ixth Avenue, Jim signalled for a cab.

"I'm not taking any chances tonight," he said.

They watched him get into the cab and he waved as the taxi shot away and
swung onto a side street. But before it disappeared Janet saw something
that caused a wave of apprehension to sweep over her.

A long, rakish sedan, which had been parked further along the street,
leaped ahead, and swung around the corner behind the taxi which was
carrying Jim Hill and the final draft of their radio script.

Chapter Twenty-nine

JANET FINDS A CLUE

Janet's sharp cry halted Curt Newsom and Helen. They turned startled
faces toward her.

"What's the matter? Someone try to run you down?" asked Helen.

"It's Jim," replied Janet. "A car's following his taxi. It started up
from the curb and swung right behind his cab. Someone is after that
manuscript. We've got to follow them."

Curt hailed a cruising taxi and they piled in, the cowboy giving the
driver sharp directions.

"Step on it; we'll pay any fines," he said.

The cab lurched away, gaining speed so rapidly they shot around the
corner in a dizzy skid. Turning onto Fifth Avenue they saw the long,
dark sedan and ahead of it the taxi in which Jim was riding. A stop
light blazed in their faces and their cab ground to a halt.

"Go on, go on," urged Janet, leaning toward the driver.

"Can't make it," he growled, pointing to the heavy stream of cross
traffic which was flowing ahead of them.

When the light changed the taxi and its pursuing sedan had disappeared.

"Pull over to the curb," Janet told their driver. "Now what shall we
do?" she asked her companions.

"Anybody know where Jim lives?" asked Curt.

"I do," replied Janet.

"Then let's go there and wait for him. We'll be sure that he gets home
all right."

Janet gave the driver Jim Hill's address and they raced up the avenue
once more. In less than fifteen minutes they pulled up before an
apartment house and Janet went into the small lobby and pressed the
buzzer that signalled Jim's apartment. There was no reply and she
returned to the cab, a mounting fear in her heart.

She communicated the news to Curt and Helen and they fell silent,
waiting and hoping that Jim would arrive.

Minutes ticked away and the taxi driver glanced uneasily at his meter
and wondered about his pay.

"I'm going to call the studio and see if he returned there by any
chance," said Janet, driven to action in her desperation.

She walked to