Boy's Cinema (1935-39)

Every Tuesday "Cecil Dawson," and biul l)ocii ting up from tho files of the " E.xaiiiiiier " by Tiny Brewster. The telegram ran: "Cecil Ilawsoii, alias Frank Locke, tried for nnndcr lierr. nineteen thirty- four. Not hanged iliii' changed t^esti- mony Ksthor Linton. -H.xle Detective Agency.' Having studied the jihotograph and this telegrnni. Perry recalled the blonde girl who had emerged from l^ocko's room after he had invadi-d the oliice of "Spicy Bits ' the night before. He described lici to Spudsy, and he said: " Put a tail on her, Spud—give her a smooth shadowing, you understand? If you watch Locke he'll lead you to her. Follow her wherever she goes. I want to know where she lives and everything about her.' Spudsy, who was a really excellent detective as well as an ex-champion in the ring, set off upon his task; and as iho blondo girl hniched with Frank Locke that day it did not prove a very difficult one. At three o'i'lock in tho afternoon he called on Perry, quite efVectively dis- guised as a woman of considerable pro- portions. "I got her, boss!"" he said excitedly. " Esther Linton, three-fifty. Wheel- wright Apartments, in Chester Stieet. The bellboy says she gets regular sugar from ' Spicy Bits '—changes the cheques with the secretary of the place. And with that accent, is she from Georgia?" "Has Frank Locke, been out with her recently?" asked Perrj-. " She was out with him from about eight o'clock till eleven-thirty last night," stated Spudsy. BOY'S CINEMA " Eleventhirly ?" I'i'rry ««'eine<l dis- appointed. " Well, he didn't kill Belter, then!" " Why, boss, you never thought he did, did you?" "Of course not, yoti chump! But if 1 could make it look that way, I could control ' Spicy Bits '—and that's what I want to do right now!" A taxicab conveyed Spud.sy and him- self to the Whci'lwrighl, Apaitmcnts, and they climbed the stairs together in- stead of using the lift. Perry with his handkerchief to his face—a handkerchief which was justified by his frequent sneezings. Spudsy hn-ked in a wide corridor while Peiry rapped at a door numbered 350. "Who is it? " asked a feminine voice with a decided accent. "Telegram," Perry replied, aflei' the maimer of a messenger. The door was opened, and he sd'ode past the blonde girl into a sitting- room. " W-w-what's the idea?" she asked blankly, staring at him. He slamniefl the door. "I'm sorry," he said, tossing his hat into the air and catching it, " but you're in a jam." "What are you?" she gaspixl. "A detective?" "No, a lawyer." He seated himself calmly on a sofa and crossed his long- legs. "I want to talk to j-ou about Frank Locke.' "Frank Locke?" Her face became expressionless. "I never heard of him.'' "Now don't tell me you've forgotten good old Cecil Dawson," said Perry with a little laugh. "Surely you re- member the Georgia business ? The 17 lime you saved his i U by changing your testimony?" She bit her lip, frowning at him. "Oh, all right!" she said. "What do you want? " "That's better," he nodded. "Come and sit down." She sat beside him, obviously upset. "You were with him till eleven thirty las! night," he said; and then, as she inclini'd her golden head: "Well, unless you want to be sent back to. Gcjoigia for compounding a felony, Pm telling you wtiat you did last night." Three-quarters of an hour later Fiank Lock(^ once more joined Peny in the Shakespeare Shoppe. and was promptly marched out on to the pavement. "I know where you'd like to send me," said Perry pleasantly, "but unless you want to be on the same ferry-boat, you'd better come with me!" "I'll give you fifteen miimtes." snapped I^ocke, " and this time you'd better talk turkey!" "I'll talk turkey," promised Perry, and led the way ro\ind several corners to a gim-shop. "We're going in here.', "Hi, what sort of a racket is this?" howled Locke. "Who's getting suspicious now?" laughed Perrj-. "Come on!" Tbey entered the shop, in which all manner of lethal weapons were displayed in glass-fronted cases, and Perry greeted its Gi'eek proprietor, a full-bodied man named Kickopopolos, who said almost in one breath: "Hallo, Mist' Mason. Dat's der man!" "Now, just a minute. Kicky,"' said Perry, "we've got to be sure about this." "You put me on der witness stand," Perry pointed to the door beside which the Japanese servant was scratching his head in bewilderment. " Out, my men I '* January 9tb, 1937.