Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1940-04-17
CHApTER THIRTY-FOrk


s-ecS. They were solid. and did not
squeak. Mr.. Gala. my erstwhile
k..aa0e-. also made nc sound for
, moment. then his big feet moved
quickly away through the house.
: thought ne had either retreat
e.. or had decided there was no
one on his back steps. I was salts
ned. 7 knew who he was now. All
: wanted 10 DC was to get away
AMI report to the police. They
could never convict William Gala
OF Alfred Markham's murder, but
.hav would have a suspect who
would make them forget Jerry
No.-ca.n.
I opened the garden gate into
the narrow alley and started to-
ward the front of the house. Then
I saw NY mistake. Mr.. Gala had
not retreated. The movement of a
shadow at the end of the alley told
ne ne vas waiting there for me.
: retreated back into the rear
garden and looked frantically
around for a means of escape. He
had me trapped. The back door Of
me house, I discovered, was locked.
Tie walls around ME were too high
to scale. The only thing I could do
was 70 Jump into the river.
The river would be a last resort,
because the splash would give me
away. I would be a clear target in
the water, because the moon was
up now and the fog had not yet
settled down.
went to the garden gate again
a-1 looked down the alley. He was
sill there, motionless, as though
ne hoped I would not see him.
Perhaps he hadn't seen me, l
comf1rted myself. was in deeper
darkness, with no lights behind me
20 give me away. Perhaps if moth
ing happened ne would decide he
had been mistaken and would 60
a-av.
I waited, but so did he. After
shout FIVE minutes he moved. He
vas coming along the alley toward
ne. closely hugging the wall OF
the house, apparently in the belief
n was as we'll hidden as I. There
vas TO sound. He was like a cat,
q quality all the more sinister be-
cause Of his tremendous size.
I ti0tOed back to the rivers
edge If I jumped quickly
stared down at the water. \
rusty tin can seemed to be float
Ing there, motionless. But tin cans
didn't dOat. That can was resting
in The mud just under the surface
Of he water. The tide was out. TIE
water wasn't deep enough Tor
SWIMMING this close to shore. To
jump into that mud would De sui
C.Ie.
7 creDt back to the garden fence
sr1 "aited beside the gate. A soft.
sliding as though made by cloth
brushing against the wood, was
The only sound that warned ne
when Gala arrived. I sensed,
rather than saw, that the catch on
the gate was lifting-the gate was
s"tGgIng back.
He vas crouching there in the
darkness beside me. Now he was
moving toward the house. I opened
the cate quickly and ran down the
s-av.
Gala let out an oath and was
after me. As turned south along
I.aa"as street I heard his big feet
Founding behind nee. He made no
attempt % be quiet now.
~ the next corner turned
rlH9 hoping to shake him off.
--a. "as a mistake. The industrial
bA;t os the city, poorly lighted,
"-s ahead of me. should have
"'1ca lift, into the business dis
N.cs, there he would not hare
cared follow.
lis long legs were cutting the
distance between us. The skin
cong ny backbone was prickling
Z" A.ac,Lation of a bullet.
@N automobile came around the
,'..er ahead. ! ran toward it,
,,,"'."g the driver in relief. Gala
- Il s.1&ed to a walk behind me.
.ti2eI around He was not in
u, the driver merely slowed
5.|'' hen speeded up again. He
So. seen me running and was
a'l he'd be involved in some