The Cutthroat (Isaac Bell 10)
Page 127
Isaac Bell jumped off an express from Santa Barbara and telephoned the Van Dorn railcar from a coin telephone. Harry Warren answered, sounding jubilant.
“We nailed him, Isaac. John Buchanan.”
“Buchanan? How?”
“Dashwood did it. He found a Jekyll and Hyde program that Buchanan inscribed to one of his rich ladies—the banker’s wife he killed in Cleveland.”
“But he must inscribe programs to all of his rich ladies.”
“This one was for the Cincinnati show.”
“She was killed before Cincinnati.”
“That’s what Dashwood tumbled to! It was printed ahead of time. Only Buchanan could have given it to her. Here’s the best part: Buchanan’s got no alibi. He did one of his ‘disappearing acts’ that night. Young stood in for him. Buchanan claims he was sick and slept on the train. Train crew says no. They saw him leave. Buchanan refuses to say where he went.”
“Does he have a black eye?”
“What?”
“Does he have a black eye?”
“Who knows? He’s slathered with makeup. We got him in Glendale on his way to Marion’s movie.”
“Where’d you put him?”
“We got him right here in the car.”
“Scrub him off!”
“What?”
“Remove his makeup! On the jump!”
Bell waited, drumming his fingers, depositing more nickels when the operator asked for them. Harry Warren came back on the telephone. “No black eye. What’s the big idea?”
“Where are Jackson Barrett and Henry Young?”
“Taking pictures.”
“With Marion?”
Harry Warren laughed. “Nothing stops that wife of yours. The minute we grabbed Buchanan, she telephoned Young to stand in for him.”
“Who’s with her?”
“Barrett, Young, couple of camera guys, and that lights lady—Rennegal.”
“That’s all?”
“It’s raining. She gave the rest of the company the day off.”
“Hang on to Buchanan. Don’t give him to the cops ’til you hear from me.”
“Where are you going?”
“Glendale.”
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