Evening star., 1951-05-05
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-ThREE
Mickey's face was serious and
concerned. 1--WE been out of the
hospital for two days, Tani. The
police didn't want any one to
know I was out. They seem to
think the attempt on my life has
something to do with Nina's death
or yours. rather.
mo, I didn't tell them any
thing about you," he assured her,
as if guessing her question. II
almost did, though, when I read
that Nina Hardwicke had disap-
peared. What stopped me was
the deliberately disappeared line.
I figured you'd get in touch with
me sooner or later, so didn't tell
1t. Wilson anything. AS for the
attack on mel can't explain it.
I don't know who did it.
He frowned. IT came home that
night and decided to have a drink
or two before I went to bed. The
glasses you and I had used the
day before were still on the coffee
table. The scotch was there, too,
just a drink or so gone out of the
bottle. I poured myself a couple
Of stiff ones. straight.
II was upset and worried about
you, kid. Then suddenly the room
fell out from under me. Every
thing went black. That's the last
I knew till I woke up in the hos
pital.
"The doctor said if I'd taken
one more drink it could have been
fatal. The paper said an. over
dose of sleeping pills, but it was
sodium amytal in the scotch. The
bottle was loaded with it-enough
to kill a horse!"
He took out his handkerchief
and wiped the perspiration from
his forehead.
Tania told him swiftly of the
night she had gone to see Jeremy,
of suspecting there was some one
In the bedroom. of some one Shoot
ing at her in Bills car. She told
him about Bill. about hiding out
and going to Lake Minerva.
When she finished, she said dis
piritedly, Il came back deter
mined to go to 1t. Wilson and
tell him the truth. Oh, Mickey,
shall I? What are we going to
do? The murderer knows I'm
alive, and that you're helping me.
Neither of us is safe"
"I know" His round face wore
q haunted expression. Like you,
I've tried to figure out some mo-
tive. I don't know"
1--WE narrowed it down to
Jeremy. or Gloria Gray" she told
him. There just isn't any one
else. But I think something's
happened to Jeremy" She told
him of this evenings events, and
finished, IF I'm right, and
Jeremy's been attacked, it leaves
only Gloria"
Gloria Gray" he unused. "It's
possible, Tani. And you only
suspect she was in love with
Jeremy. I know she was and so
do lot of other people from the
show. Nobody would tell you
some of the things that went on.
The girl was insane about him!
Every time you weren't around,
she was in his dressing room. I
used to hear them arguing, and
Gloria crying. I think they knew
each other long before Jeremy
met you-there was some past
link between them. I'm sure
they'd been sweethearts-or may
be he had been only playing and
she went off the beam when she
found he was going to marry you"
He quoted soberly, Hell hath no
fury like a woman scorned!"
Then she might have done it."
Tania whispered. And if she
was in Jeremy's apartment the
night I was there, he wouldn't
have told me. So she heard me.
She knew she had killed the
wrong person. She tried again
with a gun"
But why would she have doped
the scotch and tried to kill me?"
Mickey puzzled. Unless she
thought I was helping you. And
she knew that I was wise to her
affair with Jeremy-that must
have been it. She must have
been afraid we'd tell the police
about her, give her a motive"
ut makes sense" Tania agreed.
TITS the only part of this case
that's made any sense at ALL"
Mickey said slowly, But we're
only speculating. We can't prove
anything" He lit another cigarette.
Then he said suddenly, I'm
going to try to find proof, Tani!
Then we'd have something def
mite to take to the police. People
might talk to me who wouldn't
talk to Wilson"
He slapped his hand on his leg,
and exclaimed, 1--WE just re-
membered something! I jumped
Gloria once about running after
Jeremy and she said, Why not?
He ran after me for long time.
When we were both in a revival
OF Blossom Time in Chicago