MURDER I
WOPSSTFCfL
- -
CHAPTER VI
SYNOPSIS;—John Saxon, pri
vate investigator, and his part
ner Moe were hired bp J. T.
Smith, to guard Irene Smith,
whose husband .was murdered.
Irene was suffering Irina amnes
ia. Kay, daughter of Irene, took
Johnny astern the bay t* see
her uncle, J. T. Smith, who ex
plained to Johnny that he want
ed the murder solved and1 Irene
protected. On the return trip,
| fired at them. Kay and! Johnny
dived overboard and managed to
reach shorn without being hit by
the would-be killer.
His question trailed off. Nei
their of them spoke, and the girl’s
slim fingers dug fiercely into
his arm as she involuntarily held
onto him.
A little distance away, still un
seen in the darkness, someone
was moving toward them. Foot
steps made hushed scuffing
sounds in the loose sand.
The girl must have been hold
ing her breath, Johnny thought.
He suspected that he was doing
the same thing himself. The foot
steps had paused. Somewhere
back from the shore there was
the sound of crickets in the quiet,
warm night. Neither of them had
ever felt so alone in their life.
They crouched there on the
beach, trying'to hold their panic
in, for what seemed an eternity.
Then the brilliant flashlight
struck them full in the face.
A sharp voice said, “What’s go
ing on —” The tone of the man’s
voice changed and he exclaimed,
“Oh, I beg your pardon, Miss
Kay—.”
The light blinked out.
“It’s all right, Steve.” Kay got
to her feet, a sigh of relief es
caping her lips. She turned and
touched Johnny's arm in' the
gloom. “It’s one of the guards.”
The fellow had sense enough
to keep the flashlight turned off.
Johnny imagined he had noted
Kay’s half-dressed figure.
"Someone tried to kill us,
Steve!” the girl said. Her voice
trembled again.
“No!”
The guard came closer. Johnny
was vaguely able to make out
his features in the night. He was
a big, powerful fellow about
thirty. He had close-cropped hair
that looked blond in the dark
ness.
Johnny said, “He .was hidden
somewhere along the south shore.
I think he was using a silence's
I
CWlSfrlOSi —all the different brand* yen smoked
during the wartime cigarette shortage? That’s when
so many people discovered—from experience—
that Camels suit them best. Yos, experience Is
» the best teacher. That’s why...
teacher!
—
The estate guard had been
holding a heavy revolver in his
hand. Now he holstered the gun.
Johnny had an impression that
his big Jaw set with determin
ation. ‘Til get right down there
and take a look—.”
“Is there another boat handy?”
Johnny asked.
“There’s another one at the
dock,” said the girl.
“Fine. We'll use that ” He look
ed at the guard as all three of
them started along the beach.
“I’d hate to see that speedboat
"lost at the bottom*of the har
bor.”
"Except maybe tie guy’ll hear
us approaching in the boat,”
Steve said.
“Don’t worry, he’s dissapeared
long ago,” Johnny pointed out.
“He wouldn’t hang around.”
“I guess you’re right,” the
guard agreed.
“But we’ll have a look any
way.”
They had reached the path that
led down from the main house.
Kay said, “Be careful, now.” She
started to swing up the pathway.
“Wait a minute,” Johnny said,
joining her. He didn’t think he
should leave her alone. “I’ll go
with you. It’ll only take a mom
ent—”
“I’ll be all right. Don’t both
er.” Her voice was still nervous.
“I’ll get the boat ready,” the
guard said.
Ahead of (hem there was a
single, deep-throated bark, then
the huge Great Dane had joined
them. He rubbed up against the
girl’s bare legs and she took hold
of him by the collar.
“Good boy, Michael,” she said
to the dog.
“I’ll be all right now,” Kay
said. She still held the Great
Dane by the heavy collar. “But
you ought to change your clothes
first. The speedboat can wait—.”
“It’s the first time I’ve felt cool
in days,” he told her. He thought
it was nice the way she consider
ed him.
He turned back and found his
way along the path. A moment
later he joined the husky guard
on the boat dock. He could see
the man’s movements clearly
against the night background of
the harbor.
“All set,” Steve said. He bent
down and held the small boat
against the dock while Johnny
climbed in. “We’d best not use a
light. I still think it’d be better
if we went by way of the beach.
I’d like to find that quy, but he’ll
hear our motor.”
