Henderson daily dispatch., 1936-01-04

ZMURDER uPSTAIRS@
E=S A/ADAM BLISS &aZ)
CHAPTER A.

WHEN | decided to go to Andrew
Darien's room to learn what he knew
about my brother" Janet went on.
81 knocked on his door. as ! told
Lieutenant I.arrabee. and Mr.. I'arien
admitted me Aile was dressed in ilta
najaInas and robe. | had never liked
him especially before-really. ia
never ihoueht much about him ex-
cept tha! he was an old self -centered
man but when he looked at me as
came INTO the room. | Knew ]
hated him.
II demanded point psank what he
meant by writing me that note. lie
said he knew everything about my
brother, where he was and all that.
What his new name was. From the
rocket of lis robe. he pulled out q
letter from Jerry TO me the one that
must have come that morning.
.The envelope had been steamed
omen. but hadn't been sealed again.
lie had been able to read the address
code-l guess it was pretty simple.
but it was the best 1 could think or.
| knew he had it right. because right
then and there before him. opened
the letter ami read it SO he knew
eyervthin9 / hated him more ana
more as he laughed at me. that 10"
chuckling laugh Of his. was so
shocked | was almost speechless.
"lIe didn't tell me how he found
cut who was in the first place, md
didn't ask him. but he said he'd
known for month. ana had read
most Of nv letters from jerry. look
nc for a definite address. The letter
with the address came Monday
morning. 1t was easy for him to
take il 10 his office or his room to
read and then If he wanted. to get it
back on the table before l came
home TO dinner He hadn't done that
with the last letter. he said. because
Il was too valuable.
"When ! asked him what he was
going to do about it. Mr.. Darien said
he wanted a first payment of S5.OOo
to keen quiet about Jerry'S where
abouts. If he didn't get it. he'd tell
the police That's when ] said I'd
XIII him. that's when | lost control
of myself completely. I didn't have
any money or any way under the
sun to gel $1,000 Jerry didn't either.
lie only had his salary Of $45 week.
and l had mine Of s35.
II had sent Jerry what was left
of the $500 in my first letter for it
was as much his as it was mine. So
you can imagine how l felt when
Mr.. Darien demanded a huge sum
like that. lie thought. like the po-
lice in Seattle and like the bank Off
Gals, that Jerry had actually stolen
$4,000 from the bank.
II sprang az Mr.. Darien-I really
meant what / said about killing him.
I didn't have q weapon. but ! strug-
gled with him for a second or two.
But he was too strong. ! left his
room crying. with Jerry's letter in
my hand. And the last thing he
said to me was that / was to come
the following noon to lis office. either
with the money or plans for getting
It out Of Jerry.
II felt that we were lost. | didn't
sleep wink that night. l didn't
even get undressed. burned the
aettcr as / had Darien's note.
Much as | would like to keep
terry's letters, l burn them all as
soon as have read them. It's much
safer. In the morning-that was
Tuesday. felt worse. l knew it was
useless to plead with Mr.. Darien. He
was a common backmailer.
AT breakfast. l was miserable. but
when ] heard that Mr.. Darien was
dead. ! was glad. Then ! began to
worry whether he had told anyone
else about Jerry.
when the police came. I was
scared for fear my name might be
recognized. and when I saw my mail