The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-03-23
empty entrance hall.

carrie was nowhere IN sight Dug
the big room was meticulously
neat, the red and white curtains
crisp and clean, the huge black
stove polished and bare.
Carol threw her coat over the
back Of painted chair. Suppose
we start out with a cocktail" she
proposed. 81 don't often indulge
and know you don't. But think
we both need lift. know where
Greer kept bottle of Mr.. Thorn
dykes best hidden"
She took the glasses down from
shelf, found a bottle of amber
liquor. This is going to be an old
fashioned" she announced. I'm
a good bartender"
Dorinda watched as Carol care
fully put sugar in the glasses, added
dash of bitters, slices of lemon
and orange.
We'll do this up in style"
Carols low spirits seemed to be
evaporating. "Oh, bother, that
bottle of maraschino cherries is
just out of my reach. Get it for
me, will you, Dorinda? You're
about half an inch taller than l."
Dorinda obediently reached for
the cherries and then at Carols re-
quest, brought small bowl of ice
cubes from the refrigerator. Carol
put ice in the glasses and poured the
whisky in.
There you are!" the nurse said
triumphantly. 'Pn bet you never
drank better cocktail"
She set glass down in front Of
Dorinda and lifted her own. The
ceiling light pouring down through
the brownish liquor turned it to
sparkling gold. A reflected spot Of
color made yellow splotch low
on the white wall.
Here's to u.s." Carol chanted.
"And better days ahead!"
Dorinda lifted her glass.
'Put that DOWN." voice said.
Poole was in the kitchen, appar-
emily appearing from nowhere. His
hand was firm on Carols shoulder.
Mrs. Thorndyke." The unexpected
words came with the force Of a
blow. you're under arrest for the
murder Of Anne Delahay."
Hawley was in the kitchen. An
other man, stranger. Cleve was
there, coming toward Dorinda. But
her eyes saw nothing except the
black fury of Carols face. She
backed away, not wanting to look.
She was against the swinging door,
pushing it open. Above her, on the
staircase, voice spoke her name.
AS if the utterance of the word
broke the spell, she whirled around,
looked up into Harriet's face.
A key grsted in the lock Of the
front door. 1t swung back. Lana,
a small elegant figure of triumph,
stood there. Her coral-tipped fin
gers clutched the arm of the man
who stood beside her. She saw Har-
riet on the stairs, she saw Dorinda
at the entrance to the kitchen.
I'm back" she cried, her voice
high and exultant "And this is my
husband, Rodney Van Sillar."
She was a smart girl. Her weak
ness-and the thing which wrecked
her plans-was that she underesti-
mated the intelligence Of others"
Poole, his feet on his battered
desk, smoked one Of his intermin-
able cigarettes. He was different
man from the suspicious person who
had snapped questions at all Of
them in Thorndyke House so short
time before; different even from
the serious-faced sheriff who had
listened to Dorinda on the front
porch of Cleve's home as she told
him of her drive through the night.
Genial and smiling, he exuded the
satisfa ction of the worker who
looks at his work. and finds it well
done.
They were gathered in his office,
Dorinda, Cleve, the sheriff's deputy.
Outside, a high fog hid the sun, a
raw wind swept in from the gray
sea. Hawley had touched a match
to the gas heater and the small,
square room, hazy with cigarette
smoke, was hot and stuffy. Steam
clouded the corners Of the window
panes.
I'VE weren't getting anywhere
with Taylor's murder. But, after
all, he was from Los Angeles. The
girl who was with him that night,
the girl nobody knew, might have
been an outsider. She hadn't been
seen anywhere except in The
Silver Slipper. She might have come
from Los Angeles, from San Fran
cisco, anywhere.
But when Anne Delahay was
killed, / couldn't accept that acct
dental death idea. I've told you why.
And the vellow-h aired Girl hohs I'm