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

  give him. Ardmen was slugged—and hard.”

  complete and we need every minute. Why not Bryant

  leaned

  forward. “Rourke thinks

  see him tonight? Here’s his address.”

  Miss Burnel could—”

  Mel took the slip of paper from

  He stopped when Mel shook his head.

  Bryant. Smith lived fairly close. “I’ll see

  “Not her. She hasn’t that much heft to her him,” he said decisively, and arose.

  muscles.” Mel puffed on his cigarette. “Who’s Bryant nodded. “Tonight. You’ll know

  John Smith?” Bryant quickly looked up. “Our if you’re barking up the wrong tree or not, and foreman. Why?”

  you’ll be satisfied.”

  “Joy had seen him hanging around the

  Mel turned toward the door. “Thanks,

  office a lot that night. Know anything about Bryant. I’ll see Smith tonight.”

  him?”

  He spent the rest of the morning

  Bryant scratched his chin and then checking on John Smith. He called on the toyed with a paper knife. His blue eyes studied man’s neighbors, at the stores where he

  Mel. “What’s the idea? Are you investigating traded. He learned some very definite things on your own?” Mel shrugged. “I have to. I’ve that made John Smith worth further inquiry.

  got to clear Joy of this rap they’re trying to pin The man’s name at one time had been

  on her, and I’ve got to clean up my own

  Schmidt and up to a year before America

  reputation since they kicked me off the force.”

  entered the war he had been pro-Nazi,

  Bryant nodded slowly. Twice he gave

  according to the neighbors.

  Mel long looks from under his blond brows.

  Mel ate lunch near the police station.

  Finally he dropped the knife. “John Smith has He slowly reviewed all he had learned. He been with us for several years. He is a could look through the window and see the naturalized citizen, German by birth.”

  gray, stained stone of Headquarters and the Mel’s brows arched. “German? Sure

  windows of the detective offices.

  he’s all right?”

  Mel slapped the change to pay for his

  “Well,” Bryant hesitated, “Tom lunch on the counter and determinedly walked thought he was. But I’ve had the feeling he out and across the street. He entered the was a bit too anxious for Hitler before we station and took the wide stairs that led to the went in the war. That’s my own opinion, of upper offices. He encountered surprised stares course. Smith has always done his work well.”

  and a few sneering glances, but he shrugged them off.

  MEL forgot Bryant as his mind cast back over Rourke was crouched over his desk

  the evil night. There had been the flitting like a thin spider when Mel entered his office.

  shadow beside the building before he came in.

  His hawk eyes flashed and his thin lips twisted That hooked up with the open window in this into a cruel grin. His voice was cold. “What office. Almost any of the heavy tools in a are you doing here?”

  machine shop could have crushed Tom

  Mel sat down gingerly on the edge of a

  Ardmen’s head.

  chair and tightly held his hat. He couldn’t

  You Can’t Hide That Clue 7

  smack Rourke down at this stage of the game.

  true. But suppose Smith wanted to steal

  “I need your help,” he said slowly. “I’ve blueprints that would have to be replaced?

  turned up a new angle on the Ardmen case.”

  Suppose he was caught at it? He’d kill to Rourke stared coldly at him. “Still protect himself.”

  think your girl friend didn’t do it?”

  Rourke dropped his hands on the desk.

  “Hell, I know she didn’t! I think I can

  “Okay, Herdrick, I’ll meet you.”

  prove it.”

  Mel nodded and left. He went home.

  Rourke chuckled. “She’s told me about

  He didn’t want to tell Joy of this long, long three different versions ©f that night.” He shot to clear her of the murder charge. It might leaned forward. “Herdrick, by rights you only dash hopes that the news would raise.

  should be jugged for what you did that night He could only wait impatiently until

  to protect her.”

  evening. A dozen times he checked his service Mel felt anger flood into his face. He

  revolver, and a dozen more times paced like a gulped, deeply, and managed a fair control of caged animal in the small confines of his his voice. “Rourke, I know that Joy Burnel apartment. He tried to eat that evening, but the didn’t kill Ardmen. She was scared and blew food had no taste and he gave it up.

  her top. If you’ll listen to me and give me a The phone rang and Rourke’s harsh

  hand tonight, I think that even you will admit voice gave him orders. “I’ll see you in half an that more investigation would do no harm.”

  hour. I’ve looked over Smith’s place and

  Rourke sat back in his chair. “Let’s

  there’s enough bushes so I can get close to the have it.”

  windows.”

