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Show HS'li BE Sylvia Taylor THE STORY SO FAR: Joan Leland, ecretary, falls in love with her handsome hand-some night club employer, Karl Miller. Her sister, Sybil, does not trust Karl but Joan defends him blindly. Paul Sherman, Sher-man, his manager, offers Joan friend-ship friend-ship and warns her against Karl, but refuses re-fuses to give reason. Delivering a mysterious mys-terious message for Karl late at night, Joan secretly notices Paul trailing her. Karl shoots his partner, Eric Strom, and asks Joan to pick up the gun. He then reminds her of her finger-prints on the gun and threatens to charge her with murder unless she does as he wants. Paul Sherman, to her surprise, agrees with him. Karl admits he Is not a U. S. citizen and has a wife in Germany. Later Paul confides in Joan that he Is Paul O'Malley, of the FBI and part of the force trying to trap the higher-ups of the spy ring. Joan finds a terrified note from Sybil and she and Paul suspect that Karl is holding her as hostage for Joan's good behavior. Joan agrees to carry on her work, but to secretly help Paul and the FBI. The police call at the office next day with Sybil's clothes and a suicide sui-cide note, found near a bridge. Joan wants to accuse Karl then but Paul prevents pre-vents her. Now continue with the story. CHAPTER XI "Yes!" Joan cried with determina- AX She was comforted by his sympathetic shoulder. She needed someone some-one to talk to so much, now that Sybil was gone. "I know." His understanding broke down her last defense. She hid her face against his shoulder and wept "But I'll never get over it. Never." "I'd like to break his rotten neck," Paul said but Joan did not hear him. She was comforted by his sympathetic sym-pathetic shoulder. She needed someone some-one to talk to so much, now that Sybil was gone. ... December days dragged to a close. Christmas passed. Paul spent the day with Joan, taking her to dinner at a quiet restaurant. They spoke little. Paul attempted to cheer her but his efforts produced little effect. "Karl said we wouldn't be needed need-ed at the Club New Year's Eve. Would you like to go out?" Joan glanced about the brilliantly decorated restaurant, the shining Christmas tree and light bedecked wreaths in the windows. "It doesn't seem fair for us to celebrate while we don't know what's happened to Sybil." "I don't think Sybil would want you to worry. Let's try it anyway. Shall we, Joan?" "We'll try . . ." she promised. New Year's Eve arrived, clear and cold. Joan wore a green satin dress to match her eyes. Paul bought her gardenias, waxy pale and fragrant. "You look very lovely, Joan," he told her and she was glad that he had not said "beautiful" . . . Karl always said that. She made a valiant attempt to enjoy herself, and though the evening eve-ning proved not particularly gay, Joan found Paul entertaining. "I've been watching Mrs. ' Mur-dock's Mur-dock's beauty shop," he reported, "and I'm convinced there's something some-thing funny about it. Once I thought I saw Karl with her." "How can you get proof?" "You are going to have your hair fixed there next week," Paul informed in-formed her. "Look the place over and if you see anything suspicious, tell me. You might even try to see Mrs. Murdock in her private office. If there's anything going on, you may find evidence there. Try to be pleasant with her. You probably prob-ably put her on her guard the last time you saw her." Joan leaned closer to hear him. The laughing, screaming crowd all around them made conversation difficult. dif-ficult. A spray of confetti fell across Joan's shoulder. The blare of trumpets trum-pets droned in their ears. Paul smiled, "Let's dance." Holding her close, he guided her through the mob. It was hard to dance in the crowd but Joan found the happiness of others infectious. "Any resolutions?" Paul asked, smiling. "Not one, except maybe never to fall in love again." taxi," Joan said practically. "They might leave any minute." He pressed her hand. "You're a grand sport!" "Good luck," Joan called as she climbed into a taxi which bore her swiftly home. She slept well that night She felt that she had turned a new page in her life. On New Year's day Paul did not come to see her and Joan was surprised. sur-prised. But when Monday came and Paul Sherman did not call for her she was alarmed, when, instead, Karl himself drove her to the club. But she dared not inquire about Paul. Karl did not offer any explanation. He seemed in good spirits. "By the way," Karl told her, "I am hiring a new singer for the band. Draw up a contract. She will be in later." Even then Joan was not prepared for the sight of the same slim, lovely girl who had been Karl's dancing companion. She came in the door a little shyly, shy-ly, but Joan recognized the happy look in her eyes. Joan had once looked that way. Her heart went out to this girl. She couldn't be a day over seventeen. "Won't you sit down," Joan asked pleasantly. "Mr. Miller will be back in a few minutes." The girl sat down primly and looked around with admiration. She was dressed in a brown suit and sports hat Her brown hair hung softly to her shoulders. Her brown eyes were wide and childlike. "Mr. Miller tells me that you are going to sing here." "Yes. My name is Pat Hines." Joan fancied that she hesitated as she spoke her name. "Do you live here?" she asked. Pat dropped her eyes. "I came from Los Angeles," she explained briefly, adding with enthusiasm, "I'm so grateful to Mr. Miller. He's been wonderful to me. I don't know how I would ever have gotten a job. It was really just luck. You see 1 noticed his advertisement in the paper pa-per for a singer. And I applied and Mr. Miller said I was just what he was looking for." Joan's green eyes -narrowed. So Karl was playing his little game again! "How old are you?" Joan asked. "Nineteen." Joan sighed, sure that she was younger. If only there were something some-thing she could do or say to warn this girl. But what? She dared nol risk Karl's disapproval now. Too much was at stake. Paul and Sybil! She could not take the chance. She turned back to her typing while Pal sat waiting with an enraptured expression. ex-pression. Those