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Page 98
"Shirley is missing," observed the district attorney, in an
undertone.
Kennedy faced me. "Give the bag to Mackay, Walter. While he keeps
an eye on the people up here we'll pay a visit to Shirley's
dressing room, and after that go down to the basement again. I
can't account for it--intuition, perhaps--but I'm sure
something's wrong."
The heavy man's dressing room, pointed out to us by some employee
passing through the hall, was empty. I led the way into Marilyn's
quarters, but again no one was about. In each case Kennedy made a
quick visual search for the towel, without result. We did not
dare linger and run the risk of giving away our trick; then, too,
Kennedy was nervously anxious to look through the basement once
more.
"I don't understand your suspicion of the state of affairs in the
film vaults," I confessed.
"Why should Jack Gordon, the leading man, be down there?" he
countered.
"That--that really is a cause for suspicion, isn't it."
"Now, Walter, think a bit!" We were crossing the yard, and so not
apt to be overheard. "Granting that Gordon actually had been down
there, why should the fact concern us? Manton explained that no
negative or positive can be given out except upon order. There is
nothing down there but film and so no other errand to bring the
leading man to the vault except to get some scenes or pieces
showing his own work, and that isn't likely."
"Unless," I interrupted, "Gordon is the guilty man and wanted to
get the snake film before we did."
"How could that be? When we asked Manton about the Doctor Nagoya
subject we went right down with him and procured it. I doubt
anyone could have overheard us as we talked about it, in any
case."
"Remember, Craig, we went to the locker first and it was some
little time before that fellow came out to unlock it and give us
the key. And when you questioned Manton we were passing right by
all of them. Any one could have heard the mention of the snake
film."
Kennedy frowned. "I believe you're right, Walter. Or it is
possible that the guilty person believed that the scenes taken
out at Tarrytown, or those taken when Werner died, revealed
something and so would have to be stolen or destroyed, and that
they were kept in the vault. It is even possible"--a gleam came
into Kennedy's eyes--"it is even possible that the mind smart
enough to reason out the damaging nature of the chemical analyses
I was making, and clever enough to utilize an explosive bullet in
an effort to destroy the fruits of my work, would also have the
foresight to anticipate me and to realize that I might guess the
existence of a film showing snakes and suggesting the use of
venom."
"It's damning to Gordon, all right," I said.
"On the contrary, Walter." Kennedy lowered his voice as we
entered the building across the quadrangle and descended stairs
leading directly into the basement. "We have mentioned over and
over again the cleverness of our unknown criminal. That man, or
woman, never would drop a cigarette case with his or her initials
and leave without it, nor smoke a cigarette in a place he, or
she, was not supposed to be."
"What then?"
"It's a plant; a deliberate plant to throw suspicion upon
Gordon."
"Why upon Gordon?"
"I don't know that, unless because Gordon is supposed to have the
best possible motive for killing Miss Lamar--his money troubles--
and so becomes the logical man to throw the guilt upon."
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