European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 11, 1947, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A Story by Tomm Pushner Deane knew his dark past would be a closed Book if be could put Mercer out of and that just what he so carefully and diabolically Ralph Deane straightened him self and a deep he glanced around the Little deliberately looking at the figure which Lay huddled at his the Chest heaving but yet in an attitude which he hoped was As natural As its unnatural Circum stances would permit for the head and shoulders were inside the oven of the Gas he thought the Pillow on which the head was resting was a Clever a Man committing he Felt would try to make even an oven As comfortable As possible he walked into the living for he was in his Stock ing feet with Bis gloved hands he carefully Drew the curtains and turned on the Light quickly and methodically he set to nothing must be left to connect him in any Way with Allan in any Way there was the package the Village druggist had delivered to Mercer by a package that was addressed to him Ralph he the delivery boy had delivered better than he what to do with it he would decide but first there were line where would Mercer keep the letters a careless not Likely to have them Well they were in the drawer of the tied in a Small packet he untied the string and read his Cheeks reddened As he read they were certainly what a fool he bad been in those Days he relied the packet and thrust it clumsily into his breast pocket it was awk Ward to work with gloves but there was the matter of those Days they seemed so Long now he was the thoroughly respected Ralph and the thoroughly respected Ralph Deane he was going to remain for the rest of his now that Allan Mercer and his blackmail were out of the or would be very he he had plenty of he lived alone in the cottage and had few certainly none Wiio were Likely to Call on there was the cleaning woman who came from the Village on but this was or rather thurs for h was Long after mid night the important thing was to be he had no Alibi and knew that it would be difficult to establish a fake but if there were nothing to connect him with nothing to indicate that he wanted Mercer there would be no necessity of accounting for his whereabouts Dur ing the night other than the letters there was nothing to suggest More than a slight chums who had drifted apart and then by Chance met at Hist he was satisfied with the living which left Only the bed they were both Bare and shabby and did not keep him he returned to the living room and went Over it carefully for if he might leave a clue to the now for the whisky there must be Only one of so the other be washed and put away in the better Wash them and put a fresh set of mercers fingerprints on he gathered up the bottle and the two glasses and took them to the soon one Glass was Back in the cup Board and the after receiving careful pressing from mercers moist stood on the table with a Trace of whisky in beside the nearly empty Mercer was snoring away Deane hed doped him with enough sodium amytal to keep him that Way for twelve then he sup pose hed Given Mercer too that was hed planned it All so and now for the last Little he placed a Hal Sheet of paper on the As if it had been folded to catch the he smiled As he thought of mercers and in mercers and How perfectly they fitted into the they were really the beginning of the when he had received the months he had seen its value and planned who can blame me for taking the easiest Way the letter so take it with a As pro pose to but what Mercer was referring to was the Cash he had been so regularly getting on the threat of publishing the Deane he was actually enjoying he checked the win they were tight he stood for a moment running Over a mental it was he turned the Gas handle marked and went out of the closing the door behind in the living room he put on his picked up his Bat and the druggists after a last look around he walked out the front naturally the police would come to him the first since he was a Man of High standing and was known to be slightly acquainted with As he was finishing his Coffee next morning and glancing through the paper the maid announced the Village Deanes goo morning smile was a confident the Constable was Quick to the was Deane acquainted with Mercer i knew him fear clutched he  have said but it was too late the Constable didst seem to you recognize sir he Good god what was the Man holding up a Wallet could it be he Felt for his breast pocket he had an appealing memory of clumsily stuffing those letters into his with his gloved could he have illustration by Vincent Sandoval n pulled the Wallet when he with Drew his hand yet there it the Constable held it toward he held out Bis hand and to his Surprise the Constable allowed him to take the Wallet his Power of speech seemed to have he turned the Wallet Over and staring at it what use would it be to deny next the Constable would warn him that anything he might say could be used the Constable cleared his Throat the boy from Bailey the he was he seems to have the wrong to the wrong to left it there last night and then went up the first thing this morning to get it package was for As a matter of fact he  raise anyone at the front door so he went around to the matter of fact he  get an answer the Back door and found it was so he walked  of but Hes Only a the Constable paused for what i seemed to Deane to be Why this Story Why these details the Constable went he found the Light burning in the Kitchen and this Mercer fellow lying on the floor with his head inside the he fetched me up there i found this Billfold of this seems he has a police been in Tail pretty he paused did he expect an answer Deane could Only his lips of you could have give him the but it didst seem bikely to figure As Bow be pinched and you and All usus and his head in the Gas looks like suicide an Doest suppose was that really his voice there was a bottle of whisky on the found out he bought it last night in the and it was All but a this morning maybe it was that had so melting to do with he what had gone wrong How had this local bumpkin stumbled on the truth what Ive come to ask is whether youd be wanting to prefer charges on this Billfold lifting prefer charges prefer charges against a dead Man must have been drunk As a lord when he wrote that the con stable went on but would you have though any drunk or could have put his head in a Gas oven and turned on the forgotten the Gas was Cut off because he haunt paid the Bill hell have the laugh on himself when he comes wont he Hes still out you just you say the and Well let him sleep it off in jail but Ralph feeling suddenly weak and sat Down because his legs were trembling under said