The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-12-22


 cles grow taut. He did not know why it had suddenly become so i'm. portant for him to know what wa. going on behind that door, But ht must know!
 And then the door opened. Park Coleman emerged, and behind hin Denise Lang. The girls face was turned so that Bannister could moi see it. He said eagerly to Cole man. "The other girl-?' She's still in there."
 Coleman did not look as though he wanted to talk but BannisteI paid no attention to that. But is she the one?" he demanded. Did Miss Lang identify her?'
 It was Denise Lang who an swered. She raised her head and Bannister saw that she had been weeping. Her eyes were swollen and red-lined.
 "She's-the one." the girl told him brokenly. She's the one I saw with T-Tracy-"
 Coleman put a hand on her arm, roughly but at the same time as though he wanted to shield her Come on, Denise,' he said. "I'm going to take you home. You shouldn't have come out to-day anyhow"
 He said something more but Bannister did not hear it. Bannis- ter was heading, for a telephone. A minute later he reported to the as- sistant city editor of the Post that Denise Lang had identified the girl who was under arrest. The rest of the story was all just as he had given it before.
 Parker Coleman and Denise Lang were gone when Bannister returned to teh corridor. For newspaper man who had just turned in an inn portant exclusive story he showed surprising lack of exuberance. His mood, as a matter of fact, was quite the reverse. Bannister looked again at the door of McNeafs s office, scowled and returned to the press room.
 The news that Denise Lang had identified the blond prisoner as the girl she had seen talking With Tracy King two days before ap- bearing exclusively in the Evenlng Post that afternoon but the full story of what happened behind that closed door was reserved for the morning newspaper. It was al most six o'clock when McNeal ad- mitted the reporters to his once All of them had been waiting an hour or more. They asked ques- tions eagerly.
 McNeal ignored the questioning Leaning both arms on the desk De- fore him he began impressively "Well, I've got something for you this time. I think in 24 hours well have this case solved. The girl has been identified by Link, the clerk at the Shelby Arms, and she's ad- mitted she went to Kings rooms.
 "What's her name?' demanded Gainey.
 McNeal shook his head. eve don't know yet" he said, "but we Il find out. She's admitted she went to Kings apartment at nine o'clock the night he was killed. Said she went there to get some letters
 "What kind of letters?" one of the others asked.
 McNeal scowled. Letters she'd written to him. Mash notes, I sup pose. Her story is that she saw King in the morning and he prom = ised she could have the letters ii she came to his apartment that night. But when sch got there he said ed misplaced the letters and promised to bring them to her the next day at the hotel. That's her story. We haven't been able to break it yet but we will. Now don't print this, but here's my theory. Evidently this girl was crazy about King. Somehow she must have found out that he was going to marry Denise Lang, and she came here to try to stop the marriage. When she found she couldn't bingo! You know the one about the woman scorned.' We'll"
 
 Bannister, who had been lis tening silently, interrupted: What about the letters?, Did you find them?"
 we did not" McNeal told him, "and the reason is because they weren't there. There wasn't an inch of that apartment that wasn't t searched. I was there myself and I know!"
 "What's the rest of her story" Bannister asked.
 McNeal scratched his head. we haven't got it yet," he admitted, "but we will! By morning we ought to have confession. Maybe sooner" "But you haven't even got her name yet" Gainey put in. "Mys- tery girl, huh? Miss x. Beautiful, blond mystery girl. Whered she come from?" "That's another of the things she won't talk about - or hasn't yet, McNeal admitted. "The fact re- mains that she was the last person tA see Tracy King alive. She's ad- mitted as much. Two witnesses have identified her. The coroner says King died between nine and 9:30 and that's the time she was