YOU CAN’T HIDE THAT CLUE By LEE E Read online

  Mammoth Detective, May, 1943

  No matter whom you think is guilty, you can’t hide evidence. Herdrick concealed evidence that pointed toward his girl, and got kicked off the police force...

  OST of the squat bulks of the reports of prowlers and there had been a series surrounding plants were dark until

  of little things going wrong. Not necessarily M Mel Herdrick turned the rainswept destructive yet, but wrong enough to hold up corner that led to the Acme Tool and Die. A the tooling on a great many contracts. To the sigh of relief came from his deep chest. The police it had smelled slightly of sabotage and Acme was a large machine shop, now working Mel Herdrick was assigned to a day and night night and day on defense sub-contracts from vigil at the Acme.

  the big plants in the neighborhood that made He passed the main entrance to the

  tanks, planes and guns. But more important to plant and continued on to a narrow alley. The Mel, the Acme was Where Joy Burnel wind and rain were particularly bad here, worked. Mel and Joy had plans, entirely having a clear sweep at him from over a wide personal, and not at all concerned with expanse of weed-grown lots. Visibility was defense and police work.

  poor. The steady pound of the machinery

  Mel’s eyes narrowed as he came close

  inside muffled any sound. He slowly slid

  to Acme. The night before there had been

  along the wall.

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  Suddenly a shadow darted away and

  crumpled handkerchief where she had dropped disappeared around the far corner before Mel it. Mel circled the big desk and looked down could cry out. His long legs carried him in at Tom Ardmen, one of the partners who

  pounding pursuit. He tugged his gun from the owned Acme Tool and Die.

  holster. Rain whipped across his face. He He was dead. He lay face down and

  plunged around the corner and stopped. there was a bloody mass of clotted hair just Further pursuit would be useless. To one side above his ear. Mel knelt quickly. The man had stretched acres of high weeds where a man been killed not long before; there was still a could hide, to the other was the mass of trace of warmth to the body. Mel came to his buildings and warehouses. Only sheer luck feet and picked up the phone on Ardmen’s

  would uncover the prowler now.

  desk. This was a job for Homicide. He started Mel returned to the front of the plant

  to dial and then his eyes lingered on Joy’s and pounded on the door. Within a few desk.

  minutes a watchman threw back the lock and His wide, full lips flattened. He broke

  Mel flashed his badge and stepped through.

  the connection and dialed Joy’s number. The The humming roar of the machines was strong phone rang for a long time. Then a low,

  here. A battery of saws, electrically driven, cut sobbing voice answered.

  slowly through steel angles. Further back, Mel couldn’t keep the fright out of his

  lathes whirred under the watchful direction of voice. “Joy, are you all right?”

  skilled workers. It all looked peaceful enough He heard her openly crying now. “Oh,

  to Mel, but that darting shadow outside Mel, Mel! Something dreadful has happened!”

  worried him.

  Mel squared his wide shoulders and

  He shed his raincoat and turned to the

  tried to keep his tone soothing. “I just came in, office. The first of the city detectives to report Joy. I’m at your office. Tell me about it.”

  for duty, he’d have to explain the guard

  “Mel, it was awful. Tom’s made

  routine to Tom Ardmen. Mel grinned. He passes before, but I was always able to joke hoped Tom would be out and that Joy Burnel him around to being nice. Not tonight. Tom’s would look up from her ledgers with that cute, been drinking to keep himself from going to challenging grin of hers.

  pieces under the pressure of the defense work.

  Tonight he tried to—” her voice broke off in a THE office was separated from the machine sob and then she gained control of herself.

  shop by a solid wood partition running from

  “Mel, we fought around the office. I

  floor to low ceiling. Mel knocked on the door.

  shoved him and he tripped over his desk chair.

  There was no answer and he knocked again.

  He fell and his head hit the steam pipe that He turned to look over the shop. He couldn’t circles the wall behind his desk. He looked so see Ardmen among the machines.

  awful. I know I killed him!”

  Mel tried the knob. The door opened to

  Mel’s eyes grew bleak. “What did you

  darkness. There was the smell of rain and a do?”

  cold draft from an open window. The office Her voice sounded close to hysteria.

  was dark. Mel fumbled for the light switch,

  “I—I grabbed my coat and slipped out of the found it.

  office. No one saw me, I know. I came home.”

  He first saw the inert legs behind the

  Mel felt sick. Joy was in for a bad time

  desk, then the overturned chair and with Homicide and her story didn’t sound too wastebasket. His eyes jumped to Joy’s desk.

  good. His eyes dropped to the steam pipe.

  Her ledgers were out and there was a Tom Ardmen lay a good five feet from it. Mel

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  looked at the body. That wound over the ear phone. There was nothing to be done now but had not been made by a steam pipe. Tom

  call Homicide. He dialed, throwing a question Ardmen had been struck, his skull crushed.

  at Bryant. “Where have you been the last

  Mel unconsciously lowered his voice.

  hour?”

