Chapter VI: Strong Excitement

Annabelle Talbot seized Cates by the arm.

“Oh, it’s his new number, Dave,” she exclaimed. “It’s ‘Hot Music’!”

Dave Cates grinned widely. “Great!” he answered. “I’ll never forget it.”

Reaching down he snapped the lever that swung the control to himself.

Into the microphone he said simply: “Cates speaking. Leo Archer’s band is now playing ‘Hot Music.’”

Then he switched the control back to the man on the floor, and the thousands who were listening in gave little thought to the interruption.

But Cates’ words started things at headquarters. Captain Henessey came to his feet with a bound, and roared orders at three plain-clothes men, who rushed for the door.

Five minutes, ten minutes, a half hour, and then Captain Henessey poked his grizzled head into the little balcony.

“Got him dead to rights, Dave, and recovered every piece of jewelry,” he announced with poorly concealed jubilation. “You had the right dope, boy, and don’t forget it.” The captain smiled at Anabelle Talbot. “You don’t mind if we clear up a point or two, do you?” he asked.

She rose uncertainly. “If you’d rather talk business by yourselves----”

“You sit right where you are,” said Captain Henessey genially. “You’ll be prouder than ever of this boy when he finishes his story. Go ahead, Dave, and let’s hear how you worked it out.”

It has been said that Officer Cates liked to talk. And who is there who can blame him for wanting to outdo himself while the lovely Anabelle was listening?

He cleared his throat and cut loose: “It’s this way, captain. We know that Hughes phoned Mrs. Van Goss in that first robbery. Our friend knew of it--maybe accidentally, maybe not--and hit upon the scheme of robbing her apartment.

“It seems that Archer can play and write better music after strong excitement of some sort. Anyway, he knew the lay of the land, the time the widow was going out, and where she left the key. The rest was easy.

“Since Archer got such a kick out of that robbery, he decided to do another and plan it all himself. He knew that Terhune was in the habit of taking a nap, and he bribed a bell hop to get Terhune’s key book for him. Anabelle, here, was in his office when the bell hop passed in the keys.

“Then Archer made the date with Miss Meusel to meet him, saying he had a business conference on and couldn’t call for her.

“Luckily, Hughes was out of the apartment by the time Archer got there. He got the jewels and started out, but saw that rare old violin of Miss Meusel’s and couldn’t resist trying it out, being the musician that he is.

“In doing so Archer spilled just enough of the resin for me to see. I began to think something was phony when Miss Meusel told me she hadn’t touched the violin for two days.

“Still I kept on eye on the others, too. The main thing was that I couldn’t figure out what he’d done with the jewelry. I didn’t think he’d hock it or sell it, but when I took a chance and searched his rooms nothing was there. Then I got a rush of brains to the head. If he swiped the jewels to get inspiration to write better music, he’d naturally keep ’em handy, where he could look at ’em. Funny, but some guys are that way.

“I knew that there was an iron safe in his office and that I couldn’t get into it. So, knowing that the jewelry would be on his mind, I got a plant to go down on the floor tonight and mention casually that she’d heard the police had found the jewelry of the Van Goss-Meusel robberies.

“Sure enough, Archer hustled over to his office to check up on it. I guess that’s all.”

“But how about Terhune having a key to the apartment and why should Miss Meusel want it kept quiet?” demanded the captain.

Cates grinned. “They were married,” he answered. “I checked up on it at the City Hall. Because of concert bookings and other things they decided to keep it secret for a while.”

“Then how did Archer know that Terhune had the key?”

“Because he stood up with Terhune at the marriage, and they made him promise to keep quiet about it.”

Anabelle Talbot’s lovely eyes had been widening during the recital.

“Do you mean that Leo Archer was the robber?” she said breathlessly.

“He was, Miss Talbot, and he had the earmarks of a good one, too,” nodded the captain. “As the lad here has said, Archer wanted excitement and felt he could put out better music under its spell.”

“I never liked him,” said the girl slowly, “but I didn’t think he’d do anything like this.”

“You never can tell,” observed Captain Henessey. He rose. “Well, Dave, you’ll get a good sum out of this. That ought to be enough to----”

He stopped, gazing from the red-faced little radio cop to the wondering girl, and grinning broadly.

“Oh, well, I guess you two can settle that yourselves.” With a nod he was gone.

Anabelle Talbot looked inquiringly at Cates.

“What was he talking about?” she asked.

“Gee, I don’t know, honey,” stammered Officer Cates of the radio squad. “Maybe he meant that you wouldn’t have to sign any contract to dance. You see, I’m going out to-morrow to take a look at a little bungalow and if you--an’--if you know what I mean by----”

Miss Talbot’s cheeks became the color of a red, red rose, and her hazel eyes softened wonderfully.

“I think I understand, Dave,” she murmured. “I’d like to see the bungalow.”

“Gee!” marveled Dave Cates some moments later. “Gee! I can’t even carry a tune and just think what made this possible!”

“What, dear?”

“Hot Music!” finished Officer Cates in tones of awe.

[Transcriber’s note: This story appeared in the First September Number of _Top-Notch_ magazine.]