The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-03-05


fashioned iron bedstead, a chest
of drawers, a marble-top table, g
wire braced chair and a clothes
closet comprised the furnishings.
Without hesitation the Inspec-
tor walked over to the closet and
opened the double doors. Inside
were three worn suits, two pairs
of shoes and felt hat. Thumm
swiftly went through the pockets
of the suits, searched the shoes
and hat, but seemed to discover
nothing of interest. His heavy
brows contracted.
YOU'RE sure" he muttered tc
! the detective, who stood in the
doorway watching him, "that no.
body touched anything in here
since last night?"
The detective shook his head
"It's just as you left it."
On the carpet beside the closet
was cheap brown handbag, its
handle, broken, dangling by one
end. The Inspector opened the
bag; it was empty. He stood in
the center of the room, legs apart
and frowned about, then started
pacing off the floor, slowly, feel
ing along the skeleton carpet
with one foot. A slight elevation
in the flooring at one point, near
the border of the carpet, caused
him to strip back the carpet, only
to find a badly warped board.
When he came to the bed he he
STATED; but he dropped heavily
to his knees and crawled under
meath, feeling about like a blind
man. The detective said: Here,
Chief-let me help you," and
sprayed the beams of a pocket
flashlight beneath the be d.
Thumm muttered with elation:
"Here it isl" The detective rip
ped away the carpet corner, and
Thumm bounced on thin yell
low-covered little book. 1t tabu-
lated numerous deposits of a saw
ings account several years old;
there had never been a withdraw
| al: no deposit had been for more
than ten dollars, and the majority
were for five; the last entry show
ed a balance of nine hundred for
ty-fiye dollars and sixtythree
cents. In the handbook was a
neatly folded five-dollar bill, OBJ
viously a last deposit prevented
by death.
Thumm pocketed the handbook
and turned to the detective.
'When do you go off duty?"
Eight bells. Relief comes on
at that time"
"Tell you what" The Inspector
scowled. Tomorrow about half
past two call me at headquarters
Remind me that I've got some
thing special for you to do here
Get me?"
"Phone at 2:3O prompt. Right!'
Inspector Thumm descended the
stairs and out to the street.
Back in New York, Thumm
went to the offices of the Third
Avenue Railway System and in
ouired for the Personnel Manager
"Checking up" Thumm said
ION Charley Wood"
eyes. Terrible thing. Can't un-
derstand it-Charley Wood was
one of my best men. Quiet
steady, reliable. He worked every
working day since he took over
the Job. He never took time OF
always preferred to work out MS
vacation and earn double pay
We're always getting requests tol
pay-advances. Not Charley Wood!
Saved his money-showed me his
handbook once"
"How long had he worked to1
this company"
give years. Here, I'll check
that up" He was back in a mo-
| ment with Woods record-sheet
ssHe came with us a little over
five years ago, starting on the
Third Avenue run; was transfer
red with Pat Guinness, his motor
man, at his own request to the
Crosstown three and half year:
ago."
Thumm looked thoughtful
"What about his personal life;
Friends, relatives, pals?"
''He was chummy with the
men but he never went out with
'em, as far as know. Here" He
turned the record over. "See that!
Next of kin-none."
Ten minutes later a lean, grin
ming chauffeur yanked the real
door of a long, black limousine
open. Inspector Thumm glanced
quickly up and down the street
then climbed in. Crouched in
corner, more gnomelike than ever
Quacey was doing serenely.
The car purred off into traffic
Quacey opened his eyes, popped
! awake He saw a very thoughtfu