Page 25 - Demo

PDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Linux. For Evaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudio
rap for it," he added grimly.
"Looks like you may have to," Dab-
ney said.
A light began to flash inside a glassed
booth. It was Tracy's private phone to enab1e him to take last minute news flashes from his secreta ry. Dabn ey an- swered the call, said very gently. "Yes, Mr. Hilliard."
The voice on the phone was thick with anger. Tracy had to listen hard to make out the slurred words.
"W hat the hell do you mean by pub- licly humiliating my daughter? If you had information that this Bert Lord is a crook why didn't you come privately to me?"
scended in the rear elevator and emerged on the sidewalk. There was a row of taxis parked along the curb. He slammed himself into the first in line.
Before he could talk to the driver, the door on the street side of the cab opened and slammed. Alice Hilliard dropped panting into the seat beside Jerry . She had come racing from a doorway across the street. Tracy who had just sent Butch to head her off from Bert Lord's penthouse, was completely discom_fited. Alice's sob didn't help him much, either.
In a stony voice he gave the driver
Hilliard's address.
''I'm going with you,," Alice said. "You're foolish. You re only makmg
ment. It's a swanky penthouse, with a
private entrance and a private elevator.
If Alice Hilliard shows there, stop her.
Make a scene, grab her purse, do. any-
thing that will get the two of you picked
up by cops. Phone me at Hilliard's swer.
Station K-I-L-L
23
"Beca u se you r daughter is a head-
strong girl, Mr. Hilliard. I don't think
you could have stopped her. Or your
wife, either. You might have made it tell Father that I'm in love with a tough, but I wanted to make it impos-
sible. That's why I went on the air and told the world."
"Damned kind of you! I'll expect to see you in fifteen minutes. If you're not-"
"I' ll be there," Tracy said quietly.
He glanced wryly at his watch. Eight thirty-two. He'd expected a quick re- action and he'd got it-two mi_nutes after the sign-off.
He scribbled the name and address of
Bert Lord on a card and handed it to
Butch.
"I want you to watch this guy's apart-
"Sorry. I want to be there when you louse."
"Oke by me." His shrug stung her
to anger.
"If you're wrong about this, I'll never
let up on you, Jerry! Not w1til I've driven you from New York."
"An d if I'm right?" She didn't reply.
"That's funny. Aren't there any ser-
care of everything. Scram. vants in this joint?"
Butch nodded. If Tracy had asked "It's their night out, except the butler, him to disrobe in Times Square and and father's a little deaf," Alice sug-
bark like a dog, the order would have gested. "Perhaps he can't hear the bell." been cheerfully obeyed. In Butch's "Does he have to? He's got a butler simple philosophy there was always a and a secretary and a wife."
sens ible reason for everything Tracy
home from th e police station . I'll take . !"
did. His big feet went rapidly away.
A few minutes later Jerry; Tracy de-
Her soft words made Tracy glance sharply at Hilliard's adopted daughter .
it tougher. Why not let me drop you off at your own apartment?"
ILLIARD'S
was an ornate old- fashioned dwelling on
a west side street that rammed into a quiet dead en.d above th e twinkling darkness of
Riverside Drive. The house was set back from the sidewalk and there were green, park-like grounds. Tracy rang the bell and waited. There was no an-
"A very pretty wife, too," Alice said.
h o m e