|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 15
Kennedy turned to Mackay. "Will you arrange to keep the people I
have yet to question separate from the ones I have examined
already?"
As the district attorney nodded, Kennedy dismissed Manton rather
shortly; then turned again to Mackay as the promoter drew out of
earshot.
"Bring in Bernie, the property-boy, before anyone can tell him to
hide or destroy that locket."
V
AN EMOTIONAL MAZE
Bernie proved to be as stupid a youth as any I had ever seen. He
possessed frightened semi-liquid eyes and overshot ears and hair
which might have been red beneath its accumulation of dust.
Without doubt the boy had been coached by the electrician,
because he began to affirm his innocence in similar fashion the
moment he entered the door.
"I don't know nothin', honest I don't," he pleaded. "I was out in
the hall, I was, and I didn't come in at all until the doc.
came."
"I suppose you were anxious to see if the cable was becoming
hot," Kennedy suggested, gravely.
"That's it, sir! We was lookin' at it because it was on the
varnish and the butler he says--"
"Where's the locket?" interrupted Kennedy. "The one Miss Lamar
wore in the scenes."
"Oh!" in disdain, "that thing!" With some effort Bernie fished it
from the capacious depths of a pocket, disentangling the sharp
corners from the torn and ragged lining of his coat.
I glanced at it as Kennedy turned it over and over in his hands,
and saw that it was a palpable stage prop, with glass jewels of
the cheapest sort. Concealing his disappointment, Kennedy dropped
it into his own pocket, confronting the frightened Bernie once
more.
"Do you know anything about Miss Lamar's death?"
"No! I don't know nothing, honest!"
"All right!" Kennedy turned to Mackay. "Werner, the director."
Of Stanley Werner I had heard a great deal, through interviews,
character studies, and other press stuff in the photoplay
journals and the Sunday newspaper film sections. Now I found him
to be a high-strung individual, so extremely nervous that it
seemed impossible for him to remain in one position in his chair
or for him to keep his hands motionless for a single instant.
Although he was of moderate build, with a fair suggestion of
flesh, there were yet the marks of the artist and of the creative
temperament in the fine sloping contours of his head and in his
remarkably long fingers, which tapered to nails manicured
immaculately. Kennedy seemed to pay particular attention to his
eyes, which were dark, soft, and amazingly restless.
"Who was in the cast, Mr. Werner? What were they playing and just
exactly what was each doing at the time of Miss Lamar's
collapse?"
"Well"--Werner's eyes shifted to mine, then to Mackay's, and
there was a subtle lack of ease in his manner which I was hardly
prepared to classify as yet--"Stella Lamar was playing the part
of Stella Remsen, the heroine, and--uh, I see your associate has
the script--"
He paused, glancing at me again. When Kennedy said nothing,
Werner went on, growing more and more nervous. "Jack Gordon plays
Jack Daring, the hero--the handsome young chap who runs down the
steps and encounters the butler and the maid in the hall just
outside the library--"
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|