few minutes did more tc cure Joan of her former infatuation for Karl than anything else. Seeing tion. "And I'll be all right from now on." She lifted her chin bravely. brave-ly. "That's swell," Paul said with admiration ad-miration as they entered the apartment. apart-ment. "You've got more nerve than any girl I ever saw." "Paul, why didn't the men at police po-lice headquarters know who you were?" He laughed. "My dear girl, the reason they sent me out here was that I am not known by the local police. We have to work in absolute abso-lute secrecy." "Where is your real home?" Joan asked curiously. "Brooklyn," Paul laughed. "I was born and raised there. Technically Technical-ly I work In Washington but I'm usually off on an assignment." "Was Eric-really Karl's partner?" Joan inquired. Paul shrugged. "Probably just a title. I don't know who actually put up the money but I am certain that Eric worked under KarL "And Karl works under some other oth-er person?" "Right! And someone else who will bear watching is this Mrs. Murdock Mur-dock who supposedly owns the beau-t beau-t ty shop where Sybil worked ..." Paul had scarcely finished speaking speak-ing when the doorbell rang. Joan nd Paul exchanged glances. "Karl!" Joan cried in alarm, but Paul shook his head. .., "I don't think so," he said, going go-ing to the door. A middle - aged woman, well-. well-. dressed, rather heavy-set, with dyed black hair and expressionless black eyes, stood waiting. "May I see Miss Leland?" she Inquired. "I am Mrs. Murdock." Joan rose quickly from her place by the fire. Mrs. Murdock! Sybil's employer "Do come in," Paul said pleasantly, pleas-antly, "I am Karl Miller's manager, Paul Sherman." V Mrs. Murdock nodded her head slightly. "Yes, I know." "And this is Miss Leland, Sybil's sister." The three of them sat down by the fire. "I was so sorry to hear of your sister's unfortunate accident" acci-dent" Mrs. Murdock said delicately. delicate-ly. Joan looked at Paul. These had been Karl's words, "unfortunate accident" ac-cident" But Paul seemed not to notice. "I feel it my duty," Mrs. Murdock Mur-dock continued tonelessly, "to tell you certain facts. First, that I discharged dis-charged Sybil two days ago." "Discharged?" Joan repeated in astonishment." But Sybil didn't tell me anything about it.'? The older woman looked uncomfortable. uncom-fortable. "Her work was not entirely entire-ly satisfactory. I was sorry but I had to let her go." "Sybil was one of the best beauty operators in this city," Joan flared. "So long as you don't give up your friends." She smiled at him. "You're the best friend I have, Paul. In fact you are the only one I have right now." They laughed and suddenly the lights were dimmed, the bells pealed. "Happy New Year!" Paul cried. "The same to you, Paul." "It's good-bye to the past," Joan thought "Good-bye to Karl and all the things that such a little while ago were important . . . And then she saw Karl Miller, handsome, smiling Karl. And he was not alone. A girl clung to his arm, a girl so freshly lovely, so ' heartbreakingly young that sympathy sympa-thy swept through Joan's heart, i "Look!" she said to PauL "Karl has a new girl ..." " - . As Paul's eyes followed hers, his face grew white. - ' "What is the matter, Paul?" Joan askd as they stared at Karl Miller and the girl at his side. "Let's get out of here," Paul s'aid grimly, "I don't want them to see us." ' Hurriedly they collected their wraps and left the hotel.' "Can't you tell me what it is?" she begged. "I'd rather not Joan, and I have another favor to ask. Would you mind if I took you home? I want to trail Karl and find out where that girl lives." "Of course! But I'll go home in a Pat, as she herself had been seeing Karl playing the same game again gave her a clearer picture of the situation. Karl came in almost immediately, smiling as he saw Pat waiting for him. "The orchestra leader telli me your audition was very satisfactory," satis-factory," he said, taking her hand. Pat left the office with Karl, cling, ing to his arm,. ladiant-eyed. "And to think," Joan said savagely savage-ly to herself, "that I looked like that once!" That evening she had made an appointment at Mrs. Murdock's beauty salon. She found the Ritz Beauty Salon an elaborate establishment and an efficient operator arranged her hair wfth capable fingers. As she sat under un-der the drier she glanced around cu-' cu-' riously, but could' -see nothing unusual. un-usual. . When her hair was dry, Joan Inquired In-quired the way to Mrs. Murdock's private office. Mrs. Murdock did not seem pleased at Joan's visit She regarded regard-ed the girl through narrowed eyes, saying, "This is quite a surprise." "I feel that I owe you an apology," Joan said pleasantly. "I was so upset up-set when- you came to see me. I hope you understand." As she spoke her eyes took in the room. There seemed to be nothing strange here either. It was a nicely decorated room, beige rugs, panelled walls and Venetian blinds. (TO BE COXTIKUED1 "Sybil," Mrs. Murdock went on, "was very upset She told me she needed the money desperately." "That isn't true!" Joan snapped. Mrs. Murdock shrugged. "That is what she told me. When I told her that I was letting her go she became hysterical and threatened to do away with herself. I told this to the police when they called on me an hour ago." "Very kind of you to come to see Miss Leland. She is upset naturally, natural-ly, but it's always better to know the truth." Paul's voice was smooth. Joan did not look up. Better to let Paul handle this. He went to the door with Mrs. Murdock and watched her disappear down the hall. Then he said, "Well what do you think?" "The whole thing's a lie," Joan insisted. "It fits together too well," Paul admitted. "The truth is seldom that logical. This Murdock woman" is undoubtedly involved with Karl." "How can we prove it? Paul, we've got to do something! Sybil may be alive and in danger." " "We must have patience," Paul told her. "These things don't work out overnight and we can't afford to rush it." They regarded each other gravely grave-ly earnest in their youth, desperate desper-ate in their desire to solve this problem. Paul took her hand .gently. "It will work out It must" |