Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1937-04-15
Sneed has probably got 1t arranged

for you."
Swift rose with alacrity.
Damned glad Of the chance" he
returned surlily. ''Your manner to-
day rather annoys me, Floyd" And
he led the way down the hall and
up the stairs to the roof-garden,
Vance and I following.
The stairway was narrow and
semicircular, and led upward from
the hallway near the front entrance.
In glancing back up the hall, to-
ward the drawing-room, noticed
that no section of that room was
visible from the stair end Of the
hall. made this mental note idly
at the time, but I mention it here
because the fact played very def
mite part in the tragic events which
were to follow.
At the head Of this narrow stair
way we turned left into a corridor,
barely four feet wide, at the end Of
which was a door leading into a
large room-the only room on the
roof. This spacious and beautiful
ly appointed study, with high win
dows, on all four sides, was used by
Professor Garden, Swift informed
us, as library and private expert
mental laboratory. Near the door
to this room, on the left wall OF
the corridor, was another door, of
calamine, which, I learned later, led
into small storeroom built to hold
the professors valuable papers and
data.
Halfway down the corridor, on
the right, was another large Gala
mine weather door which led out
to the roof. This door had been
propped open, for the sun was
bright and the day mild Swift
preceded us into one of the loveliest
skyscraper gardens ! have ever
seen.
We walked 1eisurely about the
garden, smoking. Swift was a diff
ficult man to talk to, and as the
minutes went by he became more
and more distract. After a while he
glanced apprehensively at his wrist
watch.
"We'd better be going down." he
said. "They'n be coming out for
the first race before long"
Vance gave him an appraising
look and rose.
what about that sanctum sane
forum of yours which your cousin
mentioned?" he asked lightly.
"oh, that ;. Swift forced
an embarrassed smile. "It's that
red chair over there against the
wall, next to the small table :.
But don't see why Floyd should
spool about it. The crowd down.
stairs always rags me when I lose,
and it irritates me. I'd much rath-
er be alone when get the results"
"Quite understandable" nodded
Vance with sympathy.
"You see," the man went on rath-
er pathetically, 81 frankly play the
ponies for the money-the others
downstairs can afford to take heavy
losses, but I happen to need the
cash just now.
Vance had stepped over to the
little table on which stood a desk
telephone which had, instead of the
ordinary receiver, what is known as
head receiver-that is, flat disk
ear-phone attached to a curved met
al band to 60 over the head.
"Your retreat is well equipped,
commented Vance.
"Oh, yes. This is an extension
OF the news-service phone down.
stairs; and there's also a plug-in
for radio, and another for an
electric plate"
He took the ear-phone from the
hook and, adjusting the band over
his head, listened for a moment.
Nothing new yet at Rivermont,"
he mumbled. He removed the ear
phone with nervous impotence and
tossed it to the table. Anyway
we'd better get down." And he
walked toward the door by which
we had come out in the garden.
When we reached the drawing
room we found two newcomers-a
man and woman-seated at one
of the tables, porting over the rae
ing cards and making notations.
Vance and I were casually intro
duced to them by Garden.
The man was Cecil Kroon, about
thirty-fve, Immediately attired
and sleek, with smooth, regular fea-
lures and a very narrow waxed
mustache. He was quite blond, and
his eyes were a cold steely blue.
The woman, whose name was
Madge Weatherby; was about the
same age as Kroon, tall and slen-
der, and with a marked tendency
toward theatricalism in both her at
tire and her makeup. Her cheeks
were heavily rouged and her lips
crimson. Her eyelids were shaded
with green, and her eyebrows had
been plucked and replaced with fine
penciled lines.
Garden looked up and notioned
to us-he was holding the receiver
of the black telephone to his ear.
Kroon went to the small bar and
mixed two drinks which he took
back to his table, setting one down
before Miss Weatherby.
I.