Again Johnny pointed out,
“He’ll be gone, don’t you wor
ry.”
They cast off, and the out
board motor made a lot of noise
in the quiet night. It was only
a matter of moments until they
reached the south shore. The
guard cut the motor and they
drifted in, as he strained his eyes
to pick out a landing spot John
ny had pointed out what he
thought was the logical spot
where the rifleman must have
been hidden. Foilage and trees
were particularly heavy at that
point and there was no beach.
Low brandies brushed against
them as they bumped the shore.
They climbed out, tying a line to
a tangled stump.
Steve used the flashlight now,
but at the same time he kept his
right hand close to the unsnapped
gun holster at his hip. His eyes
were alert and hard. Johnny
thought he looked like a fellow
with a lot of nerve but not too
many brains.
The place where they were
seaching was wild and unkept.
There was not even a path along
the shore. They pushed branches
aside as they worked their way
along.
From time to time, not far dis
tant, there came the sound of a
passing car along a roadway.
Johnny motioned through the
woods. “What highway is be
yond here?”
“That’s 25-A. It follows the
shore.”
“Let’s go back there and see
if a car was parked.’
“Say, that’s an idea!” Steve
plowed through the woods and
brush, pointing the light beam
ahead of him.
Presently they emerged along
the highway. The road was wind
ing and not very wide. Johnny
didn’t think there would be
room for a car to park alongside
the highway. Shoulders along
side the ribbon of cement were
too narrow.
Two cars passed them, the
hum of their motors quickly
fading in the night The highway
swung down through a little hol
low, and there was a circular area
large enough to accommodate a
:ar.
Steve said, “That’d be about
the only place along here where
i jalopy could park, irat’s look.”
Johnny saw marks of tire
tracks. The ground was hard
racked, dry and there wag some
lust. But not enough to take
i good impression of tire treads.
However, directly in the mid
lie of the indistinct tracks were
me or two fresh spots of oil that
lad dropped from an enginel
?an. Someone had parked here,1
ind very recently. Though there
was no clue as to who that per
son might be, It satisfied a sus
picion that had been running
through Johnny Saxon’s mind;
the mysterious gunman had
reached his rendezvous by way
»f the highway, the natural
route by which he could make a
swift escape.
“Come on,” Johnny said to the
guard. “Let’s find that speedboat”
Returning through the woods.
Steve asked him, “I understand
you’re out here workin’ on the
mystery around Martin Smith’s
death.”
“You might call it working,”
Johnny said.
The estate guard looked at him
as he held a tree branch aside.
He was again leading the way
with the light. His eyes were
rather an expressionless pale
gray.
*“What do you figure about
her?” he continued.
“Who?”
“Mrs. Smith . . .Irene.”
“What about her?”
“Do you think she knocked off
her husband and is just pullin’
this can’t remember gag?”
. Johnny said, “Don’t worry, it
isn’t a gag. The woman is really
ill. She doesn’t recall a thing.”
‘Then who done it?”
Johnny shrugged. “Find the
person who tried to fill-me and
Kay full of lead tonight, and per
haps I could tell you.”
Ten minutes later they located
the high-powered speedboat not
far from the spot where they had
tied up the outboard. It was drift
ing close in to shore. Hooking a
line to the second boat, they tow
ed it back toward the boathouse.
Apparently the shots had not
damaged it seriously. There whs
no water in the cockpit.
As they docked, the guard
said, “I’ll take care of the boats.
You better change your clothes.
And tell Miss Kay not to worry.
Anybody prowls around here to
night, he gets a slug.”
“Just be sure it isn’t me,” ad
vised Johnny Saxon.
Moe Martin wasn’t in their
room. Johnny had showered and
put oh clean clothes when there
was a knock on the hall door.
It was Kay Smith.
She held a tray containing
sandwiches and a cup of coffee.
She looked scrubbed and clean
and fresh, though her face was
still strained from their recent
ordeal.
“Hannah thought we were
dining in Newport,” she said to
She placed the tray on
Johnny. “So I fixed this for you.”
She placed the tray on the writ
ing desk, sat on the edge of the
bed and looked up at him as he
selected one of the dainty sand
wiches. “Did you find—.”
He shook his head. “We search
ed as far as the highway. It was
someone in. a car.”
‘There was fear in her eyes
again. “Maybe whoever it was
. . . will come back?”
