Hope High School - Blue and White Yearbook (Providence, RI)

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myafmy, at the Reunion In the room bursting with noise and confusion a group of men were standing looking down at two bodies lying prone on the floor. Several photograph- crs were pressing forward at various angles. Arthur Coldwyn, free-lance photographer, was beside himself with joy, and kept rubbing his hands together with satisfaction at the thought of these wonderful shots. Chief Inspector Robert Abel held his hands to his ears and shouted for silence as the milling crowd was at its height. The silence then became so profound that you could hear the weeping of a few of the women who were gathered in the far corner of the room, their faces turned away from the gruesome scene. HB-But Betty just couldn't disappear into thin air! One of them cried. A'No, she couldn't. and I mean to find out how she did! Abel contradicted himself. As he spoke, the door was Hung open and Joe Riker, special investigator, ran into the room. 4'Chief, you can't keep them out there much longer! Those reporters smell a story, and there's no stopping them. They'll stay out as long as I choose to keep them there! Abel barked. But they threaten to print anything they want to, and, boy! what a commotion that would cause! .Ioe yelled above the din outside. HO. K. O. K. I might as well get it over with now. Let 'em in. As the door was opened, the reporters rushed in like a flood tide. Immediately they glanced around, quickly taking in the situation, and then hammered questions right and left. Who did it? What happened? Sally Cameron urged, paper and pencil in her hand. Yeah, we've got a story to print! And in a hurry, too. Louis Baker bellowed, Quiet! You'll get your story! At least act like gentlemen . . . and ladies, Abel ordered imperiously. 'Sit down. You might as well, you'll be here a long time. Nobody leaves here until this mess is cleared up. Some sat down and others leaned at various angles against the wall. Their pencils were poised above their pads in readiness. Almost before the first word was uttered, they were scratching and scrawling sen- tences. Harummph! Abel began. As far as we know, everything was going smoothly, until suddenly some- one noticed that Miss Betty Evans had been missing from the group for quite some time. What group? Sally interrupted impatiently. The group that was here at the reunion of the class of 1943 who graduated from Hope High School in June of that same year! Abel hissed painstakingly and pleasantly through his teeth. But who are the people? Sally persisted. Now see here, I . . . Miss Michelina Pignatelli, fashion designer, Mr. Norman Surdut, famous cartoon- ist of the 'Times,' Miss Bertha Mathews, one of the best advertisers in New York, Miss .Iacquie Myers. bal- let dancer, Miss Dorothea Weare. historian, Miss Bev- erly Burlingame, debutante, and Mr. James Hoey, col- lector of rare gems. Now, does that satisfy you? If so, keep still! Abel choked. Oh! Go on, Baker coaxed. Go on? Abel demanded. 'Al-low can I? That's all I know. Now, clear out! As soon as I know the story myself, I'll let you in on it. Grumblingly they shuffled out and immediately were commandeered by Riker, who herded them into the next room. Now, Abel sighed, maybe I can get somewhere. He turned slowly around the room, as if he were looking for someone to pounce on. The two bodies were now covered with sheets, but Arthur Cioldwyn was still rubbing his hands together with glee. You! Abel jabbed his finger at a blond man. Charley Thomas lounged forward with an amused smile on his face. Who are you? Abel roared unceremoniously. Me? I'm a detective. Oh-oh. We've always got to have one of you around. I'm warning you right now. Keep your nose out of this! Oh, don't worry. I'm sure I won't bother you. See that you don't! Were you the one who noticed Miss Evans' absence? Right Why? Abel sneered suspiciously. Why? Because she wasn't here! Charley laughed. You ask the dumbest questions. As a matter of fact. Betty had been gone two hours before I said anything. You know, she might have gone out for a breath of air, and what would be the sense of causing a useless commotion? I only started wondering when I asked the maid and the janitor, the doorman, the elevator boy, and the bellboy if they had seen her leave, and they said no one had left in the last five hours. Oh? And what made you question all those people? Also why did you think anything might be wrong? Abel demanded. Well, after all, two bodies jumping out of the closet at you aren't anything to laugh off. You found the bodies. too? My, you do get around. Abel's eyebrows went up sarcastically. Just when did they . . . pop out at you? Just after Connie Perry played the harp. I went to find the janitor and opened the wrong door. A-haa! Abel leapt at him. You didn't call the police right away? Why? I am a detective, you know. Oh, get out, get out! Abel motioned him aside impatiently. Look, all of you! There's something very fishy about all of this, and a few of you know what it is. You might as well tell me now because you have a long stay here. 'AYou can't do that! Betty Allen expostulated. She was Miss Evans' secretary. Why, Bill Fisk, the Mayor's, here! And . . . and .Iacquie Hay and Rose Lee McPherson, the Powers Models, Dixie Richards, the famous artist, P. K, Cockroft, the sports writer, and even those two famous poets, Arnold Rose and Barbara Girard, are here. Why. they're even better than Franklin P. Adams! You can't keep them here! Pardon, Monsieur l'inspecteur. A portly French- man waddled towards thern. Well? Abel barked. I agree entirely with Mademoiselle. I have very important business to attend to. I'm the French Con- sul, Jacques Isbel, and you cannot keep me here. Oh, can't I? You iust try to leave! But, monsieur! Mon Dieu! Do you know to whom you are speaking? Cut it! Abel snapped. What do you know about all this? Nothing, monsieur, absolutely nothing. I was sitting at my table all evening. 472 17 ' , , .4

