Show 01 SHE 0 AS DV BELL y SYLVIA y aa TAYLOR WN U y S SO FAR joan leland STORY R rae E S in IB aro ills u in I 1 love ove with her handi hanai hande hanae see richt night clot 11 employer karl miller SI liter sybil Sybll does not trust karl olt defends d ham m blindly paul paid sher j botn ml often offers joan I 1 lendi his y Ina mner nager r 16 I 1 tap twp a sod nd warns 11 her against ca karl but re 1 sit to 0 give reason delivering IX a my y 1 fast delions ines sare for or karl late at night stereo notice paul trilling trailing her 4 joss iri arl his par partner aner erie eric strom arii joan J to pick up nl the gun ile he das il 0 s reminds her of 01 her fanger prints on lt ud and threatens to charge her with the gun unless she dot doe as nt he wants K order er bue to b er surprise ad 1 flierman sli erman trees agrees with nt bloo karl sam its he ls IS nt not A v U s sod tolnas has a wife wu in germany later citizen eatn confides in in joan that he be Is paul paul 1 dey of at the FBI and part of the imet trying to trap the higher ups 0 the y ring r ing joan ends a terrified ed note imm m sybil and the she and paul suspect inspect that 1 I is i holding her bet as hostage for or joans mid tedo beba vior joan agrees E to try carry her work bill t to elethy secretly el etly help paul panl sod the FBI the pouce police tall can at the office al day 1 I S sybil clothes ann and a sul ul cide note lound found oear near a bridge jo joan all to accuse karl then but paul pre tau eats bet ber now ko continue with the story CHAPTER XI yes joan cried with determine I 1 ill be all I 1 ian von and right from now flow on she lifted her chin brave i swell paul said with admiration mi ration as they entered the apartment youve got more nerve than gny any girl I 1 ever saw paul why the men at police headquarters know who you were he laughed my dear girl the reason they sent me out here was that I 1 am not known by the local r police we have to work in absolute abs secrecy where is your real home joan asked curiously brooklyn paul laughed 1 I was bora bom and raised there ted technically anical I 1 work in washington b but lit im usually off on an assignment 01 was eric really karls partner joan inquired paul shrugged probably just a title tee I 1 dont know who actually put up the money but I 1 am certain that eric worked under karl and karl works under some other th person right and someone else who will bear watching is this mrs muri dock who supposedly owns the beauty shop where sybil worked paul had scarcely finished speaking when the doorbell rang joan and paul exchanged glances karll karl joan cried in alarm but paul shook his head 1 I dont think so he said going in g to the door A middle aged woman well dressed rather heavyset heavy set with dyed black hair and expressionless black eyes stood waiting may I 1 see miss leland she inquired 1 I am mrs murdock joan rose quickly from her place by the fire mrs murdock sybila employer employ erl do come in paul said pleasantly 1 I am karl millers manager paul Sh sherman ermin mrs murdock nodded her head slightly lightly yes I 1 know and this is miss leland sybila sister aister the three of them sat down by the fire 1 I was so sorry to hear of your sisters unfortunate accident mrs murdock said delicately joan looked at paul these had been karls words unfortunate accident 11 but paul seemed not to notice 1 I feel it my duty mrs murdock continued tonelessly to tell you certain facts first that I 1 discharged sybil two days ago discharged joan repeated in astonishment but sybil tell me ie anything about it the older woman looked uncomfortable for table her work was not entirely ly satisfactory I 1 was sorry but I 1 had to let her go sybil was one of the best beauty operators in this city joan flared sybil mrs murdock went on was very upset she told me she needed the money desperately that truel true joan snapped mrs murdock shrugged that is what she told me when I 1 told her that I 1 was letting her go she became by hysterical s and threatened to do oo 00 away with herself I 1 told this to the police when they called on me an hour ago very kind of you to come to see miss iniss leland she is upset naturally but its always better to know the e truth pauls voice was smooth joan did not look up better to let W paul handle this he went to the e door with mrs murd murdock ock and watched her disappear down the MIL hall then he said well what do w you think the whole things a lie joan insisted it fits together too well paul admitted the truth is seldom that logical ical this murdock woman is undoubtedly involved with karl how can we prove it paul t aeve got to do something i syo sybil i may be auve alive and in danger tv e must t have patience V paul told her these things dont work out mw overnight and we cant afford to rush it they regarded re gar ded each other grave IY earnest in their youth desper I 1 ate in their desi desire re to solve this ln lern 4 1 pa III took ok her hand gently it w il work out it must s k she was comforted by his sympathetic shoulder she needed someone to talk to so much now that sybil was gone cone 1 I know his understanding broke