The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-11-03

a bank balance, with machine stamped figures on the margin. Griff reached forward, took the checks and the folded statement from Bieeker's hands,, crossed to a l table, sat down and spread out the | checks. His face lit with satasfac- ton.
 "Ah," he said, Ia young woman who is out of work, and yet she makes rather large deposits. A de- posit of $500. Then one of $750! And here's one of $2,000" l He picked up the checks one by one, suddenly stared at one of them.
 ! Blocker spoke impatiently. l he said. Its check payable to l Kenneth Boone, for the entire bal ance on hand. Ic tleans out the account"
 Griff nodded slowly. "The check" he said, lis dated on the day 1 Charles Morden was murdered" Blocker took letter from his pocket.
 Here, he said 'sis a letter from the bank, stating that in pursuance of telephoned instructions they are sending her her cancelled checks and statement showing that the ac- count had been cleaned out"
 Griff took the letter.
 And" Blocker pointed out, 'the date of the telephone conversation is the day following Morden's murder"
 Griff studied the letter. with his forehead in furrows of scowling conceptration.
 | "If," Blocker said, we only had some way of locating this Kenneth Boone we could
 "If," Griff interrupted impa- tionely, you had followed my in- structions by placing your men on duty at the Elite Apartment you would have known all about Ken meth Boone by this time."
 Blocker stared steadily at the criminologist.
 DO you" he asked, "know what you're saying or are you just talk ing ?"
 T know what I'm saying" Griff said, continuing to examine the checks.
 | Blocker took a letter from his pocket.
 "There's a letter." he said, "sent to Esther Ordway. Apparently it's something in the nature of a love letter. It's signed Robert Chelton. It's sent from Summerville. It was sent out Sunday--that's yesterday l-and arrived on the early mail this morning. It's rather ardent ls- 4f nA Afno&fax nnn h. CTS that Miss Ordway has been the recipient of several proposals of marriage from Robert Chelton but she has remained firm in her con- clusion to live a single life. Ap- parently she's been divorced once before and is finished with all forms of matrimonial venture" The criminologist turned the let- ter over slowly in his fingers.
 You have. of course. taken steps to find out about the writer of this letter?" he asked. I i've taken the steps. yes" :" Blocker said. ''It's too early, as yet to get report"
 "When you get report" Griff said slowly, ''you will find that Robert Chelton registered at a hotel in Summerville; that the ad- dress which he gave was either so general it is of no assistance or that it was fictitious; that he re- mained long enough to write and tmail this letter and that he then checked out of the hotel and no one knows where heawent."
 "YOu've already checked him ?' asked Blocker.
 | "No,' Griff said. "I know who he was and why the letter was written and without reading the l letter, am willing to wager there is some reference in it to her room- mate. Alice Lorton." ''There is," Blocker said. "IIe has paragraph about how charm ed he was to meet Miss Lorton and how pleased he is that Esther Ord way has so delightful and charm- l ing a roommate"
 Griff nodded slowly.
 But aren't you going to read the letter?" asked Blocker.
 Griff shook his head and tossed the letter to the desk. There is no need" he said. Tt was a red herring drawn across our trail, but it arrived too late. However, one thing is certain. An attempt will be made on the part of Alice Lorton to get the mail from the apartment some time this morning. She will either return to the apartment or send some young man there with a key to the mail box. She will be anxious to get this letter with the cheeks"
 "You mean Esther Ordway?" asked Blocker.
 Mo- said the criminologist, II mean Alice Lorton. Although Esther ordway is probably her real name" .,. asked Blocker.
 They're one and the same," Sid ney Grin told him. Beyond any | doubt"
 "But why should Alice Lorton report the disappearance of Esther Ordway?"
 s.Because," Griff said slowly, sit was imperative that Esther Ordway should disappear. It was also, for certain reasons, either irn- possible or unwise for Esther Ord- way to give up her apartment and l flee. Therefore, she simply took the name of a mysterious Alice