The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1934-01-16
SYNOPSIS

OONAMnA EEefA3NOA<t OAOhAAAe RACteG
and known to have visited King
shortly before his death; HER
MAN SCURLACH who wrote
King q threatening letter; and
JOE PARROT, down-and.out
vaudeville actor. It Is also known
that MELVINA HOLLISTER,
middIe-aged spinstcr, had quar-.
relied with King recently.
All DRUGAN, friend of Kings
10 found dead in q wrecked auto
mobile.
Bannister persuades the police
chief to let Juliet como to his
aunt's home, OstensibIy as
guest on the theory that II the
girl believes herself free they can
learn more about her.
MeIvina HOLSTER is found
etrangled I'm the apartment
where she lived with her brother
Matthew. Her death leaves him
sole heir to $4,000.
The old photograph Bannister
had sent to the studio where IL
was made IL returned with the
message that no one can identity
the man and woman in the pic
fure. Banister, studying the pic
ture, suddenly discovers why the
mans face Is familiar.
CHAPTER XII
Bannister abandoned his discov-
l.y almost as soon as he had maze
A.. Even IL he were right about 1t,
ne didn't see how he could possibly
reconcile his suspicious with the
facts. The photograph, he decided,
had nothing to do with Tracy
Kings murder and all the time he
had spent trying to find a hidden
meaning in it was simply wasted.
He gave his attention to what Jul
liet France was saying.
"I don't blame you for not be-
1ieving me-" she went on, De-
cause some of the things told you
weren't true" She was not look
ing at him now; her eyes were
ON the slender toe OF her supper.
IT didn't go to Tracy Kings apart
ment that night to ask for oop.
What ] told you about losing a
memorandum there - that WASH
true, either. ! went there to get
some letters"
There was an instants pause
and then she hurried on. "The let
ters were some / had to nave! l
asked him to give them to me
and he refused. But they were
there in the apartment. know
that" suddenly the girl raised her
ewes. 1.-THE police wouldn't believe
me" she said, "but it's true. Don't
Won see what it means? Don't
you?" ,, 7
don't see" >, ,,..
"Tbel etters were there" Juliet
rr.opco insisted "but the police
didn't find them. Thai means
someone else was there after
left. Someone else came to Tracy
Kings apartment. IT must nave
heen the person who killed him"
Dannister said slowly. You
mean someone else took the let
,rfc girl nodded. They must
have. Otherwise the police would
have found them"
..Were they letters" Bannister
asked, that would be of value TO
anyone else?"
The girl did not meet his gaze.
NO" she said. They were-per-
sonal."
"Then you haven't any idea who
the other persons could nave
been?" ~
She shook her head. mo.
Bannister waited, hoping she
would go on. He wanted her story
to be plausible. wanted to believe
every word she said. And, 1llog-
ically, it was because she did not
defend herself that he said sud
denly.
Tistcn, you're right about the
police They let you come mere,
but they've been watching you all
the time. They think - oh, II
doesn't matter what they think! l.
want you to know / believe you.
I'VE known from the very first you
this murder"
THE girl said, 'I'll never forget
that you said that"
at was because / was so sure
Of it," Bannister went on, that l
decided to work on the case-to
see what / could find out. Oh, 1t
hasn't been much, I'll admit
II was afraid that was the rea-
SON" Juliet interrupted. That's
WHY I asked you to give 1t up. I've
been so afraid something would
bappen. And something did hap
pen! Last night"
Suddenly Bannister was talking
as he had wanted to talk for days.
eyes, something happened last
night" he said. "The police can
find anv connection between Mel
yina HOLSTERS death and Tracy
Kings. But I'm sure it's there If
we only knew where to look"
He told her what he knew OF
MeIvina HOLSTER and her brother,
about Melvina's quarrel with Tracy
King after her canary's death. He
fold about his conversation with
Matthew a few days later when
Matthew had said. II think Mel
VIVA knows something she's keep
ing to herself. Something that hap
pened that night"
Bannister said, when l re-
minded him of that yesterday he
didn't seem to remember at all
lust said there couldn't be any rea-
son for anyone to harm his sister
He seemed completely broker
up"
girl asked. Tell me more aDou'
him."
He tried to describe Matthew
HOLSTER. He told her what he hat
learned about the HOLSTER fortune
and the frugal way in which thu
brother and sister had lived. Ther
he went on to the photograph HI
had shown her, told how he hat
found 1t on the floor of Trac.
Kings bedroom and sent it away t
see II the figures could be identi
fed. He showed her the letter will
which the photograph had been re
turned.
cat FIRST" he said, II though
perhaps I ought to turn 1t over t
the police. But there wasn't any
thing 1 could say. Just-heres I
picture I found. McNeal woul,
laugh at me! Then I decided u