Boy's Cinema (1935-39)

12 "Get my car," he directed, and after the butler had disappeared he went slowly up the stairs. Miss Withers, having had a very early breakfast that morning, had an unusually early lunch before she re- turned to Headquarters in quest of Oscar Piper. The inspector was munching sandwiches when she invaded his room and seated herself in a fairly comfort- able chair near the desk. "Oscar," she said impressively, "Don Gregg didn't do it." The inspector, in his shirt sleeves and with his waistcoat unfastened, swallowed tin' last morsel of the last sandwich but one and scowled at her. "Don't be a sap," he snorted. "Of course he did it!" "How are you going to prove it?" she challenged. "Well " "Exactly!" she cut in. "Oscar, the man who killed Violet Fcverel was middle-aged. He was a thoughtful man — possibly a chemist, or a professor—and he has false teeth." Piper bounded to his feet. " What's his name?" he asked excitedly. "1 haven't the least idea." "Then where'd you get all the dope?" "Deduction, Oscar." "Aw!" He forgot all about the re- maining sandwich in his disgust, and he hi a cigar. "How can you find out if a man has false teeth?" inquired the cause of his distraction. "That's easy," he growled. "Get him mad enough to bite you!" Dr. Charles Bloom, the medical ex- aminer, looked into the room with a sheet of paper in his hand. "Oh, come on in, doc," said Piper. "What you got—the autopsy report?" " Yes." Bloom advanced to the desk and handed him the sheet of paper. "But there's nothing new. The girl had been killed by a blow on the head, That's certain." "Okay." Piper did not even trouble to look at the report. "Oh, by the way, Miss Withers wants to know how she can find out if somebody has false teeth." "H'm." The medical examiner pursed his thin lips. "That's quite a problem. Well, you can offer him an apple. • If he bites, the teeth are his own. If not—not." lie went out, closing the door behind him, and Piper grinned at Miss Withers. "Now all we need's an apple," he said dryly. More Revelations IT was only a few minutes later that Schultz, the handwriting expert at headquarters, entered the room. He was a little man with a veritable mane ill white hair, and he had a whole sheaf of papers in his hand. These he proceeded (o spread out on the inspector's desk, and they proved to be 'enlargements of different letters and words from the receipt for the ali- mony and the court order which had secured Don's release from gaol- He was demonstrating the difference be- Iween some of the specimens, and the similarity between others, when Piper impatiently interrupted him. "Look," he said, "all I want to find out is did Gregg forge that court orilcr ?" "A forged court order?" exclaimed _\l^s Withers in astonishment. "Yeah. Your friend G I out of gaol on a forged order. 1 forgot to tell you about it, you were SO sure lie ikay." "Huh!" she sniffed. "I still am!" September "Cth, 1936. BOY'S CINEMA THRILLING Film Stories ENTHRALLING Articles FASCINATING Pictures IF you're keen on the films, and like 'em spiced with thrills and gripping adventure—here's your book I BOY'S CINEMA ANNUAL is a boys' book that girls will like as well. This grand new issue contains no fewer than 160 pages packed with dozens of film features that will enter- tain you for many hours. There are SEVEN long, complete Film Stories of mystery, adventure and the glorious West, en- thralling " n e w s y " articles about Filmland and the Stars, and hun- dreds of marvellous photographs. Buy your copy to-day ! BOYS CINEMA ANNUAL 0/ all Newsagents & Booksellers 3'6 Every Tuesday "Oh, you are? Well, come on, Schultz, did Gregg forge that order?" "No," said the little handwriting ex- pert quite definitely, "he didn't." Piper's disappointment was manifest. Mi-s Withers, smiling triumphantly, took the scrap of paper she had found under the blotting-pad in Patrick Gregg's study and opened it out. "Mr. Schultz," she said, "do you think this might be the handwriting we're looking for?" Schultz studied the writing, and Piper leaned over the desk. "What's that?" he demanded. "That's a specimen of Patrick Gregg's handwriting," Miss Withers infoi him tartly." " I forgot to tell you about it, you weie so sure he was okay." "Pat Gregg?" Piper could hardly be- lieve his eats. "Well, how il'you lik^ that ? Here—here's as old man who had a stroke " "How about it, Mr. Schultz?" Miss Withers interposed. " Well, I can't be sure from a casual examination," was the guarded answer. "I'll have to chart the handwriting." "Go ahead and chart it,'' rapped Piper. Schultz gathered up all the papers and retreated. "Pat Gregg!" exploded Piper. "Next thing you'll be telling me " A telephone bell interrupted him, and he snatched up the instrument. High- pockets was on the other end of the line, speaking from a call-box, but he was too excited to be articulate, and Piper, gathering that the stable-boy wanted to speak to Miss Withers, handed the instrument to her. "Who is it?" she asked. "I don't know," said the inspector, "but he's hissing like a snake!" At the sound of her voice the negi o became a little calmer, and a lot moie coherent. Her brows went up as she listened. "Yes, yes," she said, "you stay there, Highpockets. I'll be right over." She handed the telephone back to Piper and rose and picked up her hand- bag. "Come on," she said urgently, "we've got something!" "What?" asked Piper. "I'll tell you on the way over." In a squad car they travelled up- town to East Fifty-Seventh Street, and Kane accompanied them. Highpockets ran out from the Thwaite Stables as the car drew up near the wide-open doors, and, waving his arms about as though he himself were fighting, he bellowed at Miss Withers as she descended: " Dey bin scrappin' with each other! I mos' scared to death. Better go in dere and do somethin' Dey bin ligbtin' " Piper and Kane dived into the brick- paved yard, but Miss Withers remained with the shouting and gesticulating negro. "Now listen, Highpockets," she said, when bfl had calmed down a little. "I've got a ten-dollar bill in this bag. You just quiet yourself and begin at the beginning." Highpockets' eyes ceased to roll, and avarice shone in them. "Yes, ma'am," he said in his natural voice. •'I'm awful calm, now. I'll tell you." In the yard, outside the stall of the stallion, an altercation between Latigo Wells, recently released from custody. and Don Gregg ceased abruptly as the two detectives arrived. Eddie Fry was there, and Barbara was with him. "What's going on here?" blazed Piper, and Don immediately pointed en « accusing finger at Well9. (Continued on page 25)