  “Hold tight, Joy, and don’t answer your

  Bryant sank down at Joy’s desk, his

  phone. I’ll be over shortly.”

  eyes on the corpse. He replied dully as though half listening. “Out in the plant. We got a HE REPLACED the phone and slowly turned.

  tricky little lathe job on a taper wing. I was He was a big man with wide shoulders and a watching the first cutting.”

  deep chest. But now he was worried and the Mel asked for Homicide and then

  frown between his wide set eyes deepened. He threw another question. “You haven’t been in could see1 very clearly that no policeman the office in over an hour? You didn’t see would believe Joy Burnel, and even he was anyone come in?”

  struck with doubt.

  Bryant shook his head. Suddenly his

  He shrugged it off. Joy wouldn’t eyes gleamed and he jumped to his feet.

  deliberately lie. She might, in fear and panic,

  “Where’s Miss Burnel? She was here!” He

  and that was what Mel wanted to avoid. She’d glared around the room.

  never carry through and the Homicide boys Mel waved him back as he reported the

  would tie her up in contradictions.

  murder to Homicide. He listened to snapped He caught a dull gleam under the desk.

  instructions, then replaced the phone. He He bent down and picked up a pearl. It turned to Bryant. “I’m going after Miss Burnel belonged to a necklace Joy wore. He went

  now. The Homicide boys’ll be here in a few down to his knees and searched. He found

  minutes. You stay put.”

  more pearls and hastily stuffed them in his He pulled on his raincoat and hurried

  pocket. In a corner he found the broken string from the office. Cal Bryant still sat at Joy’s and clasp. He swept them up and scrambled to desk staring at the body
of his partner. Mel his feet when he heard the door knob turn.

  stepped out into the night and the rain was a A big blond man came in, stopped

  cold lash against his face and body. He was dead when he saw the body behind the desk.

  deliberately disobeying orders to stay on the Mel watched him. The man’s blue eyes scene until Homicide arrived. He could be widened, then circled around to rest on Mel.

  broken from the force for that. Mel’s face Mel pointed to the body. “Know lengthened and his lips lined into a grim set.

  anything about this?”

  There had to be something that would clear The man shook his head. His thick red

  Joy. Maybe he could find it before Homicide lips hung open in surprise. He finally twisted the girl in a net of her own statements.

  swallowed, regained his voice. “God, no! Who He was grateful to catch a cab at the

  did it?”

  next corner. In a few minutes he stood in the Mel came closer. “I don’t know yet.

  small hallway of Joy’s apartment. She was Who are you?”

  sobbing in his arms, unmindful of the water

  “Cal Bryant. Tom and I are partners.

  streaming from his raincoat.

  Tom was alive an hour ago.” Mel sized up the He let her cry awhile and then slowly

  man. He was dressed in neat dungarees and held her at arms’ length. The twinkle had gone there was a smear of oil and grit along one from her clear blue eyes that were now misty.

  side of his craggy jaw. His powerful fist Her soft lips were twisted with crying and her crushed a roll of blueprints. Mel picked up the honey-gold hair was disheveled. Her slim

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  shoulders seemed so pitifully frail under Mel’s another patrolman stood. The door opened and strong hands. He managed an encouraging

  a thin man came out. He swung around and

  smile.

  his hawk face lit with unholy anger when he

  “Tell me about it, honey. Don’t leave

  saw Mel. He advanced, his eyes blazing from anything out.”

  either side of his hawk nose. “Where in the hell have you been?”

  HE PLACED her on the davenport, a slim

  Mel saluted. “Chasing down an angle

  curvesome girl in too much trouble for herself.

  of the case, sir.”

  She talked, sometimes sobbing a little. Mel Lieutenant Rourke of Homicide

  listened and grew more and more discouraged.

  opened his slash of a mouth to blast at Mel.

  She insisted that Tom had struck his head Abruptly his lips snapped shut. He was a little against the pipe feeding the single radiator in fellow, wiry and tough as a string of rawhide.

  the small office. Mel sighed. Maybe she was His eyes slitted. “You and Miss Burnel are telling the truth, but Tom hadn’t been killed friends, right?” he snapped.

  by that fall. He held her hands. “There’s Mel nodded slowly. “Yes, I know her.”

  nothing else you can tell me?” he insisted.

  The anger fires blazed in Rourke’s

  “You saw nothing out of the way?”

  eyes again. “Know her, hell! You’re in love She shook her head. “No. Tom was

  with her! She was the last to see Tom Ardmen half drunk. John Smith, the shop foreman, had alive and it looks like there was a sweet scrap been around the office a lot. But that’s all.”

  in there.” He fished in his pocket and pulled Mel sighed. “The police will come,

  out a folded envelope. Carefully he held up a honey. Keep your chin up and answer their blood stained pearl. His hawk eyes glared at questions. I’ll be working for you.”

  Mel. “You didn’t take the rest of these to Miss He kissed her and went to the door.

  Burnel?” Mel stared, stricken, at the pearl. He

  “I’ll have to get back. I’ll tell them you thought he had picked up all of them.

  weren’t home yet.” His hand went to his Unconsciously he made a gesture toward his pocket and he touched the pearls. He gave pocket. Rourke moved with the speed of a

  them to her.

  striking cobra. His steel fingers clamped on

  “You’d better restring them.” He held

  Mel’s wrist. His other hand darted into the her tight a moment and his voice was strained.

  coat pocket.

