Henderson daily dispatch., 1936-05-15
CHAPTER AZ

AS IN A DREAM heard Reyes
question Mrs Taft. the woman who
lived in the same apartment building
as Mrs. Bryce. still more about
Laura Randall. Whether she had
ever been In the house before.
Whether she had ever seen her De-
fore. Mrs. Taft answered all these
inquiries in the negative. Mrs. Taft,
beautifully groomed. inclined to be a
trifie matronly, although taking ex-
cellent care Of her figure. her fingers
-diamonded. her face. extensively
powdered. had wondered curiously
about plain Laura Randall That
was all.
Why, II Mrs. Bryce wanted to kill
Laura Randall. didn't she kill her
then and there in the house? But
NO. she couldn't do that. 1t would
point too directly to her. Mrs. Bryce
shown this in her murder Of Mar
galo-tf she had killed her. And the
evidence was getting stronger and
stronger that way. She was the log
ical one. Margalo had the jewel
around her neck. Van Every had
refused to let her, his mistress. wear
1t. Jealousy.
Laura Randall going to her. &C
clsing her. The only thing to do
was to get Laura Randall out Of the
way.
Not very good. Because the mo-
tive wasn't enough to account for
Aargalo's death. unless Edith Bryce
was insane. 1 recalled her green
1yes-the peculiar glow In them; the
bats of information Mrs. Taft had
given about her antipathy to peo-
pie. -.
Reyes was asking Mrs. Taft If on
Wednesday afternoon, this visitor of
Mrs. Bryce's had come in a taxi.
Mrs. Taft said she had seen no taxi
in front of the house.
Had Mrs. Bryce gone out later?
Yes. Mrs. Bryce had gone out about
alone. In a taxi. 1t was such a
miserable afternoon, but she had had
on her sable wrap when Mrs. Taft
had seen her step into the taxi. She
Just happened to be looking out her
front window. That was Wednesday.
She was sure. The horrid weather
had reminded her. On further ques-
tioning. she recalled other things:
that Mrs. Bryce's gray-clad visitor
was rather wet when she had seen
her In the hall. and that she had an
umbrella in her hand. black she
thought. which was dripping water
an the hall rug. a lovely Chinese rug.
Again and again Keyes insisted on
Knowing what time Laura Randall
had left Mrs. Bryce's But it was
evident that Mrs. Taft didn't know
There was no sign Of the gray-coated'
visitor when Mrs. Bryce had left.
1t was nearly o'clock before Mrs
Taft left the Office. 1 don't think
she would have gone then, except
that she had some sort Of an en-
gagement. which she had to keep at
$3.50. Reyes gallantly escorted her
to a taxi. Certainly he had made
a conquest Mrs. Taft went out. I'm
sure. thinking he was one of the
grandest gentlemen she had ever
met. l was equally positive that that
evening wherever she went she would
talk of nothing but the hours she
had spent helping a fascinating de-
tective solve a case.
Reyes and snatched a dinner
some place. was starving. Through
the hurried meal. we said little.
When We were back in his Office,
he discussed his plans. He must get
hold Of Manda that night-this maid
of Mrs. Bryce's. Calling the house.
he found out that Mrs. Bryce had
gone out for the evening with
friend. Yes. 1t was Manda who an
swered.
We whistled at the luck that had
fallen our way. because it would have
been devilish to have had Mrs. Bryce