Evening star., 1951-04-18
CHAPTER NINE.
A hard hand gripped her elbow

CHAPTER NINE.
A hard hand gripped her elbow.
Startled, Tania looked up into
Bill Reynolds face. Lets get
out of here, you little idiot" he
muttered under his breath.
AS she followed him she glanced
back and saw Mickey watching
them. He nodded irnperceptibly,
as if to say 1t was all right for
her to go with Bill. Otherwise
his expression betrayed nothing,
and she wondered if he had spot
ted anybody. or gotten any sort
of an idea.
Out of the street, Bill said an
Igrily, whats the big idea, going
| to her funeral? You didn't care
anything about her."
/ ''Why were you there?" she
asked. "You didn't know her"
! st wanted to see just how much
you too looked alike" he said.
"Well?" She had difficulty
keeping the apprehension from
her voice.
"You could have been twin sis
ters," he admitted. 'It's the color
of the hair and the similarity of
features that does it. If you had
your natural hair, black, it would
make a difference. Why don't you
dye it back to its real color. now
that your little game is over?"
'I like it red." she said defi-
antly.
you'd better dye it black, and
lin a hurry" His voice was cold.
"If the police knew the scheme
you were planning, they might be
very interested. BY the way
Ijust where were you Tuesday night
at II o'clock?"
AS the implication of what he
was asking hit her. Tania stum-
bled and he had to support her.
st don't understand" she fall
tered. "I-I was home. At the
hotel. You don't think"
Maybe I do" he snapped.
"And you weren't home. I called
your hotel two or three times and
you weren't in" Right in the
middle of the street he stopped
her and gripped her shoulders in
his hands, hurting her. did you
kill her. Nina?" he demanded
hoarsely. did she find out about
you and threaten to tell the po-
/ |Ilice? Had you already done some
thing crooked?"
mol" she cried. "Let me 60
Bill. might be all of the awful
things you say I am. but couldn't
kill anybody"
1. Bills steel blue eyes probed down
into hers. People were stopping
to stare at the big angry man and
!. the small frightened girl. Realiz-
fling it, Bill let her go and stalked
/ loff, leaving her alone and forlorn
on a sidewalk crowded with curious
people.
Frantically she hailed q taxi
| climbed into i, and gave the ad-
dress of the hotel -.
At 6 o'clock she called room
service and had some food sent ur
to the suite, feeling that If she
had to go out again she would col.
EIlapse. Besides, Mickey hadn't
called. and he wasn't home. Unit
she heard from him she didn',
know what to do next.
She felt like person caught II
zIa blind alley, the only entrance
blocked, and no exit. She though
of all the people who were forever
wishing they were some one else
and felt sorry for them. No ont
Clever knew what problems o.
troubles the other fellow had. ane
if one could know, he would un
doubtedly rather have his own.
A Tania Lynn's problems had beer
so simple. Just to have nic'
long rest. Just to get anothe,
good musical show. Just to maxi
a clean, decent break with Jerem!
Knight.
At seven the private TELEPHONY
4 rang and she snatched it up. hop
4 ing it would be Mickey. But I
4 strange suave voice said, "Get tn
I room and the cards ready, baby
I've corralled two prize suckers
4 two butter-and-egg men from
d Iowa with bankrolls that woul,
d choke a horse. Between us wei
\ take 'em to the cleaners! Wea
d that dress with no back and II
& have 'em there in an hour. Okay?
mol" Tania cried frenziedly
4 "I can'txyou can't"
q "Can't?" purred the voice
q What do you mean-can't?"
I'm going out. "A date" sh
D faltered.
q "Then break It," ordered tn