The Washington times., 1937-11-08

The narrow hall was empty arlc
so was the small sitting room
where Cordier should have beer
waiting for me. Jean Cordier-one
Of our most resourceful agents
who had returned only that night
from a secret mission to Germany
I found him in the bedroom
where he must have thrown him
self on the bed, to rest before he
delivered his reports. =.
But he would never deliver those
for the room was in confusion
his clothes in disorder. as though
somebody had hastily G n G
through his pockets and his throat
was slit from ear to ear.
Not a pretty sight, and I had
to use all my self-control not tC
rush out of the house yelling
Murder"
AS it was, 1 steeled myself and
made a hasty examination of the
premises. An hour later, feeling
sick and faint, I sat in my chiefs
office at the French Embassy and
made my report. Jean Cordier
dead and not sign of any paper
he may have carried.
mo clue? No sign Of struggled"
the chit asked.
CLUE TO MURDER
ooh, yes-there was a clue" I
said YEARLY, The room was reek-
ing of vanilla. -" =,
your vanilla complex again" "
he sncrted. Yesterday you were
telling me that Won Streicher'S
room at the German Embassy
reeked of vanilla-today it is poor
Cordier's room. Really, my
dear. 4"
"Really, mon Colonel" retort-
ed hotly, lit is just as say. There
is a mysterious visitor at the Ger
man Embassy, who is strongly
perfumed with vanilla and leaves
a trail behind him, as thick as a
mosquito smudge - and Cordler
was murdered by that same man.
It is no complex-it is the truth
49,"
Once more, at dead of night,
we went to the little house on the
edge of the forest. We found
nothing, but the Colonel had to
admit that a faint aroma OF va
nilla fingered in the air.
The murder was discovered on
the following morning by the daily
servant who came to do" for
Herr Langeman-the agents Of
fetal name. She called the police
and raised hue and cry.
Such a nice man, Herr LANCE
man, and such a tragedy-to think
that the poor gentleman had but
lust returned from a holiday IN
Germany, where his old mother
lived!
Cordier's death placed us in an
awkward predicament: he had
been one of our most valuable
links with Germany. He was u1l-
cannily resourceful and daring;
clever, fearless and-until now
had been abnormally lucky.
The police came at once to the
conclusion that he had been a
spy and shelved the case. Accord
ing to them, he had been in Ger
man pay and had run foul OF his
own service. He had-preSumably
played a double game and had
been quietly eliminated.
~ j oil
the members of the Embassy had
been questioned by the police and
complained of the impudence Of
the local detective force.
was able to talk to him pretty
freely and I became convinced
that-whoeve had murdered our
unfortunate agent-he, at least,
knew nothing of the murder.
INVOLVED STORY
Sometime later, was ap-
preached by a man Of doubtful
character, whom I knew to be a
free-lance in espionage-vis., one
who tried to sell information to
the highest bidder, regardless of
nationality.
His story was rather involved;
he had a friend-that friend had
in his possession valuable papers
these papers would intere t
Germany-Would I declined
the offer, Directing that, if the
information was as valuable as
all that, why didn't his friend go
Siroct tO tho Fuhaccu
"Well-he's BEEN" he said diff
fidently, "but Won S. seems to have
taken a dislike to him and will not
receive him any more
We'll, then, you CO." said ma
iciously, and he made wry face,
for he knew that knew, that Won
S. diStrusted him and would have
nothing to do with him.
But I investigated: "Ach, va"
said Won S. that doublecrosser
Pawlinsky. I'll have nothing to do
with him or his friends Be
sides" he added with a grimace of
disgust, that latest friend of his
Himmel!-I have to disinfect the
room after he has been
HE reeks of vanilla, eh?" I said.
1t was shot at random, but he
asked sharply: How do you
know"
Il have a sense of smell, like
everybody else" I said with dig
nifty. land know he was here a
week ago"
I could get nothing further out
Of him.