The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-10-21
c,cr or CHARACTERS

NJ NINA bS"h
Wife of the sensational SWING
band leader. Al.
ROBERT TAIT-hero. News
naper Observation-Disclosures:
ANNE LESTER-Myrna's clos
est friend.
signed to investigate Ludden
Dombey's murder. .....
Yesterday: The taxi driver IS
kn;fed at the old factory building
where TAFT is called and Tait won
Jers about the perfume there, the
same scent as used by the strange
exotic blond. .
CHAPTER XVII
Al the first stair landing, TAFT
raused. The light, he discovered
came from candle set on the
floor in its own wax. He reached
down and touched the wax IN
which it had been stuck. 1t was
still warm and soft.
TAFT stood up quickly. hlS back
against the wall. The landing was
hare There were no openings.
II simply doubled back to reach
,norher series of stairs to the next
floor, The stair we'll was typical
of those built into the factories or
two decades ago when modern
health and fire protection weren
considered.
Cautiously. TAFT peered up to
that second landing. For a mo-
ment his heart wavered. 1t all
seemed too much of an invitation
to death-and yet-yet ne could
be very close 10 the murder OF
Ludden Dombey and the solution
for Myrna's problems. Suddenly
he Snatched up the candle, Snut-
fling it out as he did So In one
swift movement he leaped Tor the
second series of stairs, holding al
arm ahea dof him in the darkness:
Every moment ne expected TO feel
in his flesh the cold steel OF a
blade either thrown or driven.
Then. Enthusiastically, he heard
sound above him. 1t was the open
ing of an ancient window. TAFT
yelled at the top of his voice.
"Stop-stop OF I'll shoot" He fol-
lowed the sound upstairs and into
long. deserted room with mar
row windows at one end. One OF
the windows was open and Talt
rushed for it. But beyond he
could see nothing but black roofs.
1t was only three or four feet
down to the adjoining roof, but ne
knew that ne was stopped. TO go
out there would be inviting death
in earnest. Keeping out of line
of the windows, he relighted the
candle. The room was absolutely
deserted. A few machine bases
were all the evidence that 1t had
once held life, and certainly no
one had been making a home Of 1t.
In the dim light of the candle
TAFT noticed something odd. His
own footprints were clearly WIS.,
ible on the duSt-covered floor. But
the path of the would-e mur-deer
was of a different nature. 1t had
been swept as ne went, as if wit
a coat or scarf TAFT thought bit
terly that the factory roofs were
gravel on tar. There'd be no
footprint there.
Grimly disappointed, he retrae-
ed his steps to the street. The
astonished stare of the taxi driver
sought him from the depths of the
cab. Il never thought you'd be
down here again on your feet,
mister He was holding his shout
der now painfully. Did you see
anything of that So-and-SO who
sliced me-"
TAFT shook his head. mo. And
Pm sorry to have got you into this
mess, old man. I'll make it right
with you-and now we'll get some
attention for that shoulder"
You'll have to drive. And say,
If | gotta stay in the hospital all
night you'll have to explain it to
my wife. She's funny that way"
TAFT slid into the drivers seat.
~Pn keep you out of the dog
house, pal"
you were" said Dannie Fee
ley, "a double-barreled idiot to go
up those stairs. But by golly, as
long as you did it, | wish you'd
got look at the bird who wanted
to cut into you"
Feeley and TAFT were on the
way TO the hospital where the taxi
driver had been left in good care.
Its that perfume that gets me-
TAFT said.
Yeah. Doesn't seem like a spot
woman would pick to make an
ambush for a guy. But there may
have been two people around. You
say you smelled it before. You
sure you'd recognize the dame if
you saw her again."
'Ill say | would. She was a
honey"
"Of course" said Feeley with
ill-disguised feeling, "some men
wear perfume The guy we're
after may be one of those. Do you
figure this fellow is the same guy
who ventilated Ludden Dombey?"
Maybe. Of it might be some
body who just doesn't like the
idea of my mOnkeying around"
'As for instance?"
Harris Rogers"
Feeley nodded. There's that.
He promised you that you'd hear
from him, and he has a reason to
be plenty sore. I'll have Mike
Dunphy see if he can establish
any movements for Rogers"
ALSO, it could be your screwy
musician. He might think that I'm
4. L