Star of Midnight Page #7

And the only chance

I have to save him

Is to find Alice markham.

Well,

that's interesting.

John marone is awaiting trial

in Chicago

For the murder

of Fred Dexter.

He didn't commit that murder,

Mr. dalzell,

Because when it happened,

he was in his own apartment,

And Alice markham

was with him.

And he can't prove that

without her.

She's his only alibi.

If she hadn't disappeared

that night,

John would be

a free man now.

Why did she disappear?

I don't know why she disappeared

in Chicago

Any more than I know

why she disappeared in New York.

But if it's

humanly possible,

I'm going to find her

and find out.

Message for you,

Mr. dalzell.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Pardon me.

Uh, do you mind

my asking you, uh...

How you discovered that

Mary Smith was Alice markham?

Well, I wish I had something

mysterious to tell you,

But it's

really quite simple.

I attended the performance

of "midnight. "

You remember.

I met you there.

Someone stood up

and shouted, "Alice!"

Then, suddenly, everything

became clear to me.

What did you do then?

I immediately went

to the lobby

And phoned my partner

in Chicago

To tell marone

the good news.

When I got back to my seat,

There was no performance

and no Mary Smith.

I'm afraid you're a bit of a

disappointment to me. Yes, sir.

We'd regarded you as a pretty

suspicious character. Yeah.

Well, seems

pretty hopeless.

But I promise you this...

If we, my partner and I,

Do find any trace

of Alice markham,

We'll let you know.

That's very kind of you.

Dal, we'd better

be going.

Why?

Swayne.

All right.

Well?

Well, sir, there...

There seems to have been

Several people who left the

theater during the first act,

But I only was able to get an

accurate check on one of them.

He... he

behaved in a suspicious manner

And aroused the curiosity

of one of the ushers,

Who happens to be studying

to be a private detective...

One of those

correspondence-school courses.

That's the man who left

the theater... what about him?

Well, sir, he... he got up

just after the act started

And slipped out

of the theater.

He stopped in the lobby

for a moment

And mumbled something about

Mary Smith to another man,

And then he rushed on out

and got into a taxi.

That's the man!

Did the Usher get his name?

Does he know

where he went?

He didn't get his name, sir,

but he knows the taxi driver,

And he found out

where the man went.

Well?

The Usher wouldn't tell, sir,

without getting a reward,

So I ventured

to bring him around.

He's in the den.

Now, now, now, swayne,

pull yourself together.

Here, bring him in.

Looks like

we're getting warm.

Hot, I should say.

Come in, young man.

How do you do?

Sit down, won't you?

No, no, no, no.

Let me out of here.

I'm no squealer.

I wouldn't have come here

if I'd have known!

I-I'm sorry, mister.

Honest, I don't know

a thing about it.

I wouldn't have got mixed up

with this.

Let me out of here,

please.

Hey, wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

There's nothing

for you to worry about.

Well, come here.

Just sit down.

Let's see.

There was something said

about a reward, I believe.

Oh, no, no, no. Never mind.

I don't want that.

Oh, yes, yes.

There you are. How's that?

Now...

This man who left the theater...

Who was he?

Where did he go?

All right.

He went out of the theater

And he got into a cab

And he went

to a gangster's place.

We've got him.

Who was the gangster?

Jim kinland.

But that's me

you're talking about.

Yes, sir.

Nice going, Sherlock.

Oh...

Swayne, his hat and coat. Oh.

He's got them on.

Let him out.

Shut up.

Swayne, bring me

six bottles of scotch,

Four bottles of vichy,

two glasses, some cracked ice,

And a lot of aspirin.

What are you

going to do?

Get drunk.

Watson, you can put away

your needle

And throw your fingerprint

outfit out the window.

What's the matter,

Sherlock?

Aren't we going to play

detective anymore?

No.

When I've got to pay

a reward

To a correspondence-school

detective

To find out that

the most promising suspect

In a murder case

I'm investigating is myself,

I'd better quit.

I don't want to hear any more

about Mary Smith, Tommy tennant,

Murders,

or anything else.

I guess I wasn't cut out to be

a detective in the first place.

You weren't cut out to be

a very good liar either, dal.

What do you mean?

That isn't the reason

why you're quitting.

Well, you're right, Donna.

The reason I'm quitting

is because the further I go,

The more obvious

it becomes to me

That the only man who

could have killed Tommy tennant

Is Tim winthrop.

I can't find a sign

that points to anybody else...

Motives, suspicious behavior,

opportunity.

Tim's the only man.

Tim's my friend.

And if I'm not careful,

I'm gonna trip myself

And spill the beans

right into Mr. doremus' lap.

I don't know,

but it doesn't seem to me

That Tim is the type of chap

that would...

Well, I'll get him

out of town for a while.

Meanwhile, we can catch up

with our night life.

Here's how.

Well, if this is a start,

It's going to be a short life,

if a merry one.

Say, am I drunk already,

Or is that picture

really cockeyed?

No, you're still sober.

Well.

Well, what do you know

about that? What is it?

That, my fair young friend,

is a dictograph.

Congratulations, doremus,

but I'm signing off.

Well, that should win

some sort of medal for dumbness.

I'm quick to protect him,

Then turned around

and shouted in doremus' ear

That I'm convinced

he's guilty.

Who are you calling?

Jim kinland.

I'll bet you'd do better

with the phone connected.

Oh.

He doesn't know it,

but Mr. kinland

Is about to become the victim

of a blackmail plot.

Hello, kinland?

It's Clay dalzell.

I want you to do me

a favor.

No, nothing serious.

There's a boy named winthrop,

Tim winthrop,

Living at the maltby.

Yes, I want you to pick him up

and hide him somewhere,

Will you?

And it's going to be a race.

You've got to find him

before the police do.

Well, that's too bad,

Jim.

I was hoping

you'd be able to find him.

Well, I couldn't.

My boys have been scouring

the town for six hours.

Why, of course

you couldn't.

It's as plain

as the nose on your face.

I said it was going to be

a race, and doremus has won.

Tim's in jail.

That's fine.

I suppose

all you want me to do now

Is go down

and get him out of there.

Well, let me tell you

right now,

Check or no check,

the deal's cold.

Police headquarters.

Hey, wait a minute.

Inspector doremus.

Now, you keep me out

of this, dalzell.

Hello, doremus?

Dalzell.

Congratulations.

I understand you solved

the tennant killing.

Well, uh,

I haven't arrested anybody yet.

Oh, that's funny.

I understood...

Hey, inspector, can I ask you

a straight question?

Go ahead.

I've got nothing to hide.

Did you put a dictograph

in my apartment?

No.

But it ain't a bad idea.

Thanks.

I wonder

if doremus is lying.

Doremus don't do

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