The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-10-20
Q SERIAL STORY
MURDER TO MUSIC 81 sS'' :::S'ss ' 's'
BY NARD JONES
BY NARD JONES

wrong on a dinky street like TINS.
81 hope you're right" said TAFT.
sIsn't that light on the top floor
of that building down there? The
| fellow Pm to see lives on the top
floor of one of these old actory
buildings"
ITS either a light OF relec-
ton from the moon" The driver
pilote dtoward the curb. "Pll take
look at the number on the door
if there is one. Twenty-seveh
Thirty, you said it was
Before TAFT could think to re-
strain him, the driver had jump
ed out of the car and into the
night. He saw him eros sthe SIDE
walk, strike a match on the side
of the doorway. The match flared
for a scant moment, then went
out. Suddenly TAFT heard a yelI
and the sound of body falling
hard to the pavement.
He yanked his revolver from his
pocket and started across the SIDE
walk. As he neared the building
he caught the scene of faint
perfume, hauntingly familiar.
where are your" he called to
the driver.
There was a groan almost at his
feet. Before kneeling down. TAFT
tried to peer into the darkness OF
the street. What's wrong? What
happened?"
"Somebody-somebody took a
whack at me with a knife" the
driver gasped. 'It-it came out OF
that doorway. II saw the flash
of it just as struck the match"
Squatted down beside the
wounded man, TAFT turned warily
on his feet. Gradually his eyes
became accustomed to the dark
ness. He was literally afraid to
move, but now he began to see the
outlines of the doorway. 1t was
empty. He had seen no one go up
or down the street, and they must
certainly have gone through that
door.
He got up, approached it gin
gerly. Swiftly he kicked it open
with one foot and sprang back, his
weapon ready. Nothing opened to
his gaze but a dimly-lit stairway.
Listen" TAFT turned to the
luckless driver. care you badly
hurt? If l get you to the car can
you stand it a while?" .
81 think it's my shoulder and
rm-but you amt going in there,
are you?"
"I want to take a look up that
stairway. I'll just be a minute
and then I'll drive you to a hos
pital pronto." i
"You go up that stairway and
III never get to a hospital, and
neither will you. It'll be the
morgue."
TAFT got one of the mans arms
around his shoulders. "Come on.
I'll get you onto the back seat of
the cab where you can take 1t
easy"
Against the taximan's feeble
protests, TAFT managed to get him
into the cab. A hurried examina-
ton showed that there were two
knife slashes, neither very deep.
But there was no installing that
the assailant had meant business.
The sudden striking of the match,
practically in his face, had prob
ably spoiled his lunge.
"Stay back against the cush-
ions. / won't be a minute" TAFT
went to the doorway again. The
stairway was still clear. He could
see to the first landing, and lit
tie beyond. But he could not de-
termine the position of the dim
light.
Stealthily, his gun ready, he
started up the stair. Again, and
stronger now, he caught the odor
of perfume. Suddenly he remem-
bered that scent. 1t had been
worn by the honey-colored blond
who had walked out Of the Clare
mont. He had almost collided with
her the night he had gone into
the apartment to see if Anne Les
ter had found Myrna. 1t was an
odd scent, one that wouldn't be
encountered often. What was 1t
doing here, Bob TAFT wondered as
he took another cautious step up
ward.