Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1940-04-13
oh the tranSOnl.

through the transom.
l grasped Louise by the arm and
whispered: There's someone N
that rooml The door was open
when we left, and 1 remember DR..
Burcham swapping off the light"
She didn't share my fears. "Thc
police may have been in the room
since we were. I don't hear
sound"
We started along the hall. in
sisted on going first. A shadow
moved across the transom, and we
stopped still. There is someone in
that room!" I whispered again. "He
has the light burning on the
dresser, and he stepped in front
of it"
Instinctively we shrank against
the wall. My foot struck a metal
flower pot standing there, and the
resultant "clank" must have been
audible in the room ahead of US. /
heard a sudden movement in the
room. The lights went dim. There
was a scraping sound, r flash Of
light beyond The traAson ard al
went black. Whoever was IN the
room had contrived to short circuit
the lamp, blowing out the fuse and
throwing this entire wing OF the
y
Louise gasped. : PUT an "r::1
around her. She was trembling.
BE perfectly still" whispered.
He may nave gun"
We heard the door C G'ony Pap
pinis room open. I imagined / saw
the snare Oh 1 va.y large nan
silhouetted m2mentarily against
the dim light Of tie window be-
yond. RE rushed past us down the
hall. 1 heard linn stumble as he fed
down The stairs.
We waited a minute before run
ming after him. I couldn't take a
chance with Louise. At the top of
the stairs we paused. I heard the
latch of the glass doors into the
garden click as one Of the doors
closed. He's gone that way"
whispered. Hes got a boat again..
Louise was right behind me when
we reached the glass doors. AS we
opened them there sounded the
sudden clatter of a motorboat COM
ing to life. It drew away quickly
down the river.
"TIe'3 ~uce. 10 use going sitter
him" : told Louise. Maybe he Let
, time of night. He would be work
ing.
I walked up the steps Of the
three-story rooming house, think
ing that while I was here I might
as we'll leave him note. The dl-
rectory in the hall said his room
was sol, from which I assumed
that visitors were in the habit of
ascending without the Formally OF
notifying the land!ady of their
presence.
I knocked on his door. Apparent
ly the catch was faulty, because
the door swung open. There was
no one in the room.
I hesitated. I had intended mere
ly to be sure he was not home,
then slip note under the door,
but the room was inviting. 1 re-
membered the informal call he had
paid on me the night before. And
on his table was a telephone.
could call his office.
I walked in, and a minute later
had him on the line. I didn't tell
him where I was. After all,
thought, he didn't announce his
visit. I'd take pleasure in giving
him the midnight shock he gave
me.
"I thought you and I were all
washed up, Butch" he said.
"What's on your mind?"
"You can forget that story about
Jerry Montcalm and his knives" l
told him. 1--WE found something
that links someone else into the
case"
"Spill it! I'm all ears"
mot unless you agree"
"Nuts! The story's already in
type-another Belzer exclusive. I'm
not going to kill it now"
"But suppose give you bet
ter story?"
Nothing doing. Give me your
story, if you want, and I'll put
them together. If it makes things
look any better for your pal
Jerry :"
I was growing angry. you're
going to look like g. sap" I told
him. "Jerry's innocent, and when
your editor finds how you've been
barking up the wrong tree :"
"Oh, yeah? He's guilty as hell.
But even if you're right, and he's
an innocent, sweet child, it's still a
story. AS long as I've got the
knives, all I have to do is to stick
to facts and tell about them. And
don't you worry, I've got 'em!"
"You won't :"
mo! What's on your mind,
Butch?"
"I'Il take It to the other morn