The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-10-18
CAST OF CHARACTERS

..nsr nhotosrapher-de
ANNE LESTER-Myrnas clos
DANNIE FREELEY-offieer as
,;gned to investigate Ludden
Dombey's murder.
Yesterday: Feeley and All
..areh for Weeks, the mihslns
musician, but do not find him. he
had written the successful Dom
bey song. Then they search Tor
a,b.r .keletons in the records.
CHAPTER XIV
The skeleton" which Bob Ialt
had in mind when he left Dannle
FeeIey was the matter OF the
monograph records which Lud
Dombey had been boOtlegging out
side his contract with the leglti-
mate recording company. lalt
was afraid of that angle just now
more than anything else. He knew
that with Dombey's death the
whole business might be exposed,
and Myrna's chances for getting
into additional trouble would be
heightened.
The moment he returned to
Feeley's office he thumbed thru
Dombey's papers until ne found
ire agreement with the recording
company. Immediately ne put IN
q long distance call to the preSl.
dent, whose signature was one OF
those on the contract.
"Mr. Montgomery? :" he said,
when the call came through. My
name is Robert TAFT. Ludden
Dombey's widow has just APPOINT
ed me manager of The Swinga-
teers corporation in place OF Har-
ris Rogers"
"Oh, yes" came the suave voice
over the wire. And / suppose, IN
view of the recent unhappy bust
ness at the Pacific-Plaza, you feel
you should have q new deal on
Dombey's records? Well, ! want
to say, Mr.. TAFT, that we don't
trade on that type of publicity.
We've a contract with you, and
Pm willing that it stand"
so am !, Mr.. Montgomery.
And you're wrong. Pm not calling
for more money. Pm calling to
find out if you're a good sport"
"Good sport? What do you
mean?". ....s.
"Just thisc-aId Pm going to
put all the cards on the table
I've just been looking over DOM
bey's private papers and | find
he's made some bootleg records
for foreign consumption"
That's in violation of. his con-
tract, TAFT" -..
= II know that, too. But | want
you 70 believe this. l had nothing
to do with it, and neither did Mrs.
Dombey. Therell be no more of
It, and I'll get those records in
just as soon as it's humanity pos
sible. Meanwhile | want to ask
that you give u 81 break"
MontgOmery's voice was cold,
and cautious. What do you mean
Ia break ,"
''Give me a chance to get the
unsold records in, and turned over
to- you. And promise me that you
won't start suit for violation of
contract without 5 days notice"
:. There was a silence at the other
end of the wire: Then: "All right,
TAFT, ] don't know yeu. But I'll
give, you the benefit of the doubt
for the moment" -.
'"Thanks, Mr. Montgomery. And
don't forget, there's still a band
called The SwiAgateers. 'Torehy'
Stephens is going to lead them
now and it'll be just as good
band as ever. We want to make
some new records for YOU"
THAT" said Montgomery, eve
can see about later"
"Okay-and thanks a million"
TAFT replaced the receiver with
trembling fingers. "Whe-ewp he
breathed.
The telephone tangled at his
elbow, and TAFT jumped inches
from his chair. His. involuntary
thought had been that Nontgom-
cry was calling back to notify his
change of mind. But the voice
on the wire was Dannie Feeley's.
'Thath lines been busy for five
minutes" Feeley said. Would
you mind not using the headquar-
ters' telephone for. your private
ubsineSs?"
Sorry, professor. What's on the
mind?" ...
"l've got good description of
George Weeks, and a picture. And
Eve got another lead. Just wanted
to tell you Pm going to follow it
along without picking you up at
the station. Don't be carrying off
any of those Dombev papers"
"Dannie, you don't trust me-"
laughed TAFT. Everything will be
just as you left it. Right now Pm
going to talk to 'Torchy' Stephens
he's leading the band from now
on, and he might know thing
or two"
"Go ahead" said Feeley. "but
if you can get anything out of a
bunch of swing. band guys, you're
good" r.
swell, ! can try -~
When Feeley had hung up, TAFT
called Stephens hotel. The must
elan answered sleepily, and TAFT
said: +'Iisten, Torchy-how soon
could you get the band together"
"It's only four O'clock" Ste
phens answered m a hurt tone. at
ought to be easy to get 'em to-
gether-because they're probably
ali in bed, where they ought to
be-"
..'Can you have them in your
apartment at five ?''
A badly stifled yawn came over