The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-10-07
CHAPTER VII
At the Cinnabar

oOmcIHlHS, UuC uOL as MUCH as
hoped to-" said Markham, in answer
to Landis' repeated question as to
what he had learned by following Can
by and the three; and he recounted
the talk he had overheard. "All l can
make out of it is that Candy is hooked
up with these men in some sort Of a
deal in which he is the kingpin."
"You say Candy gave the others a
map?'
Something of the sort. He called
1t the layout"
"What did he mean by saying that
the three had yelled for help?"
'sThat is just another Of the mys-
teries."
You heard what Betty told us; that
they had bought their train tickets,
and then Candy changed his mind and
asked them if they didn't want to
drive? I'm wondering if it wasn't the
yell for help that made him change his
mind and plans"
ut may have BEEN"
Lands spoke of something else
"You asked Betty what time they got
into Copah. and her answer was,
About five O'clock Also, she said she
and her father watched the sunset
from the mesa road; and not very long
after that, Candy, with two people in
his car, overlook US in the outskirts
of town. How do you make that fit
in?"
II DON'T" said Markham shortly:
nothing fits in" Step by step, each
new development, or half development,
pointed to Candy as the thief Of the
black box of silence. But If Candy
were the thief. Betty Lawson was just
as certainly his accessory. And that,
he told himself, was unbelievable. Yet
there was the great stone, tumbling
down the mountain side in utter silence,
to point the finger of implication at
Candy. What desperate undertaking
was Candy engaged in that would war
rant cold-blooded double murder as
one of its conditions?
The lights Of Copah had long since
vanished in the eastward distance be-
fore Markham spoke again.
Sorry your time with Betty was cut
so short. Owen. But maybe Wen see
more Of her later"
"The time was long enough" was
the sober reply. And then. half hest
family, I'm out of it with Betty,
Wally. Canby's the man."
mo, he isn't; not If our suspicious
are justified"
Landis' smile was mere barring Of
the teeth. you ought to know women
better than that, Wally. Business
deals. straight or crooked. don't mean
anything to woman in love"
''If you think Betty would wink at
criminality, even in her lover"
1--WE haven't anything to base a
charge of criminality on"
Nothing positive, maybe. But what
1 overheard in Copah seems to lean
that way-not to go any farther back
in the mess"
"Do you think so?"
L Ill 81 udIO CuOuSA "
make me run the wheels off this
wagon to keep in touch with that
Fleetwing Eight somewhere ahead
of u.s."
AS he spoke, the roadster was top
ping a slight rise, and Lands pointed
out faint red dot in the forward dis
lance. you've got the TOUCH" he re-
marked.
After this, for an interminable time,
the two flying cars held their relative
positions. From time to time lands
looked over his shoulder. There were
no headlights in sight to the rear. If
Candy was making the moonlight run,
as planned, the headlights Of his car
were not yet visible.
Needn't look for him, / guess"
Markham offered, at length. "We're
hitting it up a good bit faster than
he'll want to hurry his passengers"
1t was not until they began to draw
in toward the foothills at the north
western edge of the desert that they
lost sight permanently of the red dot
In advance. They came to the little
way station Of Atropia on the railroad,
where the road forked.
Heres where we balk," Markham
announced, slowing down. Then he
recalled what Candy had said to the
man who was driving the Fleetwing,
"Your route book will show you where
to turn off," But which was the "turn
off''-to the left with the railroad, or
to the right up the mountain?
Climbing out, they crossed the
tracks to the railroad station. When
they stepped inside they almost ran
into the arms of group of roughly
dressed men. each man nursing Win
chester. Markham apologized for
stumbling over the feet of one of the
men.
MY fault" said the one whose feet
had suffered. II wasn't looking for
anybody to open the door. Are you
traveling-or just going somewhere
Both" said Markham with grin
''AIore particularly. we are trying to
keep in touch with three-er-friends
| just ahead Of us In a F1eetwing Eight