Cheyenne record. (Cheyenne Wells, Cheyenne County, Colo.) 1913-19??, 1921-01-06

sssysssAs ~ IAssls. Brsw, o.
CHAPTER vlii-centinusd.
III
Il guess 20" said Wick. sThat's
where bis room Il. He's only been
here In the Granddeck q few days.
don't know much about him"
"And that's Al you know about TT"
said the detecti- e. turning to me again.
hesitAted. Should or should !
not tell them Of the wall safe that
bad seen Mr.. Wick closingf There was
no way could prove Il. Undoubtedly
Wick would deny having done 70. It
would be his word against mine. Az
superintendent his werd would un-
dohbtedly carry. decided It would
b best to withhold my Information to
. more propitious time.
: That's all ! know, except what Mr..
Wick has told you" said.
VERY WELL" said the detective In
charge. You can 20 now. and you.
too. Doctor"
Mr.. Wick was escorting the doctor
20 the door. The detectives had with
drawn to the room where the body lay
Gnd were holding q whispered confer
snce. I stepped quickly to the wall
safe. and making sure that was un-
observed. tested the knob. 1T was se-
curely fastened I congratulated my
self on having said nothing about It
Wick, I felt certain. would deny hav-
ing shut It. and there was no proof
that It had been opened when We had
entered.
Az returned to my own apartment
upstairs, nearing the top Of the short
flight Of steps between the floors I
was astounded to see q female figure
6itting across the hall and entering
the Bradford apartment. Though had
opportunity for only q brief glimpse.
I recognized her at once. It was Claire
Bradford.
The door Of my apartment was
standing wide open. remembered that
a. had run downstairs 4 few mo-
ments ago. ! had neglected to close
It after me. From the direction in
which she had come. 1t was plain that
Claire Bradford had been paying an
other surreptitious visit to my quar-
ters. What could have been her pur-
posef There must have been some
strong impelling motive to make her
dare the perilous journey along the
window ledge. and now. at the Inn
minent risk Of discovery. to pay me
q second visit. began seriously to
doubt whether the explanation she
had offered me was the true one. was
beginning to feel that there was more
than 4 possibility that she was again
rascal who. had once been her hus-
band.
Greatly puzzled. I made q hasty sur
vey Of the apartment. but could fnd
nothing that appeared to have been
disturbed. Going ba, * to my own room
hastened to place / handkerchief out
Of my window as a signal to Barbara,
for knew she wol lid be anxious to
know the meaning Of the sounds we
had heard below. In q very few mo-
ments heard the tap Of her riding
crop on my sill and hurried to answer.
"what was TT" she asked in an
excited whisper.
"Daisy Lutan. an actress, who lived
on the floor below. has been murdered
shot"
"Who did itf"
II don't know. Mr.. Wick and I went
into the apartment together There was
10 one there"
~How terriblel" she exclaimed.
sTYt Ss 4ndonA spoxunvox1 ssb,v,%
may help u.s."
"What do you meant"
with the police in the house max
ing Investigations, thererl be no more
threats from the blackmailers for q
while. They won't dare bother you
for the present"
''Do you really think sor' she ques-
toned with little sigh Of relief.
"rm sure Of It."
"Have the police been called int"
''Yes; two detectives are downstairs
now"
"Tm glad" she said. "With the de-
tectives here. they won't dare molest
rs. win theyf"
'Of course not answered, sTs
your sister at homer"
"Yes," she answered. "Our quests
have Just gone. Mother has retired,
and Claire Is in the living room writ
ing q note. They heard nothing. 30 I
did not tell them anything about IT,"
'~That was wise. They'll hear It soon
enough. Has your sister been In the
apartment an sveningf"
'Shs hasn't been out all day unless
she went oct just to drop the letter
shs was writing dswn the mail chute
In the hall. Why do you askr'
Il WAS merely WONDERING H thera