Show 04 g CARIBBEAN y CONS conspiracy P irac 13 BRENDA R ENDA CONRAD connado Dc c rafi STORY SO YAR TABS anne ann neywood heywood beautiful bubl daughter 0 ot I 1 weilt liy now new york tork sper its her goes to ta poet p T on an for M tier her fa t itice alc str to also on n the ine island 1 are pets pet es l rp paper wilcox co a reporter on her ather tt Her paper dow a U sann intelligence officer ft a puerto rican educated valera osvel attl united states who wh is 1 a tet secret U V S itte i tte agent ant webard enle In SIC le an engineer enit neer identity as a german tent agent li Is abose hoi suspected but bat not yet proved and rus ru pa porter young yaa american lc engl beer ter 1 and I his hl wife sue who wh h has given mr ar some e valuable plans llan to look lok t as proof prod of 1 I s ability anne ann has ai concealed her of taussig waiting huntu she ib Is I 1 we sure CHAPTER XVI pete wilcox came into the lobby of the granada Is miss heywood in he asked the clerk cleric nodded behind him ashes on the terrace sir thanks pete lit a cigarette and took a deep breath she could get as mad as a hornet this time but she was going home and no monkey business about it hed come from colonel fletchers fletcherr Flet chers office and he knew enough now to be plenty hard about it lie he went up the palm lined incline to the terrace stepped out into the arcade and stopped ile he stood there stupidly his mouth open a sharp sick ache tearing his insides to shreds she was there and so was miguel valera but neither of them was aware that he was it seemed like hours before he could wrench himself loose from the tiled floor and get away he staggered a little as he went too blind to see where he was going anne closed the door of her room and stood for a moment in in the dark leaning her head back against the frame her eyes closed she was happier than she had ever been or ever known she could be she went along the narrow passage into her room and stopped looking at the waste basket maybe she had better read the girls note after all not that it mattered because that was the past and pasts count it was just she stopped abruptly out in the hall was the sound of hurrying feet coming closer a quick frantic tattoo on the polished floor she put down the pen and turned around they were just outside in the next in instant the door burst open and sue porter flashed it shut behind her again annel she cried she was as white as death her eyes desperate with fear annel give them back annel her voice broke into terrible sobs oh please annel anne anae went to her quickly give you what suel sue what is it what mat are you talking about russells plans the specifications cat ions she tried to control herself 1 I gave them to mr taussig he said if he could see them for half an hour he could decide if russell was the mart for a big job they have just for half an hour he said I 1 thought oh anne I 1 thought 1 I know what you thought anne said brutally go on but he bring them back I 1 kept calling up but I 1 get him and just now he came over he said they were gone out of his room he was terrible 1 he frightened me so I 1 knew what id done I 1 said steal them where are they and he said go ask your friend miss anne heywood ashes the thief ashes spied on rne me every turn of the road he hates you annel anne anne turned her head quickly her heart art throbbing suddenly in her throat someone was in the hall on oa the other side of the door it iva was a sound of cloth rubbing softly the wood there was a knock on the door it came again insistent and yet somehow furtive as if whoever it was was looking up and down the we hall to make sure cure no one else was coming sue raised her body slowly from the bed the room loom was suddenly static static with fear 1 dont anne she whispered dont open the dohrl mr richard taussig paced up and down dowil between the two beds like a caged tiger his face was mottled oyster gr gray ay the pupils of his eyes contracted to sharp points of obsidian both beds were disordered cef heaps ps he believe the fine glazed linen charts hed laid c care ire irwy uly between the mattress and the springs were gone and he knew before he ripped it up that he had not ot put it in the other bed they were gone the film of the microphotograph hed taken of them was safely in the minute camera in the a armpit nit pocket of his dinner jacket b was unimportant important compared V avi with th the disappearance of the na finesse nesse mr taussig thought he e looked looke d around the room his green guide lay on the table lie he went to the door and oper opened led quietly the sound of hysterical leeping ping came through the transom ened bross els the hall ile he slipped over hall st ened looking up and down tho the to or make nalce sure no one came out and a a raised his hand to knock there Is a 8 sharp silence fience before he touched i it 1 to the polished wood panel anne anna heywood opened the door she was wasll aware war ot of sue porter tense and motionless waiting behind her lood good evening miss heywood mr taussig said pleasantly 1 I wonder if allow me to come to in for a moment anne anna hesitated her hand on the doorknob 1 I think we three should have a conference he said 1 I personally would like to lay my cards on the table face up he was suave and serious anne stepped aside come in mr taussig she said coolly sue moved back against the writing table her face was streaked with tears her eyes red and swollen 1 I think mrs porter has explained the situation mr taussig said its absolutely necessary for you to return her husbands charts unless of course you are purposely trying to ruin the two of them annes eyes dark amber and steady met his calmly he really believes I 1 have them she was thinking you do both of us an injustice miss heywood he said reproachfully what I 1 was about to say is this if you will return mrs porters property or rather the property of the united states govern once I 1 will give you a story I 1 have found out something about this island that even your friend captain wilcox know you could blast the adminis I 1 e 