The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-30
CHAPTER

You mustn't come" l objected
when Miss Markham volunteered
to Join the hunt for my kidnaper.
at would be too dangerous"
"Why?"
He already has sent me a
threat warning me to keep of his
tran. He delivered 1t at your
house" I told her how the note
had come through h G window.
And I have reason to believe that
a similar threat led to a suicide
last night, so you see, he means
business"
Her brown eyes were wide with
alarm. Bill, why didn't you tell
me"
That was something for the po-
lice, not for you
But l am the sister of the man
who Was-murdered.'
'That's a cruel word. Are we
even sure of it," -,
"You mean, there's a chance 1t
wasn't murder? 1t might have
been"
~ have no theory" 1 said hast
ily. Theories are dangerous. Look
at Belzer. Well, here's our cab.
Will you reconsider"
No" She was firm.
eAl right" To the driver I said,
THE Rio Vista club"
He took the order without ques-
ton. There was nothing strange IN
a young couple driving to the Rio
Vista club at this late hour OF the
afternoon. The sun was near set
ting. It would soon be dinner time,
and the clubs dinners, if not its
liquors, were popular.
What do you hope to discover
at the club?" the girl asked me.
u really don't know" I con-
fessed, but it is a place to begin.
Belzer thought there was some
connection between that boatman
the fellow who kidnapped me
and the operation of the club. He
spoke of the possibility of a gang
working there"
1T sounds fantastic"
Il know. But that fellow was
waiting for someone in the gar
den. I'm sure of it. And if he was,
he was waiting for someone who
worked for the club or was a guest
there. I would say it might have
been the cooks helper he Was wait
ing for, but Tony Pappini said the
boy went home early. He was the
one who committed suicide last
night"
How horrible"
That boatman is a potential
killer. Even though he may not
have murdered your brother, if we
can hang the crime on him We'll
be going society a favor"
so the first thing you want to
do is to find out who he intended to
meet?"
That's right. Well assume that
he had no connection with your
brothers death. What was he look
ing for?"
The girl bit her lips. Suppose
we are making a terrible mistake?
Suppose this mar h d no more
connection with my brothers death
than Jerry Montcalm had?"
II say-What difference does it
make? He is a killer. He tried to
kill me-"
The girl nodded. HE must be
the nan we're looking for. He
must Whom shall we question:"
Il think we'd best start with
the cook"
We arrived at the club at an
hour when I would have expected
to set a number of cars parked
within the shrub encircled parking
area on the north side of the
peninsula, but there were only
three cars.
Looks like a quiet night" the
taxi driver commented as he &C
cepted his fare. "Quietest I've ever
seen it here this time of the eve
ming"
Louise was clutching my arm
tightly as we climbed the wide
steps. I knew what she was think
ing. Not long ago her brother had
climbed these steps, for the last
time.
No one was in the dining room.
A boy in uniform-I suppose he
had been hired to replace the
cooks helper-informed us there
were sandwiches, if we wished to
eat, but no dinner. Sorry" he
said. THE cooks i'll. We're trying
to get someone else, but I don't