Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

Every Tuesday see me," she replied a trifle wearily. "The police have formed a daisy chain around me. and I'm so utterly tired of it." She loolced at him curiously. "You're the new school lawyer, aren't you?" Mike took his cue instantly. ■'That's right," he said. "And you needn't have submitted to this treatment, you know?" Her eyes opened wide. "Are you sure?" she said. "Would it be possible for me to go home?" Mike was about to nod when the police lieutenant came up. "I'm afraid I've got to have you moved, Miss Frazier," he said. "The district attorney thinks you'd be safer down at the County Jail. It seems that one of the ransom bills has iust turned up, and that means the kidnappers might become des- perate and try to kill you. So will you get ready, please?" Mike took him by the arm and led him away. "I'll fix everything," he said. "Thanks. Mr. More." the lieutenant re- plied. "She's a bit difficult. She thinks we're persecuting her. Maybe you could make her see that all this is for her own good." Mike nodded and the lieutenant went ciway. Mike hurried back to Ellen. "We've got to get out of here." he told iTer. "I'll fix you up with some friends of mine. You can hide out there until I've arranged for your freedom. All right?" She put her hand on his arm. "Thank you ,so much, Mr. More," she '^^aid. "But how are you going to get me nway?" "You tell me," he countered. "Perhaps I he back door or something." She nodded, and led him out through some kitchens to a yard. Across it were lines hung with washing, and a cop was lounging by the back gate. They hid behind some drying blankets '0 consider their next move. At that moment the washer-woman came out of another door. Quickly Mike whispered -omething in Ellen's ear. Ellen stood up. "Hilda, you might tell the officer at the BOY'S CINEMA gate that the lieutenant wants to see him right away, will you?" she called. "Sure, ma'am, the woman replied, and went and gave the message. It was all Mike wanted. He grabbed Ellen by the arm and rushed her out into the roadway. He hailed a passing taxi, bundled her into it and told the driver to get going. The driver obeyed. Mike leaned back and breathed a sigh of relief. He did not know how close had been his escape, for at the same moment that the taxi drove off a man rushed up the front steps of the school and apolo- gised for being late. He was the genuine Mr. More! Mike scribbled the address of Davie Bryant, the machine-room chief, on a Diece of paper and pushed it into Ellen's hand. "Go there," he said. "Mrs. Bryant will take care of you. I'll come for you as soon as everything is fixed." He leaned forward and tapped on the glass. "We'd better get out here, in case anyone saw us take the taxi and managed to get the number." Thev alighted and Mike paid the driver off. Then he handed Ellen some money. "Will you be able to find your way all right?" he asked. She nodded and put her hand into his. "I'll be quite safe now," she said. "And thank you for all you've done for me, Mr. More." Mike stammered and went red. "As a matter of fact, my name's not More," he told her. "It's Cassidy—Mike Cassidy—and I'm a newspaperman. But I'll explain everything when I see you again. There isn't time now. Keep to the back streets, and I'll phone Mrs. Bryant later to make sure you're safe." She looked as though she was going to get angry with him for his deception. She had had a bad time with newspapermen these last few days. But she decided that Mike really wanted to help her, and nodded. She hurried away. Mike grinned as he watched her go. A nice piece of work, he told himself. Now, with the main witness to the kidnapping in his care, half of his v.ork V.a.s done. His next job was to find Charlie Daggett and take up the trail whicJi would lead him to the culprits. He would not have congratulated him- .self .so readily had he been able to see Ellen at that moment. A car drew up alongside her as she was walking along the pavement, and a man leapt out. In his hand was an automatic pistol. "Get in, sister," he said shortly. "You'll be quite dead if you don't." She hesitated. He jabbed the gun into her side and caught hold of her roughly by the arm. The next moment she was seated be- tween two men in the back of the car. The car sped away. PHIL ARNO MIKE found Charlie Daggeu out in the suburbs. Charlie was dressed for the wedding, and was not looking too happy about it. He was a little man, and he bore all the signs ol too mucn mother- in-law. Mike managed to get him into a room alone and showed him the hundred-dollar bill. "This was handed to you over your counter, Daggett," he said. "Maybe it was yesterday, maybe it was the dav before. Can you remember who gave it to you?" Charlie Daggett looked worried. He guessed that Mike must be a police officer, and knew that he had to help all he could. In his line of business the police often came to make inquiries. But before He could say anything an elderly woman came bustling m. towing a girl in her wake. The woman was grim and pugnacious; the girl was pudding- faced—she looked dumb. "Whafs going on here, Charles Dag- gett?" the elderly woman wanted to know. Charlie Daggett tried to wave her away. "Wait a minute," he said. "I think^ it was a doctor's wife. I remember, because we don't often get a hundred-dollar bill. My business is small, and " "Do you hear what I say?" demanded the elderly woman. I'll give you one more chance. How did you get hold of that note ? " NOM n I IWi 10 1