0 1 l f W z 13 ar she crept to the end of the roof to the moon which would tie in beautifully with the policy of your fathers paper I 1 this must be important anne thought hes trying to bribe me with a special curren currency cy what is the story mr taussig she said coolly give mrs porter her property first id like the story first to see if its worth it anne replied she looked at sue her eyes had widened with sudden hope As a mat ter of fact mr taussig I 1 cant feel that youre that anxious to save the porters frankly mr taussig smiled agate again by no means miss heywood its not the porters its myself I 1 assure you after I 1 have told a company of army officers that you suspect im a spy and they learn that youve found documents in my room which should not I 1 admit frankly have been there it makes my position exceedingly awkward my profession is one that admit a shadow of 0 misinterprets preta tion what is your profession mr Tat taussig issig 1 11 I am a sanitary engineer miss heywood anne smiled of course I 1 knew that and when can I 1 have this story tomorrow morning at six if you w will III meet me downstairs mr taussig had not really believed it aou id be so simple 1 11 I keep the specifications as safe conduct until then sue porters eyes were burning cheeks checks hotly flushed gre green en her that is the understanding good night then mr taussig anne waited until he closed the door she flashed across the room putting outline her hand over sues mouth not no 1 she whispered not then than she said aloud as casually as she could force herself to say it you can have them by noon then we sue you stay here tonight with me she listened intently when taus sigs acor closed she dropped her hand i come me in the bathroom she whispered look be quiet and Us its ten to me I 1 got the charts but he thinks I 1 have that means she hesitated some one ona else elsa has nas and maybe we can save the pieces for you listen weve got to get hold of pete wilcox and gosh we cant phone he might hear us she looked at her watch it was after twelve sue stared at her dumbly now look lok anne said eald suddenly you put a chair under the door knob and go to bed im going out and find pete ill get back it if I 1 can but it I 1 cant ill go over to your house and stay until morning have you got a key and the nurses nurse s name it if I 1 have to explain maria sue answered weakly she fished down in her pocket she held out the key what are you going to do anne 1 I dont quite know it all depends you just stay here and sit tight it if the phone rings say ive died or im taking a bath or something do you understand sue nodded and dont worry sweetie ev work out anne went to the window overlooking the ocean and leaned out the tiled roof of the bar was five feet under tinder her sill it sloped up gently and down again toward the sea wall beyond it was the sandy ocean beach she could get out all right getting back in was something else again still getting out was more important than getting in dont worry if I 1 dont come back she whispered just stay here tiu till you hear from me she hung her bag over her shoulders slipped off her pumps fastened them inside her belt and swung herfert over the ledge it if I 1 get arrested ill phone you she gripped the sill and let herself do down the stucco grating against her knees felt her feet touch the uneven tiles and let go the win dow she crept to the end of the roof above the terrace her heart rose the trellis with the bougainvillea over it was near enough for her to catch hold of if the terrace was empty she listened reached out cut caught it and swung herself across climbed down brushed herself oil off and slipped around to the sea wall youre being a fool anne she thought she took her pumps off her belt put them on closed her eyes and jumped down onto the cool firm sand to where the street came to a dead end in the ocean she hurried up under the palms palmi to the broad avenue in front of the hotel and crossed the street to the taxi stand take me she stopped the driver was looking at her oddly as well he might she thought hed look odder than that if she went to the bachelor officers quarters at fortress el morro to the she said it was hard to remember what a lady did or do in latin countries the valeras valera would probably have vry v ry rigid ideas on an the subject she got out for an instant she he hesitated s stated and then hurried inside and an d to the telephone her heart sank as she wondered wh what 1 a t she could do if he was not th there e re she waited suddenly his voice came pete this Is anne im at the can you come quickly ill be outside on the walk about halfway half halt way down ive got to see you petel pete I 1 are you there its anne pete Is anything the matter please petel pete ive got to see youl you it was five minutes to six when anne came out of the dining room of the granada into the lobby at six mr taussig came down the stairs ile he had his green guide book and his brief case in his hand good morning she said bright ly 1 I thought forgot ive been up an hour and had breakfast the slight frown on mr taus sigs face cleared splendid ile he glanced up at the clock where is ia mrs porter ashes asleep poor kid A car had come up the drive and stopped under the portico she recognized diego Gon garos garas black limousine steady old girl she told herself sharply what time w will ill vc v e be bd back do you think id like to leave her a note better make it lite late and it were hack back early it will be a pleasant surprise said mr taussig about five by five mr taussig expected confidently to be a substantial distance from the island ol of puerto rico in the long watches ol of the night he had comp come to one or two very definite conclusions chiefly concerned with his own future anne went to th the e desk shed better not write anything it might in apke ake him su suspicious spi cious will you tell mrs porter chos in my room that I 1 wont be back until late between five and six she said to the night clerk she turned back to mr taussig wa with ath a smile she wont be so wore ried TO BE CONTINUE Dl |