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Is that true? Abel asked, turning to anyone in general. HI was sitting in the corner, Evelyn Lindsay stepped forward, trying to get an idea for my new book and every time I looked up I could see him. All right, Mr. Isbel. He surveyed the room again as he strode up and down. He was saying a few words that his secretary, Bobby Oresman, was taking down rapidly. He stopped in front of a short, blonde girl, Do you know anything about this? N-no. Barbara Lawrence said in a timid voice. I was sitting with two other nurses all evening. A'You didn't notice Miss Evans' disappearance?'! No, Not until everyone started talking about it. Do you know either of the deceased? Barbara hesitated, They were standing at the door watching everyone come in. They talked to Mr. Isbel and then .,.. Suddenly the room was plunged in darkness and a tongue of orange flames, followed by a thunderous roar, shot across the room. A piercing scream shattered the deathly stillness that followed. Someone fumbled around and at last found the switch. Light flooded the room. Barbara was white and shaking. Something whizzed past me! Here Bill Cheshire ballistics ex ert walked to h Q Y P , I C wall and pulled out a small object that was imbedded there. A .35. Yeah! and here's the gun! Tom Keough an- nounced triumphantly. I've been a police reporter so long, I'm getting to be a good detective. Where was it? Abel interrupted. In Harper's pocket! Ward Harper turned pale. 'AB-but . . . How? Come on. spill it! Why- He recovered himself. You're crazy! I've becn a trusted banker for years! Why would I shoot at Barbara? I've never done anything crooked in my life! You said it! Bob Hazard cut in. I've been his partner for five years and I know him better than his own mother! That doesn't mean that you can't start sometime! Betsy Buckman said sarcastically. I've been a psy- chologist for years and I've seen honest, well-to-do men have other sides to their nature! She's right, Bill Haskell agreed. A'Even in the Air Corps. Why, I can remember a man .... HO. K. O. KJ Abel bellowed. All right, Harper. Let's see you worm out of this! Why . . . I was standing here: the lights went out: there was a shot and someone bumped into me. I didn't think anything about it at the time. Haw! Joan Marshall hooted. I ought to write a book about this! 'AQuiet! A'Gee! This is just like a play I was in once! 18 Cynthia-Hannon beamed. I've been a secretary a long time, but you're noisier than any typewriter! Betty Heller yelled. Qui-et-tl Look, Abel, Charley Thomas put his hand on the inspector's shoulder. Why don't you stop all this blustering and admit you're stumped? By the time you get around to the Murderer, everyone in this room will be dead! Why, you . . . ! Abel spluttered. Listen, the murderer's obvious and so's the mo- tive! Thomas snorted. Abel's attitude changed. All right! If you're so smart, who did it and why? I was going to sit back and watch you blunder, but now that Barbara's almost been killed. l'll give you the benefit of my overpowering genius! Go ahead! Abel sneered. Right! First, why would anyone want to kidnap Betty Evans? O. K. I'll bite. Why? Because she had stumbled on a miraculous new high explosive and was going to sell it to the army. This statement caused a general stir in the crowd. How did you know that? Abel demanded. Because the two murdered men and I were sent here to watch. We exp cted someone to try for the formua or, failing that to kidnap Betty and get it from her. Mr. X., as we shall call the murderer, evidently followed Betty on to the terrace, overcame her, and hid hcr somewhere. Mr. X. would then wait till the party was over and thin g t Betty and take her to a car that was waiting out front, He was all set, except for one thing. What was that? Harper hung on his words. The other two detectives suspected him and fol- lowed. So . . . they had to be . . . er . . . liquidated. to put it mildly. No one noticed Mr. X.'s disappear- ance, because he slipped out when everyone was danc- ing. Miss Lindsay was too absorbed in her writing to notice fifteen minutes' disappearance. When Barbara was talking to Abel, things were getting too hot, so something had to be done. You mean . . . I Mon Dieu! That is a lie! Isbel had jumped frof- his seat, white of face, and eyes shifting. 'AThere you are, Abel! After a short struggle, Jacques Isbel was led away. But what did he want the formula for? Abel was shouting. So he could sell it to the highest bidder! Charley explained carefully. t But where's Betty? ' 'AYou'll find her locked in apartment 10B on the tenth floor. I solved this neatly, didn't I? You really ought to take lessons from me. Yeah! Abel said dryly. There is one thing you can do, though. What's that? Call in the reporters and claim the credit! JOAN HESS