mouth before pulling the trigger, and the exploding gases had blown most of the top of his head off.
Beside him on the hallway floor was the scratchpad from the sitting room, and written there in precise and unwavering letters, were these words: “May God and my darling daughter Sissy forgive me, but I cannot go on living without my beloved wife.” It was carefully signed “Marvin Blake.”
Kneeling beside the body and reading the note aloud, Chief Ollie Jenson looked back over his shoulder at the detective from Miami and said thoughtfully, “With just this here farewell note to go by, Sissy could grow up to be sorta proud of her daddy… and mama.”
17
FAMOUS SLEUTH ADMITS FAILURE
by Timothy Rourke
For the first time in the memory of this reporter, Miami’s best-known and most successful private detective threw in the sponge today and confessed his inability to solve a case of murder.
Michael Shayne, who was privately retained by this newspaper to assist the local authorities at Sunray Beach and to conduct his own private investigation into the brutal rape-murder of Mrs. Marvin Blake two nights ago, stated in an exclusive interview this morning:
“I am withdrawing from the case. It is my conviction that it would be a waste of time and money to carry the investigation further. The murder of Mrs. Blake was apparently unplanned, unpremeditated, and unmotivated. There are no clues pointing to the identity of her killer, and there is nothing in the background of this well-known and highly-respected couple which leads me to believe that the solution of the crime will be found in Sunray Beach.
“I found Chief Ollie Jenson and his capable police force extremely cooperative and efficient, and I am satisfied that if a solution to the crime is ever found it will be due to their dogged and persevering efforts rather than to any outside investigative agency.”
A tragic aftermath of the brutal crime was the suicide last night of the bereaved husband. The body of Marvin Blake was discovered by Chief Ollie Jenson and Michael Shayne in the hallway of the once-happy home where the devoted couple had lived with their six-year-old daughter, Sissy.
Marvin Blake had taken his life with a bullet from a. 45 automatic, a relic of the First World War which had been brought home as a souvenir by Mr. Blake’s father. A suicide note lay beside the body.
It said, simply and graphically: May God and my darling daughter Sissy forgive me, but I cannot go on living without my beloved wife.
It was signed, Marvin Blake.
Mrs. Henrietta J. Jurgen, a married sister of Mr. Blake’s, arrived from her home in Jacksonville later in the evening to take charge of fair-haired, orphaned Sissy Blake who was the first to discover her mother’s violated corpse in an adjoining bedroom early in the morning after the tragedy occurred at midnight.
Pristine Gaylord, a local suspect who had been held for questioning several hours late yesterday afternoon, was released from custody at eight o’clock last night. Because of the brutal nature of the crime, the indignation of citizens of the community had been running high since news of Gaylord’s arrest had spread like wild-fire during the early hours of the evening, and ugly violence might easily have erupted in that peaceful resort area had not Chief Jenson acted promptly and courageously to stamp it out.
Standing on the steps of the City Hall on Main Street and facing an angry group of his fellow-citizens, many of whom were armed and threatening lynch law, Chief Jenson upheld the finest traditions of law enforcement in the South by issuing the following public statement.
“Pristine Gaylord is an innocent man and has been released from custody. Michael Shayne, a private investigator from Miami whose incorruptible reputation is known to most of you, has worked closely with me on this case, and together we have unearthed indisputable evidence that Pristine Gaylord had nothing to do with the murder of Mrs. Blake.
“We have no further suspects at this time, although I solemnly pledge you that this case will never be closed until the perpetrator is brought to justice.
“I now order you to disperse peacefully and go on about your ordinary affairs, leaving the dispensation of justice to the duly constituted authorities.”
Chief Jenson’s order was obeyed, and by ten o’clock last night the streets of Sunray Beach were as quiet and as empty as on any ordinary week-day night.
At this time the News is withdrawing its offer of $1000 reward for the arrest and conviction of Mrs. Blake’s murderer. It is convinced that the investigation is in good hands and proceeding in an orderly fashion, and that no good is likely to come from a continuation of the reward offer.