down her last defense she hid her face against his shoulder and wept but ill never get over it never id like to break his rotten neck paul said but joan did not hear him she was comforted by his sympathetic shoulder she needed someone to talk to so much now that sybil was gone e 0 0 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 be needed at the club new years eve would you like to go out joan glanced about the brilliantly decorated restaurant the shining christmas tree and light be decked wreaths in the windows it seem fair for us to celebrate while we dont know happened to sybil 1 I dont think sybil would want you to worry lets try it anyway shall we joan well try she promised new years eve arrived clear and cold joan wore wole 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 he made a valiant attempt to enjoy herself and though the evening proved not particularly gay joan found paul entertaining ive been watching mrs murdocks beauty shop he reported and im convinced theres something t funny about it once I 1 thought I 1 saw karl with her how can you get proof you are going to have your hair fixed there next week paul informed 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 theres anything going on you may find evidence there try to be pleasant with her you probably 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 A spray of confetti fell across joans shoulder the blare of trumpets droned dronek in their ears paul smiled lets dance holding her close he guided her through the moti 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 so long as you dont give up your friends she smiled at him youre the best friend I 1 have paul in fact you are the only one I 1 have right now they laughed and suddenly the lights were dimmed the bells pealed happy new year paul cried the same to you paul its goodbye good bye to the past joan thought goodbye good bye to karl and au 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 swept through joans heart looka she said to paul karl has a new girl 1 As pauls eyes followed hers his face grew white what is the matter paul joan asked as they stared at karl miller and the girl at his side lets get out of here paul said grimly 1 I dont want them to see us hurriedly they collected their wraps and left the hotel cant you tell me what it is she begged id rather not joan and I 1 have another favor to ask would you mind if I 1 took you home I 1 want to trail karl and find out where that girl lives s of coursel course but ill go home in in a taxi tax joan said practically they might leave any minute he pressed her hand youre a grand sport 1 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 years day paul did not come to see her and joan was surprised but when monday came and paul sherman did not call for her she was alarmed when instead karl kari 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 1 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 karls dancing companion she came in the door a little shyly but joan recognized the h happy appy look in her eyes joan b had ad once looked that way her lizt heart went out to this girl she be a day over seventeen wont 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 lie spoke her name do you live here she asked pat dropped her eyes 1 I came from los angeles she explained briefly adding with enthusiasm im so grateful to mr miller hes been wonderful to me I 1 dont know how I 1 would ever have gotten a job it was really just luck you see I 1 noticed his advertisement in the pa per for a singer and I 1 applied and mr miller said I 1 was just what he was looking tor for joans 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 somei thing she could do or say to warn this girl but what she dared not risk karls disapproval now too much was at stake paul and sybil she could not take the chance sh she turned back to her typing while pat sat waiting with an enraptured expression those few minutes did more to cure joan of her former infatuation for karl than anything else seeing 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 imm immediately mediately edia tely smiling as he saw pat waiting for him the orchestra leader tells me your audition was very satisfactory ati he said taking her hand pat left the office with karl clinging to his arm radiant eyed and to think joan said savagely to herself that I 1 looked like that once that evening she had made an appointment at mrs murdocks beauty salon she found the ritz beauty salon an elaborate e establishment and an efficient operator arranged her hair with capable fingers As she sat under d er the drier she glanced around curiously riou sly sIY but could see nothing unusual when her hair was dry joan inquired the way to mrs murdocks private office mrs murdock did not seem pleased at joans visit she regarded the girl through narrowed eyes saying this is quite a surprise 1 I feel that I 1 owe you an apology joan said pleasantly 1 I was so upset when you came to see me I 1 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 pane panelled panel hed led walls and venetian blinds TO BE 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