The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-01-15
SYNOPSIS

DAVID BANNISTER UNDER
takes to find out who killed
TRACY KING, orchestra leader.
Banistcr is an author and form
er newspaper man. He works on
the murder case with GAINEY,
star reporter on the Post.
Among those suspected are
JULIET FRANCE, blond, pretty
and known to have visited King
shortly before his death; HER
MAN SCURLACH who wrote
King a threatening letter; and
JOE PARROT, dOwn-and-out
vaudeville actor. 1t is also known
that MELVINA HOLLISTER,
middlc-aged spinster, had quar-
relied with King recently.
AL DRUGAN, friend of Kings
is found dead in a wrecked au-
tomobile.
Bannister persuades the police
chief to let Juliet come to his
aunt's home, Ostensibly as a
guest on the theory that IL the
girl believes herself free they
can learn more about her.
Melvina HOLSTER is found
strangled i'm the apartment
where she lived with her brother
INAuItuC"s 1DnhhsSVCA, tAh0L
her death leaves Matthew sole
heir to $15O,OOO. He discovers in
his pocket the letter he had
forgotten to read.
CHAPTER XII
McNeal said slowly, IT don't
know. Finding that woman last
night shoots all my theories to
hell If it was a gang mix-up how
could she possibly be in on it? How
could"
The telephone rang sharply then
and McNeal answered. A moment
later he announced, THAT was the
Chief. I've got to go see what he
wants."
Bannister arose and followed
him out into the hall. He slipped
his hand into his coat pocket, felt
something there and drew 1t out.
1t was the letter he had forgotten
to open the night before.
The letter was not a long one.
1t was written on sheet of
paper bearing at the top the name
Henderson Photo Studio" Below
was a signature Bannister did not
recognize. The letter read:
"Dear Mr. Bannister - Your let
ter addressed to the Swami Studio
was delivered to me. Fifteen years
ago I bought out Mr. Swami and
took over the business, changing
the name to Anderson Photo
Studio. Mr. Swami moved to the
west coast and has died since.
II am sorry that l have no way
of identifying the people in the
picture. There were a few old
negatives on file when took over
the shop but none as old as the
picture you sent. That must have
been taken 80 or 40 years ago. In
1910 the studio caught fire and sew
eral files were destroyed. If the
old negative was here at that time
it must have been burned. I
showed the picture to several old
timers around here but none had
any idea who the man and woman
were. I am sending the picture
back to you under separate cover
and am sorry not to be able to
supply the information. Very sin
cerely, r. X. Anderson. Prop"
Bannister read the letter through
second time. Well. that was that!
If the negative had burned and
the photographer was dead there
was certainly little hope of iden-
tifying the picture. Banister was
disappointed. He had felt. for
some reason he could not explain,
that the old wedding picture might
have bearing on Tracy Kings
murder. that 1t would help un-
tangle the strange threads of re-
cent events. The feeling was mere
~ a bunch. Perhaps for that rea-
son he had counted on 1t all the
more.
He wondered if the photograph
had arrived yesterday at the same
time as the letter. He had not no.
ticed a package when he picked
up the letter. Well, 1t didn't really
matter now
He heard someone coming and
Times. "Hi, there!" Fleming
Neal around any where?"
HE was here a few minutes ago.
Said he was going to see the
Chief"
Fleming gave q low whistle.
"Wonder what that means?"
Bannister shook his head. II
don't know. McNeal's sore because
of the way the newspapers have
been jumping on the police depart
ment."
They'll jump on II q lot harder
II there isn't some action on these
mudder cases pretty soon. Me-
Meals all right for routine Jobs
but he doesn't know how to tackle
q murder"
For 10 minutes thoy discussed
Melvinh H0llister's death. Then
iianister Rianced nj his watch.
"uueaa I'll DO on my way" no said,
80 long, Fleming. boo you to-
morrow"
ITO left the building. hailed a
tnKl and rode home. The pack.
aga he had hoped 10 md was wait.
Ing for him on tho hall table