The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-11-18
RECIN HERE. TODAY

Her handbag opens and he sees a
revolver inside.
Next morning Bannister reads
that Tracy King, orchestra lead
err, has beer found dead in his
apartment. Police are searching
for an unknown blond" who
visited King the night before.
Bannister. remembering the girl
in the tsxicab, is puzzled.
He sees her again that morn
ing. Tie girl tells him her name
is Juliet France and swears she
knows nothing of the murder.
She begs Bannister to help her
and he agrees.
He goes to see his old friend,
Jim Paxton, editor of the Ire
mont Post, and arranges to work
on the King murder case for the
Post. Later he returns to the
hotel to see Juliet France and
learns she has disappeared.
BanniSter goes to see the room
in which King died. AS he stands
in the doorway something lands
on his back.
NOW co ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER TX
The pain in his back was sharp
and knife-like. Bannister's face
twisted in agony but he did not
cry out. 1t was his assailant that
became vocal with sharp. an
CRY, "Me-roww and then repeat
ed it again, "Me-row! morrow"
A cat! 1t must be a cat. Ban
mister twisted about, reaching for
the animal. The cat evidently
did not like such handling and
objected. It's claws dug deeper,
as it tried to maintain its pre-
carious position. At last Ban
mister had the animal in firm
grip. pulled it about in front of
him.
But was it a cat? Bannister
had never seen such a creature.
For q moment he thought it was
monkey. No. it couldn't be. 1t
was drawing away from his, is
suing Kissing noises that were
unmistaka5le unfriendly, unmis-
takably feline.
All this while Bannister had
been knecling. Now he set the
animal on the floor, got to his
feet.
"Me-roww cried the cat and
backed away.
The fur over its eyes and nose
and covring it's chin was very
dark - almost black - with the
definite outline of mask. From
out this mask bright blue eyes
gazed with sinister leer. The
ears were dark, too. and the feet
and tail. The rest of the body
was brown. shading from rich
cafe-aulait on the back to creamy
ivory on the chest.
A cat? Yes. Bannister knew
what it was now. The masked
face made it look rather like a
monkey or a racoon but it was a
cat all right. A Siamese cat, a
member of that cat family known
as "royaI" because for centuries
they were pets Of Siamese roy
atty.
The cat withdrew still father,
circled uncertainty and then leap
ed agilely to a window ledge.
There it sat, steadily regarding
Bannister.
The man rubbed his bruised
shoulders. GAIL right" he said,
"we'll call it a truce-so long as
you don't try that trick again
Lord, what claws! Keep your
distance and I'll keep mine"
There were two windows in the
bedroom. One on the south and
one on the west. Bannister step
ped to the nearest Of them and
looked out. Nothing below but a
smooth plot of grass in the court.
Beyond was the rear wing Of
the building, jutting out, Just as
did this central wing. Certainly
there was no access to that win
dow from above or below.
He moved to the other window.
A two-story cottage. white with
green roof, stood below behind
lockwood hedge. 1t was neat
cottage, rather old-fashioned.
Shades were drawn at the win
dows. Bannister knew the place.
1t belonged to old Judge Price,
retired now and living in Florida.
But there was nothing to be
seen from that window to explain
the brownish stain on the carpet.
That, of course, must be where
they had found Tracy Kings
body.
Bannister turned. giving his at
tention once more to the interior
of the bedroom. 1t must have
been rather untidy even before
the detectives had made their
search. There seemed to be so
much in the room: bed; a chest
Of drawers--several of them pull
ed out and spilling their contests;
two chairs, one of white leather
of modernistic design; a night Ia
BILE holding Il carafe and empty
glass; a wardrobe trunk tilted on
end;' a small radio. Golf clubs
sprawled in one corner. There
was a stack Of music on the
radiator and a pile of magazines
on the floor. There seemed to
be ever so many smaller articles
in the room, too--brushes and
toilet articles on top Of the
chest of drawers; a large mirror
above it; a photograph in a silver
frame showing a pretty girl smil-
ing-Denise Lang; cocktail
shaker on the trunk; sweater
and suit of clothes hanging across
the back of one Of the chairs. On