Chapter Twenty-seven

SUSPICIONS

When she was alone in her room, Janet fairly tumbled into bed but not until she had picked up a letter Helen had brought up from the desk and placed on the bedside table. When she was stretched out comfortably in bed, Janet opened the letter. It was from home, her mother telling of news of the neighborhood and of interesting little things about the house.

Janet finished the letter, tucked it under her pillow, and snapped out the light. She was glad that her mother did not know of the stirring events of that night.

Janet slept late the next morning, for her fatigue had been heavier than she had imagined. After an invigorating shower, she returned to her own room and there found a note propped on the writing table.

"Have gone on to Radio City," wrote Helen. "Will meet you there for lunch if you're awake."

Janet partially dressed and pulled on her dressing gown. Then she called the World Broadcasting Company and got a connection with Jim Hill's office. The young continuity writer answered at once.

"This is Janet Hardy. I just wanted to know if you were able to dig the copy out from under your carpet."

"I'll say I was," replied Jim. "It's good stuff, Janet. Say, what under the sun went on here last night?"

"I'd like to really know," she replied.

"Well, the studio officials are all upset about it. They were worried enough trying to land the big contract with the Ace Motion Picture Corporation and now they fairly have the jitters. The studio is being gone over with a fine-toothed comb to see if some clue can be unearthed. Have you thought of anything that would help?"

"To tell the truth, I've just gotten up and I don't think well without any breakfast," confessed Janet. "Maybe I'll have an idea or two by the time I reach the studio."

"It's almost time for lunch," Jim reminded her.

"I'm to meet Helen for lunch at the studio," replied Janet.

"Then count me in on that and maybe we can get a line on who this was chasing around the studio last night."

Janet completed dressing and started for the studio. The morning was clear and cool and it seemed impossible now that such events could have happened the night before in the studio. She swung into Sixth Avenue, walking briskly, and headed for Radio City.

When Janet arrived at the studio, the rehearsal in studio K was at an end for the morning and members of the company were hurrying out for lunch. Rachel Nesbit, her dark eyes flashing, pushed past Janet with little ceremony and Janet thought that the director looked away and flushed. But then, she might have been imagining that for Director Adolphi and Rachel were known to be close friends.

Helen came hurrying up, followed by Curt Newsom.

"How are you feeling now?" she asked.

"Hungry," confessed Janet. "What's the news around the studio?"

"Oh, everybody is looking at everybody else and wondering who did it. They all seem to think it was an inside job for outsiders couldn't have known that you were working on that script, much less where you were working. I guess suspicion centers pretty strongly right on this company."

"That would mean someone in our own unit has sold out to a rival company and is doing everything in their power to keep this broadcast from being a success," mused Janet.

"That's putting it politely," put in Curt. "I'd say that someone is a skunk, and I hate skunks."

Jim Hill joined them just then. He looked tired and worried.

"Let's eat," he said, and the others agreed, the group adjourning to a nearby restaurant. They obtained a secluded table where they could talk with little risk of being overheard by prying ears.

After giving their orders, Jim turned to Janet.

"Been able to think up any clues?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"I've tried to think of every event that took place, but I can't remember any special smell, or noise, and I didn't even feel the garments of my assailant. I'm afraid I'm of no help."

"Not much," conceded Jim, running his fingers through his hair.

"What have you found out, Curt?"

The cowboy star likewise had nothing to contribute.

"I've got plenty of suspicions, but not a grain of proof," he grumbled.

"That's just it. We all have suspicions but no proof and this program must be in dress rehearsal tomorrow night and there can't be any boners pulled then. We've simply got to solve this mystery before then. Until this is cleared up the script won't be safe for a minute unless someone is with it all of the time."

"Where is it now?" demanded Janet.

"In my office with the door locked and an office boy standing guard in front of the door."

"That doesn't sound very safe to me. Suppose someone well known should come along and send the boy on an errand. He'd leave the door and there your manuscript would be unprotected."

"Oh, it's safe enough," smiled Jim. Then he paused suddenly.

"Say, maybe you're right. That could happen, especially if one of the program directors or other officials happened along. I told the boy to be sure and stay on the job, but he'd run an errand for any one of them."

Jim stood up.

"Go ahead with your lunches. I'll skip up and get the script and rejoin you. It won't take five minutes."