10 Story Detective, July 1942 — page 84: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

82 “You tell me.” Donovan leaned forward. “I can teli you why. Muggsy had no intention of killing your wife. By so doing, he killed the goose that was to lay the golden egg. In other words, Muggsy was in on the snatch. Your wife was expected to foot the bill. Of course. they could collect from you, but Mugg- sy’s mistake forfeited his own life. “His friends were playing a dan- gerous game—too dangerous for blun- ders. Muggsy would have been wiped out, So he gave himself up to the po- lice. He stands a slim chance of draw- ing life for this murder. With his friends he would have stood no chance at all.” . , William Rathborne stifled a yawn with a manicured finger. “It’s an in- teresting story,” he agreed. “But why tell it to me?” “I have only one reason,” Donovan admitted. “I happen to know that you den’t have a penny of your own money. A jury might consider that an excellent motive for you to have your stepson kidnaped so that you could share the ransom.” Rathborne laughed tightly. “Your imagination does you credit,” he said slowly. “But your little fairy tale won't hold water. You can’t prove a thing.” “I think we can.’’ Donovan poked the end of his cigar through a smoke ring. “I knew the boy was confined in the house because your wife went to such extreme measures to get help on hand. She was afraid of you —afraid that you might have a guard with the boy. But her plan backfired, and when you returned home and saw what had happened you realized there was no need to continue with the ab- duction. “You automatically became heir to the money you were resorting to crime to get. So you pulled a double-cross, freed the boy, ‘discovered’ the mur- der of your wife and called the po- lice.” “That’s a lie,”” Rathborne said flat- 10-STORY D&TaiCTiIVE—-_——_-_———_ ly. “I didn’t know my wife had been killed until I returned with the boy.” ”@ HE inspector shook his head, “It a won't do,” he said. “I know that -you came back. You saw the gun on the stand—the gun Muggsy didn’t use —and put it in your desk drawer where we found it. It didn’t take much figuring on your paft to dope out a change of plan. But no $25,000 was drawn from your wife’s account. “She had the ransom money ready, but it was never used. You rescued the hoy vourself, putting a cloth around his head so he couldn’t see and pre- tending to put him in another car. When you took the blindfold off, Ron- nie thought you had come to take him home.” William Rathborne tapped out a cigaret and lighted it negligently. “You have a good mind, inspector,” he smiled. “I wouldn’t be surprised but what you are commissioner some day. And I don’t mind admitting that you are exactly right in your deduc- tions. But proving them will be an- other thing. “You don’t know what it is like to be married to a wealthy woman, A woman who has money to burn, but who makes her husband ask for every cent he spends.” He looked at his feet. “These shoes, for example. They cost eighteen dollars, but I had to ask Vivian for the money before I was able to buy them. Is it any wonder that I rebelled?” Donovan sucked at his cigar, but made no reply. Rathborne stared hard at him a moment and then continued. “TI finally reached the stage where I was willing to do anything. I made arrangements to have Ronnie ab- ducted, but I also arranged that he be kept in the house. 1 didn’t want anything to happen to him, and the other parties involved were willing to cooperate. I ran the risk of keep- ing the boy while they collected the money. “I’m admitting now that my story ) ©) NiliGooo S (C(O) im