Third Half Read Free Page A

said.
                  "We had a date, of course I'm here," he replied cheerfully.
                  "There's been a slight chance in plans," she said, biting her lip and looking at her sister.  "We'll be right down."
                  It seemed like a long night.  Two doctors examined Mary Catherine and both were in agreement her reaction was exactly as she thought, an allergic reaction to her inoculations.  Still they wanted her to be admitted.  Liane and Martin stayed with her until she was finally settled into her room, but before Mary Catherine dozed, she reminded Liane of her promise.
                  She wouldn't have had to.  All the while they waited a plan was already forming in Liane's mind.
                  After Martin and she returned to her apartment, Liane explained their predicament and asked for his help. 
                  As a producer, Martin was well known.  She had no doubt his popularity stretched from coast to coast –   at least she was banking that it did.  She asked him to call Ralph Devereaux and make an appointment for her the following day.  "Make up a name," Liane said, then explained about her previous unsuccessful call to the man.
                  She was certain that no agent in the country would deny Martin Sloane a few moments of their time.  Ralph Devereaux proved to be no exception. 
                  Liane felt certain once she saw the man he would recognize the photo she carried of her brother.  There was also the actors' union.  Nearly every entertainer belonged to one.  She was sure her brother also could be traced through them.
                  When her flight landed she was more confident she'd soon know where to find her missing brother.  She had gone over all the facts during the long flight and knew exactly what she was going to say to Mr. Devereaux.
                  
    I
     
                  She felt secluded standing in the lonely corridor as she knocked on the door of the second floor office.   The old brownstone building was smaller than she had expected, older too.  Certainly not possessing the glitz she would have expected for an agent. 
                  There were very few other offices on the dingy upper floors.  "Doesn't anyone work on Saturdays around here?" She mumbled as she knocked again.  There was certainly no hub-bub of activity going on around here.
                  Her parting words to her sister returned to her as she waited.  Mary Catherine laid weakly in her hospital bed, worried about their brother and the mysterious package of money he had sent her, yet too ill to continue trying to locate him herself.
                  "Don't worry M.C.," Liane had assured her.  "I may have to fly all the way to L.A. to do it, but I'll find out what's going on."
                  Irritated, she finally tried the knob and found the door unlocked.  Slowly she stepped into the room, glancing around the outer office.  There didn't seem to be anyone around.  Across the room, the door to the inner office was slightly ajar.  She assumed it was the agent's personal office.  As she went further into the room she thought she heard movement from inside the inner office.  "Hello," she called out loudly.
                  Everything was going wrong, the man thought as he sifted through the heap of papers on the huge oak desk.  The plan that had been put together so carefully had definitely gone awry.  The last thing he expected when he came here this morning was this.
                  He ran his fingers roughly through his sandy-brown hair as he glanced around the room.  Everything was as it should be.  Except one thing, he looked at the body on the floor.  He knew it would take a medical examiner to tell exactly how long the body had been there, but judging by the condition