“Hardly. Not now” He munched
a sandwich “These are very
good—.”
“I’m frightened, Mr. Saxon,”
the girl said tensely. She was
standing up. “It’s a terrible feel
ing ... not knowing who shot at
us . . .not knowing when the at
tempt might be made again!”
“They wouldn’t enter the es
tate,”. he reassured her. “They’d
know about the guards.”
“You’re positive?”
“Sure.”
He wasn’t though. He thought
there was something very sinis
ter about a person stalking vou
with intent to kill . . esoecially
when you had not the slightest
idea who that person might be.
Kay was moving toward the
door. “Mother’s waiting down
stairs.” She seemed nervous.
“She’s asking for you again.”
“How is she?”
Kay shook her head soberly.
"No different. Every hour of
tire day I hope she’ll suddenly
remember things.” Her voice
broke a little. “That she’ll re
member . vme .. her own daugh
ter.
“You’ll find her with her sis
ter. Nancy’s staying here for a
while. And there’s Nicky Walker.
They’re in the library.”
“Who’s Nicky Walker?”
“A close friend of Nancy’s.
Mother’s sister never married.”
She smiled a little. She had beau
tiful eyes, but they were troub
led.
“I hope so,” said Johnny. He
ed. “Maybe I’ll see you later.”
stood there looking at the door
The Northwestern Bank
Serving Northwestern North Caroina
*
Sparta, North Carolina
. ■ ' * • ; . i ■
North Wilkesboro, Jefferson, Boone, Blowing Rock, Taylorsville, Valdese, Burnsville, Black Mountain, Spruce Pine
% *'•
STATEMENT OF CONDITION OCTOBER 6, 1947
Resources
Cash and Due From Banks --
Bonds, Slocks and Accured
Interest --
Loans ———
Banking Houses, Furniture &
Fixtures Less Deprecia
tion —
Other Assets ----
Total
$ 5,275,309.89
14,618,124.11
13,733,401.7^1
122,030.70
247,358.00
$33,996,224.44
Liabilities
Capital Stock (Common) -—
Surplus
Undivided Profits —
Reserve For Interest Due
Depositors, Taxes, Etc. -—
Other Liabilities --
DEPOSITS —r
Total --——
$ 380,000.00
900,000.00
284*222.58
264,077.21
16,772.09
32,151,152.56
$33,996^24.44
Ctigfig?
ALTON THOMPSON, Cashier
EDWIN DUNCAN, Executive Vice-Pres.
Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Stratford JNews
Mrs. Charlie Sanders m been
ill but is improved.
Mr. and Mrs. Jess Sexton, Mr.
and Mrs. Dock Mabe, of Twin
Cteks, visited Mr. and Mrs. Alex
Mabe, last Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Willie Hines and
family spent the past week end
with Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Hines.
Mr. and Mrs. Breece Osborne
and baby, also visited them last
Sunday,
Derol Atwood, who holds a po
®el'Air, Md„ spent last
Sunday night with homefolks
and returned to Maryland the
next day.
Mrs I B. Richardson and Mrs.
J. Mabe and daughter, Christ
ine, visited Mrs. Carl Douglas
in Sparta, last Sunday. They
also visited Mrs. W. G Richard,
son who is ill.
Regular church services were
conducted at Prather’s Creek
church last Saturday and Sun
day. Elders Gordon Hendricks
and Mack Brooks were in charge
of the servicse.
CARD OF THANKS
We wish to express our sincere
thanks for the kindness and sym
pathy shown us during the ill
ness and death of our mother
and grandmother, also for the
beautiful floral tributes.
George Crouse and family.
as it closed behind her. He
thought she was a lovely, intelli.
gent girl.
(To be continued)
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Sparta, N. C,
Auction Sale
FRIDAY, OCT. 24, 1947
10:30 A. M.
Located near Blue Ridge
Parkway, 1 y4 miles from
Saddle Mountain church.
Will Sell
25 acre poultry farm.
6 room dwelling house
with electric lights and
running water.
One small barn and
enough poultry homes to
take care of 1000 laying
hens.
050 White leghorn pul
lets (% of these are no*
in production).
1 Good cow.
1 300 lb. hog.
1 Sawmill and power unit.
1 1947 Jeep (actual mil
eage 3,500 miles.)
1 Good wagon.
1 Home, age 7 years.
Other things too
to mention.