broken by the ring of the telephone. Scraf-
ford answered.
“Hello,” he said, but just then the con-
nection was broken.
For the ensuing twelve hours the phone
rang no less than fifteen times. Police

Marshall Scrafford, now Chief of the Homi-
cide Bureau.

On the verge of collapse, Carter could
only point at the grotesque figure of his
wife, then bury his head in his arms. Un-
doubtedly the man was grief-stricken.

Called by the voices, an Oriental roomer,
Tom Innamura, a Japanese student, stood
in the dining room. Impassive, only his un-
usually bright eyes betrayed his inward 2
excitement.

With the arrival of Coroner Dr. Wil-
liam Jones 20 minutes later, the body was
removed, and the towel which had acted as
a gag was taken away by officers.

The autopsy brought out a startling and
horrifying fact; the body had been trussed
up while Sadie Carter was still alive.

Death had been caused by a .38 calibre
revolver bullet in the abdomen, from which
the woman died due to loss of blood. But
the rope had bruised her flesh, which would
not have occurred if blood had not been in
circulation.

Also, over the body were several blood- :
soaked towels and two pillowcases, already ae ™ |
dry and stiff, which the murder fiend had
used to clean up the evidence of his carnage.

Carter told his straightforward story, the
latter part of which was corroborated by
Innamura.

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Richard Carter, who disappeared after

his mother’s death. He had been an

ardent church-goer and was looked
upon as a model boy.

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traced the calls but they came from differ-
ent pay stations.

The murderer was frightened. Had he
left some telltale clue behind?

Officers redoubled their efforts, but noth-
ing turned up.

Again Detective Chief Scrafford turned
to the elderly Carter, but he could not cast
any light upon the tragedy.

All rooms were searched, including Rich-
ard’s. It yielded a snapshot of the lad, show-
ing him to be slender and undersized.

DiscoveER NEw WEAPON

Then the Japanese’s room underwent the
systematic police search, then a hallway.
Detective Scrafford turned up the leather
cushion of a big, antique davenport. And
under the springs was concealed a newly
sharpened axe.

DISAPPEARANCE OF YOUNG CARTER

Suddenly Carter spoke. “Where is Rich-
ard?”

“He went out at eleven o'clock,” volun-
teered the Japanese student. “He said he
was going to look for his mother and asked
me for my key.”

He'll sure feel bad,” continued Innamura,
and his hand rested on a pillow, on which
was embroidered a tender verse, ending with
“Mother, a word that means the world to
me.”

Detectives Scrafford and Cleary searched
the house for clues. Minute bloodstains
were found on the shiny linoleum of the
kitchen floor.

Drawers in the bureaus had been ran-
sacked and a small sum of money was mis-

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sing. The pillows on the bed were new,
replacing the old ones found near the body.
New linen lined the shelves of the cup-
board.

It looked like a clear case of robbery and
murder.

As the woman was of more than average
strength, was it possible that more than
one man had committed the murder?

Then began a careful questioning of
neighbours by Officers Scrafford and Cleary.
One had seen Mrs. Carter going to market,
accompanied by her adopted son. The boy
was always thoughtful, said the neighbour,
always doing little things to help around the
house.

But the day passed and Richard Carter
did not return home.

Carter was grief-stricken. “If only Rich-
ard were here to help us,” he repeated.

At the house, Marshall Scrafford still
investigated. Suddenly the silence was

Had the murderer planted the weapon
there? Did Innamura fear enemies? Was
it that the entire Carter household was
marked for violent death?

Police turned on Innamura, but he with-
stood their questioning. He had an alibi.
At the time of the murder he had been with
friends. Police, knowing the loyalty of
Orientals in time of trouble, checked the
story.

“What about your son?” Detective Chief
Scrafford asked Carter, “tell us more about
him.”

“He was a good boy,” the words choked
out of the bereaved husband, “he went to
church with ... her... regularly.”

Scrafford left the stricken man and went
to the house of the minister whose church
the Carters attended.

“A fine boy,” said the cleric, “he has
been attending church regularly since he
came back.”

THE

SHOULDER STRAP