The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-01-03
SYNOPSIS

DAVID HARVESTER under.
 takes to find out who killed
 TRACY KING, orchestra leader, fin his hotel apartment. Bannister
 is am author and former news-
 paper man. Hc works on the
 murder case with GAINEY, star reporter on the Post.
 Among those suspected are
 JULIET FRANCE, blond and
 pretty and known to have visited
 King shortly before his death;
 HERMAN SCURIlACH who wrote King 8 threatening letter; and JOE PARROTT, dOwn.and- out vaudeville actor. It is also known that MELVINA HOLLIS
 ter, middle-aged spinster, had
 quasreled with King recently.
 AL DRUGAN, friend of Kings
 is found dead in q wrecked au. fOmOblic.
 Bannister persuades the police chief to let Juliet come to his aunt's home, Ostensibly as Q guest, on the theory that if the girl believes herself free they can learn more about her.
 ParrOtt is located jn St Louis and a detective is sent to bring him tO Fremont. During q quiet evening at home Juliet tells Ban mister, "YOu're not deceiving me for q mOment!"
 CHAPTER XXX
 Bannister stepped backward. There was no change in his ex- pression except that his lips tight ened. "So I'm not deceiving you, he said. You mean you knew"
 The girl laughed. i've known all along,' she told him. "Remem- Der that day we talked at the hotel? You told me your name was Tavid Bannister. Somehow the name seemed familiar. couldn't remember at first where I'd heard 1t. Then when l was in the depart 1nent store that afternoon l wan- dered into the book department. There was q picture of you on a table with some of your books Then of course I knew right away. What did you mean by telling me you were nobody of importance "
 "Oh!" Bannister didn't say any rnore--just "oh!" After a moment he went on slowly, When you said I wasn't deceiying you. what you meant was that you knew I write books?'
 "Of course. And I've read your books, Mr Bannister. Both Of them. think they're wonderful!"
 Hardly that"
 "Oh. but they are! They seem ----so real. The characters, mean. Maggie and Phillip and Sammie. Sammic especially -- think l like him best. You write so beauti- fully. even the ugly parts are beautiful!'
 well" said Bannlster, smiling, "Fm certainly glad to know l nave such an enthusiastic reader
 "T should htink all your readers would be enthusiastic
 "They're not" he told her. Far from it! You should have seen what some of the critics said about For Candle They banned It plenty" ..,
 gut" the girl defended, they couldn't have understood it. Why I tF ought If.
 Far several minutes they dis cussed the merits of Bannlsters newest book. He could not help being impressed by her sound literary standards. It added in1- mcasurably to the girls praise to knew that she had read widely, admired many of his favorites among the modern writers, criti- cize9 others whose work he con- sidcrcd negligible.
 She turned. resting one arm on the piano, and for the first time he noted the exquisite lines of the girls throat. Creamy white, rounded. Her cheeks were creamy white, too. That, Canister felt, should be romedied. A little color would be an improvement. Study ing the girl, he forgot that they were talking about literature.
 Her question brought him promptly from his revcric. What are you going to write about next" she asked.
 Canister stirred uneasily. "Oh, don't know" he said. "I haven't been thinking much about writing lately"
 He couldn't tell her for the last two months writing had become a nightmare. He couldn't tell her that when he sat down at a desk n vision of Adele Allen came be- fore him, driving away every thought of work. He couldn't tell her of the times he had given up, after hours of desperation, swear ing never again to touch a type writer. Write? Even the word was hateful to him.
 "Im knocking off," he explained. For while at least. That's why I came to Fremont"
 He was spared further explana- tions as Kate Hewlett appeared in the doorway. T heard some music in here," she said, "and it was lovely! You're going to play some more. aren't you. Miss France?'
 ''TIl be glad to-" the girl told her. What would you like to hear?"