Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

Every Tuesday BOY'S CINEMA II Well, v/hy didn't you say so ?" boomed the ofTlcer. " Follow me -TJI oprn the road lor you I " tlio clerk to telephone the Star Pool Room. That was done, but to no inirpose, and 1 Licker stated wiathfuily: "Your honour. I liavc rea.son to believe that JNlartin Collins has been kidnapped!" His words created excited comment in the public part of the court-room, but the judge silenced it with his gravel. "Who'd want to kidnap hi he asked. "Tiie defence!" declared Tucker. "They know Collins is my star witness and they know his testimony will convict that—that blonde murderess !" -- "Objection !" stormed Howard, bounding to his feet. "Of all the infamous attemjits to influence a jury !"' "Quiet!'' commanded the judge, and trans- ferred his gaze to the furious Deputy County Prosecutor. "On what do you base thi.s— er—charge '; " "Three men disappeared from town yester- day," was the reply. "The missing witness, Steve Lewis, and Dr. Sparks !" "They went after Collins," said Howard. "Rubbish! They kidnapped him to pre- vent him from testifying! I demand War- rants be issued for their arrest!" "I object!" cried Howard. ^ "Obection overruled," said the judge "I'll issue the warrants." "But, your honour " "Just to get them here and clear up the situation. You may proceed, Mr. Tyler." "I can't," complained Tucker. "I've called all my witnesses, except Collins." Howard moved for an adjournment, but that was denied. "The covut stipulates that Collins may testify later," said the judge. "Open your defence, Mr. Adams." "Yes, your honour." Howard turned to his troi'iblesome client. "I've got to put you on the witness-stand, Molly." Molly rose delightedly, but he caught at her arm. "Listen to me," he said in a low but masterful voice, "we've got to kill time—to stall. Do you understand'/" "But why?" she objected. "Never mind why. Just do it. Now re- member—stall !" Molly Herkimer went to the witness-stand as though she were some famous film star making a personal appearance in a cinema. At almost the same moment, in a dingy street lineil wirh unattractive houses-all pr.'- cisely alike with basements and iiillareil porches—in far-away Indianapolis, Steve got out from the two-seater heliind a milk cart. He and Peter had spent the niglit in one of the hotels of the city, and they had called upon no fewer than thirteen Murrays since a very early breakfast. He mounted the steps of one of the houses and rang the bell, and the front door was opened by a plump and middle-aged woman. She looked him up and down and she said (artly : ' " We don't want anything !" "Are you !Mrs. ^lurray':" asked Steve in- gratiatingly. "I ain't takin" any subscriptions, and I ain't listenin' to any sales talk !" "Oh, now, just a minute."' Steve prevented the shutting of the door with a foot. "I'm a friend of your brother. Marty Collins. He said he'd meet me here." It was a chance shot, born of a very faint resemblance on the part of the woman to the man in question, but it was effective. "Oh, yeah?" drawled the woman. "And where is he supposed to be?" "Here," said Steve. "I ain't heard from him in six months" "No?" ';No!" "All right, then. I'll go get some break- fast and drop back later. You may have heard from him b.\- then. He said he'd be here." "I do\ibt tliat," said the woman, and she slammed the door before Steve had begun to descend the steps. . He got in at the wheel of the two-seater and he drove off along the street: but he went no farther than a few yards round a bend that shut the house out of sight. There he braked, and Peter jumped down on to the pavement and crept back along iron railings till he could see the front steps of the house. Five minutes passed, and then the door was reopened and ^Vfartin Collins steiiped out and looked up and down the street. "Marty, please be careful," pleaded the woman who was his sister, following him on to the porch. "All right," he nodded, and he gave her a perfunctory kiss and moved .slowly down the steps. Peti-r swojjt up behind hiin as he i-eachi_'ij (lie pavement, and Peter said pleasantly; •^Hallo, Marty!" Collins whirled round with a startled oath. "What do you want?" ^le snarled. "Let's go see Steve. He's parked around the coiner there." Collins had no desire whatever to see Steve, or any intention of doing so. He drove a left swing to Peter's jaw. Peter's jaw evaded the blow intended for it because he had expected just such a recep- tion, but Collins was too slow to dodge the swift uppercut that Peter drove at his chin, and the ujjpercut shook him. He forgot his anxiety to escape in Jiis desire to adminster punishment, and he was a trifle more than Peter could manage. So Peter yelled for Steve while fighting vali- antly, and Steve arrived like lightning and mixed in to such good purpose that Collins went down again and again, and became too brui.sed and battered even to struggle. "You're coming with us," Steve informed him. "I am not!" he howled. "Want some more of it?" Collins did not want any more of it, and he was propelled along the pavejnent and heaved into the two searer. Peter got in be- side him and held him down, while Steve ran round the car and got in at the wheel. "Say, listen," bellowed the captive after the street and several gaping pedestrians had been left behind, "whexe're you guys takin' me?" "Back to Fanesville,'] Steve replied omin- ously, " to stand trial for Herkimer's murder." "I don't know anything- about it!" "Then why did you jump town so sud- denly ?" "'Cause I didn't want to get mixed up ill—in anything." "You're mixed up in plenty right now! You know there was stolen silk in Herkimer's barn." Collins gulped. "If they think they can i>in the murder on riie, they're crazy!" he quavered. '"All I did was to arrange the deal wirh Herkimer. I never even saw the silk." "And I suppose you didn't know that Her- kimer was murdered?" suggested Peter scorn- fuily. January 20th, IE40.