  “We’ll nail him, Rourke,” Mel said.

  MEL hitched forward and told all that he had Rourke’s voice unaccountably softened. “I learned about John Smith. He repeated the tale hope so, Herdrick. I’m a tough guy, they tell of the elusive shadow he had encountered

  me, but I don’t want to see any innocent

  outside the machine shop on that fatal night, person take a rap.”

  and the open window in the office. Rourke

  “Thanks,” Mel said simply and hung

  listened, but he revealed nothing in his cruel, up.

  lean face. Mel finished.

  He checked the gun in his shoulder

  Rourke studied him a moment in holster again and went out to the car. The silence. “You want me to go to Smith’s house spring night had come by the time he drove up with you?”

  to the little cottage where Smith lived. Mel Mel nodded. “Not openly, Rourke. The

  had talked to Rourke and had given him five nights are warm now. Smith will have his

  minutes to get set, and now Mel walked up windows open. You can listen and if he lets onto the porch and knocked.

  anything drop, there’ll be a witness.” He Smith answered. He was a small man,

  hitched forward. “Rourke, Acme Tool and Die with a hard, wrinkled face and steel-gray eyes.

  makes some mighty important small parts for His black hair was wiry, standing stiffly erect the big defense plants. If it were stopped for in a short cut that resembled a German

  awhile, Lord knows how many army and navy soldier’s. He stared truculently at Mel.

  contracts it would hold up. There’s a motive

  “What you want?”

  for Ardmen’s killing.”

  Mel wasted no time. “I was on duty the

  Rourke studied his nails. “Acme keeps

  night Tom Ardmen was killed. I’ve been

  on producing,” he said.

  investigating the case, and I think you know Mel made an impatient sound. “That’s

  something. Shall we talk inside?”

  Mammoth Detective

  8

  There was a peculiar glint in Smith’s

  Investigations, Smith. We looked into such face. He stared at Mel and then stood to one items as Bunds and their work. There’s always side. “I think you are crazy. I know nothing.

  one characteristic of a good Bundist.” He But we do not argue out here.”

  flung open the bedroom door.

  Smith sprang toward him. Mel

  HE LED Mel to a shabbily furnished living knocked him aside with a heavy sweep of his room and turned to face him. In the
glaring arm. His groping fingers found the light

  light, his features looked more arrogant than switch by the door. Above the bed was a

  ever. He rocked back on his heels, confident.

  picture of Hitler and a small Nazi flag.

  “Well?” he demanded.

  Smith stared at Mel, and then sanity

  Mel looked around. He could see into

  came back to his eyes. He made a dive for a the kitchen and there was another door, battered secretary in the corner. He swept up a closed, that led to what was obviously the gun and whirled. Mel’s hand streaked for his bedroom. He faced Smith.

  shoulder holster, but in that horror-stricken

  “Acme Tool and Die works on defense

  instant he knew he was seconds too late.

  sub-contracts. They make things that the

  A GUN blasted from the window.

  Fuehrer wouldn’t like to face.”

  Smith came up on his toes and

  Smith’s face dropped in sudden clutched at his chest. Mel was thankful that suspicion. “So? What is that to me?”

  Rourke had come. He heard the bushes

  Mel grinned. “I’ve checked up on you,

  threshing and then a second gun roared from Smith. Your name was Schmidt, you were

  outside. An answering shot came from

  naturalized, and you’ve been active in the beneath the window.

  local Bund until it went underground.”

  Mel went into action. Someone else

  Smith’s eyes narrowed into dangerous glints.

  had fired at Smith and killed him! He heard

  “I almost caught you outside the plant the Rourke’s cursing over the blast of the shot.

  night of the murder. The office window was Mel swung around and dashed through the

  open.”

  kitchen. He threw wide the screen and

  Smith seemed to slowly sink into a

  pounded across the little porch.

  crouch. His voice was flat. “You accuse me?”

  A dark figure came hurtling around the

  Mel took a chance. “Your footprints

  corner, headed in a direct line for the back were in the mud outside the open window.

  fence. Rourke’s voice was harsh. “Halt! I’ll Tom Ardmen was half drunk and plenty fire!”

  groggy from falling against the steam pipe.

