Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1936-04-28
CHAPTER 81


mot RANDALL!" Joyce kept
saying when Keyes broke the news
Of the murder, and again she traileG
across the room. half stumbling on
her long train. to look into Laura
Randall's room. The significance 81
what we had said did not seem to
have struck her.
why. 1 saw her this morning.
she said as she came back and sat
down. only this morning" A few
tears gathered in her eyes, and
traced wet little patterns down her
white cheeks.
"She saw you, just before she
died." Reyes said, "and called out to
You. Your taxi must have been near
hers. Aresiyou sure you didn't see
her then?"s
II tell vow didn't see her--I saw
her last this morning. and heard
no one call me. I was so tired when
I got into the taxi that I was almost
unconscious"
WAS your taxi going uptown or
DOWNTOWN"
downtown. I got in the first I
saw after I reached Twenty-ninth."
did you notice a bus on the other
side of the street, going uptown"
mo. noticed nothing. I can't be-
lieve it. Randall dead. Murdered.
1t can't be true. You're not telling
me the truth. are you?"
II am. Miss Van Every. and from
what you've said assume you were
on the west side of the street, going
downtown. while Miss Randall was
on the east side of the street, going
uptown. 1t is entirely possible that
she saw you, opened the left window
to call you-and while her window
was open-was killed. Do you re-
member whether the traffic signal
was against you when you crossed
Twenty-ninth street?"
II got into the taxi, and that's all
I know. 1t seemed to me that we
moved Immediately. I couldn't tell
positively. though"
you must have been across the
street on Miss Randalls side when
she called. otherwise she could not
have seen you. This is very impor-
tant. Miss Van Every, so try to think
back"
II don't remember. ] was tired
never had been so tired before"
Reyes was eXasperated and showed
It. He wanted the number of the
taxi. which she didn't know, of
course, also, complete description of
what She had worn. This she gave
him. bringing out the garments one
by one The driver of the cab. she
had. not glanced at. She had no idea
what he looked like.
While Keyes was scribbling down |
notes on; her clothes, she turned to |
me pitifully. i've thought horribly
mean thoughts about Randall. Ter |
rible things. I'm sorry now, for she |
was good to me. If had everything
to do over again, I'd be good to her,
pamper her little whims. and all that.
didn't understand. Uncle was
always telling me to obey her-do
what she asked, because she was
thought she was nagging me. I'm
--so-sorry. Poor Randall"
"Has she any relatives?"
Eyes. she was always talking about
her nieces. and what proper young
ladies they were. 1t always bothered
me. She has pictures of them in her
room. She wrote them regularly.
She had an address book, I know.
Youth find everything there. Her
diary. too. suppose"
"FIer diary"
Eyes. she kept one. Was at me
to keep one. Every night before she
went to bed she wrote in hers. For
my birthday this year she gave me
q diary with my name on it in gold
letters. I-never used It. It has a
key-you can lock it up"
Keyes STROBE across the room,
reckoning me to follow. and together
we went into Miss Randalrs room.
It was small. meticulously neat. F,
holding only bed. comfortable but
single size. a dresser. night table. E