  “I’ll have to work fast, honey. Stall the He stepped back, holding a pearl. Mel

  homicide boys all you can.” He kissed her and felt anger rising, and he had to fight the nearly ran from the apartment.

  impulse to strike the lean, saturnine face.

  On the way back to the plant, he saw

  Rourke held the pearl to the light, his thin lips only one slight ray of hope. Maybe the twisted in a grin.

  foreman, John Smith, might have something

  “Hiding evidence, Herdrick?” he

  that would clear Joy. Mel’s long jaw hardened remanded.

  and his fists clenched. The whole thing looked Mel said nothing, his breath storming

  black, but there had to be a way out. Work had through his nostrils. He held his fists clenched stopped when he arrived and there was a burly at his side. Finally he had control of himself patrolman before the door. He gave Mel a

  and shook his head. “A clue I picked up.

  hard stare as he let him in. “Boy, you’re going Lieutenant.”

  to have a hot time!”

  Rourke shrugged. “I’m on Homicide,

  The mechanics were clustered in a not you. Turn in your badge, Herdrick. You’re little, frightened group near the office, where through on the force. And don’t leave town. I

  You Can’t Hide That Clue 5

  might want you.”

  frightened girl fighting off a tipsy boss.

  Mel took a quick step forward and then

  Mel turned on his heel and walked

  checked himself. To resort to violence would rapidly away. He’d wind up the

  only get himself and Joy in deeper. Rourke unpleasantness of turning in his badge and stepped inside the office where the fingerprint then get to work. This was one case he could men were at work. He dialed headquarters.

  not afford to fumble. Joy’s safety and

  “Rourke of Homicide. Send a detail to

  freedom, his own honor on the force depended pick up Miss Joy Burnel. I want her for on it.

  questioning on this killing at Acme.

  Something else, I’ve ordered Detective THE next few days were a nightmare. The Herdrick to turn in his badge, relay to Captain papers carried the story of the Ardmen killing Fallen. Yeah, leaving the scene of the crime and pictures of Joy Burnel. Rourke had

  despite orders, and maybe I’ll bring charges of questioned her, broken down her defenses in concealing evidence.”

  an intense grilling. She was finally arrested for Rourke dropped the phone back in the

  the killing of Tom Ardmen. Mel Herdrick had cradle and came to the door. He stared coldly come to the attention of the papers, too. His at Mel. “Well, get going, Herdrick. You’ve relationship to Joy, his attempts to cover for got no business here.”

  her, had been too natural a feature spread for the papers to pass up. They played the story MEL slowly turned and stumbled to the door.

  for all it was worth. So Mel was in a vicious, He was out into the night and the rain dashed fighting mood when he pushed into the office unheedingly in his face. He clumped through of the Acme Tool and Die a few days later.

  the deep puddles on the sidewalk, his thoughts Cal Bryant looked up. His blue eyes flashed as black as the stormy night. He was broken; wide.

  off the force. Police work had been more than He leaned back in his chair. “You! I’d

  just a job with him, it had been a career. ‘Way think you wouldn’t want to come around this back when he had been just a dirty faced kid, place.”

  growing
up in a tenement district, he had Mel grinned wryly. “There’s not good

  dreamed of being a policeman, a detective.

  memories about it,” he admitted. He sat down His father had been one before him, a good across the desk. He weighed Cal Bryant. The one, and had died under fire.

  big man’s face was open and likable, and he Mel felt suddenly sick inside. He had

  had a direct, rough way that somehow gave been broken—to protect a girl. His sickened confidence.

  brain told him coldly that Joy’s story didn’t Mel fished for a cigarette. “Do you

  check, it wouldn’t hold together. He stopped believe Joy Burnel killed your partner?”

  at the next corner, uncertain. He turned and Cal looked at his hands, folded on the

  stared back at the misty lights of the Acme desk top. “I don’t know, Herdrick. The police Tool and Die.

  think she did.”

  His courage came flooding back. He

  Mel flipped out the match flame. “You

  squared his wide shoulders. Broken or not, he mean Rourke thinks so. I don’t, Bryant, for knew he was right. Joy Burnel had not several good reasons.”

  murdered Tom Ardmen. And Tom Ardmen

  Bryant shrugged. “You’re biased,” he

  had been alive when Joy had fled—knocked

  pointed out.

  out probably, but still alive. There was a real Mel admitted the charge. He leaned

  killer lurking somewhere in the picture, not a forward. “Joy was pretty hysterical when I

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  saw her, Bryant. A hysterical woman can’t Bryant had picked up the knife again.

  think clear enough to tell a decent lie. Besides

  “Herdrick, there’s nothing that convinces me that, she trusted me. She swears that Tom Miss Burnel might not have killed my partner.

  Ardmen stumbled over his chair and his head Still, she was here a long time and I rather hit that low steam pipe.” Mel’s long arm liked her. Maybe Smith might have something pointed to the spot. “But I found him five feet to do with this. I’d rather you didn’t question away with a wound no stumble like that could him here; we’ve got these contracts to