  Mel pushed his long body in a flying

  You saw his struggle with Joy Burnel. She ran tackle from the edge of the porch. The figure away, frightened, and the coast was clear for whirled and there was a dull gleam of metal as you to come in the window.”

  the gun flashed up. In that instant Mel’s long Smith shook his head. “It is not true!”

  arms wrapped around the heavy body. The

  Mel bored on. “You wanted to destroy or steal man was like a fighting wildcat. Dimly Mel some valuable blueprints; either way, Hitler heard the pound of Rourke’s feet around the profited. Ardmen saw you and you had to kill house.

  him. Spies in wartime America, Smith, don’t The man pulled away and for an

  have an easy time of it.”

  instant Mel’s gun arm was free. He brought Smith’s face worked. “You lie!”

  the barrel of the automatic down with crushing Mel shrugged. “Yes?” He edged to the

  force against the man’s head. The heavy

  bedroom door. “I used to work on Special

  figure slumped to the ground without a sound.

  You Can’t Hide That Clue 9

  Mel pulled himself up.

  a scrap and Cal would plug him from the

  Rourke was beside him and the white

  window. I’d be neatly tied up. I’m broken pencil of the flashlight picked out the placid from the force, have no authority to question face of Cal Bryant. Mel stared down and then anybody about anything. I’d be so busy trying at Rourke. “This really ties it up in a neat to save my own neck that I wouldn’t have

  bundle,” he exclaimed.

  time to go further in the Ardmen case.”

  Rourke slipped the bracelets onto the

  Mel looked ruefully down at the

  wrists and shook his head. “I don’t get it. I unconscious man. “He was a smart boy,

  saw him blast down Smith.”

  Rourke. It worked just as he planned it.

  Mel replaced his gun. “It’s clear as

  Except, Cal Bryant didn’t figure I’d go to you glass to me, Rourke. I should have seen it for help. Thank God I did!”

  before. Acme Tool and Die is making a lot of money off these army sub-contracts, and the ROURKE slapped Bryant’s face and the man

  heavy take was a split between Bryant and his groggily sat up. Rourke signaled Mel to help partner, Ardmen. What if Ardmen were out of him. “Let’s get him to the station. He’s too the way? Cal would get all the gravy.”

  deep in this to hold out and my boys can crack Rourke nodded. “Sounds reasonable.”

  him. You did a good job, Herdrick. I’ll release

  “It is reasonable! Cal saw Joy hurry

  Joy Burnel the second this boy starts to talk.”

  from the office and knew something was

  Between them they loaded Cal Bryant

  wrong. I’ll bet he went in there and saw Tom into Rourke’s car. He lay back in the seat, getting off the floor. Cal knew what had white faced, breathing heavily. Rourke stared happened, the overturned chair and papers on at him a minute then turned to Mel.

  the floor painted a clear picture. This seemed

  “You’ve got a heavy arm, Herdrick,

  to be the chance to eliminate Ardmen and let and a good, hard wallop. He’s not completely Joy Burnel take the tap. He let Tom have it, around yet.” The man’s lips parted in the first probably with a short length of steel bar.”

  warm grin Mel had ever seen. “Want to get Cal Bryant groaned but didn’t awaken.

  Miss Burnel out yourself?”

  Rourke said, “Where does Smith fit in the Mel chuckled. “You bet I do!” He

  picture?”

  climbed into the car.

  “He was a Bundist, all right, and had

  Rourke tossed him the keys. “I got to

  ideas of his own. Cal hadn’t planned my going hang around with the corpse in there. Tell the further into the case in order to clear Joy. I had boys I ordered you to bring Cal in, and to give picked up a few things that made him nervous, him the works. And, Herdrick, tell the boys but I had them all pointing to Smith. I spoke to you’re getting your badge back.”

  Cal about them and he saw a way of getting Mel saluted and turned on the switch.

  me neatly out of the picture and protecting his The car rolled away from the curb, fast. A own neck.

  certain lovely little girl was going to jump

  “He suggested I come here and have it

  right out of a cell and into matrimony if Mel out with Smith. He knew Smith would put up Herdrick had anything to do about it.