telephone. She sprang up. wide awake at once, and snatched it up eagerly.
She was disappointed when she heard the voice of Morgan, the night editor of the Herald. He said, “Look, Betty, can you help me out? I’ve got to send Ridley up to the Catskills on a story, and that’ll leave me nobody to cover headquarters. Will you go over and take his place? I can’t leave it open with things happening so fast around there.”
She exclaimed. “Catskills! What’s happened up there?”
“Nothing much,” Morgan told her. “Only they got Killer Kyle cornered up there at Lieutenant Governor Rice’s house. He just phoned in to the state troopers. It’ll be a big story — if they catch him.”
Betty clutched the phone tightly. “Listen,” she said eagerly, pleadingly, “let me take that assignment, Mr. Morgan. Please, I want it.”
Morgan grumbled a little, then gave in. “I guess you’ll do as well as Ridley, maybe even better. Old Major Denvers up there knew your father, didn’t he?”
So it was, that, later in the night, a big rented Packard deposited Betty at the entrance of the Rice mansion. She was the first reporter to appear on the scene.
She had difficulty in gaining admittance until she showed her press card. Finally, however, the trooper on duty permitted her to enter, and a servant led her through a broad hall to the very room where the body of Lieutenant Governor Rice lay.
The medical examiner had just finished his work, and the body was covered up.
Hanscom was there, and Senator Thane, Gates, and Fleer, while Jurgen lay on an improvised cot. His arm was in a sling. Two state troopers were on guard at the door, and Major Denvers, fifty, with iron-gray hair and a square, jutting chin was in charge.
Denvers took time out front the inquiry to remember Betty’s father, and to say a kindly word to her.
“H-have they found Kyle yet?” she asked breathlessly. She guessed that the Secret Agent might be posing as Kyle, for she recalled the disguise he had worn when she had met him in the car outside headquarters, recalled the plates he had told her about, which had caused him to resemble the killer. “Do they know where he’s hiding?”
“No,” Major Denvers told her. “But they’ll get him. He can’t get out — you saw how the roads are patrolled outside; and my men are combing the grounds now. Don’t worry, you’ll have a good story for your paper tonight.” He took her by the arm. “Now sit down in a corner where you’ll be out of the way, while I ask a few questions of these men. There seems to be a lot wrong around here, and I mean to get to the bottom of it. I hate these fat politicians, anyway!”
She sat down, and Denvers turned to the men. “Now, Mr. Hanscom, will you show me just where you were standing when the lights went out?”
Hanscom had lit another cigar, and he was scowling now. “Look here, major,” he protested, “what’s the use of all this nonsense? We know that Kyle killed Mr. Rice when the lights went out. What difference does it make where the rest of us were standing?”
Denvers thundered at him, “I’m in charge here, Mr. Hanscom, and this investigation will be conducted the way I see fit! I don’t care if you’re the boss of the whole state or not, when I see murder, I look into it!”
Hanscom said, “You won’t gain anything by that attitude, Denvers.”
“I’m not looking to gain, Hanscom. I’m looking to do my duty, and, by God, it’s going to be done! Hasn’t it occurred to any of you here, that Kyle must have had an accomplice? He was standing near the window; the electric light switch is close to the door, and there’s another that controls the room up on the balcony. Now you all tell me that Kyle never moved far from the window. All right, how could he have put out the lights? Some one else must have done that — some one in league with him!”
SENATOR THANE had been sitting in the easy chair. Now he uncrossed his legs, and stood up. “You forget the princess, major. She could have put the lights out.”
Denvers shook his head. He said, bitingly, “No, senator, I didn’t forget the princess. I’m thinking very much about her. I’m wondering what brought her out here. You tell me you don’t know — but I think you do. However, we’ll leave that for the moment. Let’s get back to the lights. I’ll tell you why the princess couldn’t have put the lights out — she was at least six feet from the door, by your own stories. She certainly couldn’t have reached the light switch without all of you noticing what she was going to do!”
Gates was walking up and down nervously. He put his hands up to the sides of his head, cried out, “God! What a headache this has given me! Can’t I go up and lie down, or something?”
“In a little while, Mr. Gates,” the major told him. “I just want to finish this up.” He turned back to Hanscom. “Now this man, Fleer. You say he was near the door. Well, the way I see it, it was either Fleer that put these lights out, or else some one up on the balcony.”
Fleer exclaimed, “Say, you don’t think I had anything to do wit’ killin’ Mr. Rice! I wouldn’t do a thing like that!”
Thane motioned to Fleer to be quiet, and stepped in front of Denvers, his back to Hanscom. “Look here, major,” he said, drawing himself up, “I am a state senator, and my word should have a little weight with you. I tell, you, there’s no point in going on with this investigation. You’d do better to be out on the grounds with your men, seeking Kyle. We all told you that it was Kyle who killed Mr. Rice. Isn’t that sufficient for you?”
Denvers had grown red in the face at Thane’s remark about his belonging out on the grounds with the troopers. He thrust his chin out at the senator, and exploded, “I’ll not stop for you or anybody else — less than the governor! The governor is the only man who has the authority to call me off. I know you and your friends here are hiding something! There’s only one man in your whole dirty crowd whose word I’d take, and that’s Judge Farrell’s! I’ve admired him for years, and when he was elected I hoped he’d turn around and throw out every one of you dirty politicians! I hope he does it after he takes office. It would be a damn good riddance!”
“If,” Thane interrupted softly, “he is found. Did you know, major, that Judge Farrell has disappeared?”
“Yes, damn it, I know. And that’s why I’m so particular about this investigation. There’s been some nasty stuff pulled somewhere. You’ve got good reason to kidnap him yourself, senator. With Rice dead, and Judge Farrell gone, you’ll become acting governor, since you’re president pro tem of the senate!”
BETTY had followed the verbal battle with tense interest. She knew that Major Denvers was no fool. He must have pretty strong suspicions to talk so plainly. She watched Thane closely to get his reaction to Denvers’ statement; but the senator’s poker face revealed nothing. He merely said, very low, “You are a very outspoken man, major — very outspoken, indeed. You may find that trait — embarrassing, some day!”
Hanscom broke in to relieve the tension. “I suppose, major, that you could even find some reason why I should be interested in killing Alvin Rice and causing Judge Farrell to disappear?”