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Show page 68 Ralph Hardcastle and a man name of Howard Tucker have applied for the jobs." Ralph Hardcastle and Howard Tucker became Lattimore's men, a rough team of patrolmen. Hardcastle quit his former associates at the poolroom and devoted his spare time to target practice on the p i s t o l range. Tucker was hatchet-faced, taciturn, had hard muscles in his lean jaws. He was the more feared of the two, by lawbreakers. Lattimore told the Hensons that his rough team of patrolmen might turn up something on Elizabeth's case. "Ralph's particul a r l y interested," he said. Hardcastle came into the barber shop one day and told John Henson that he had joined the force for the purpose of tracking down Elizabeth's murderer. After Hardcastle l e f t , Henson cried. Tucker never mentioned the Henson case. He began courting Janie Tonklin, a waitress in Bessie's tearoom, and took her home nearly every afternoon. Janie accepted Tucker's presents, money, attention, with a i r of bored condescension. One afternoon she left the tearoom with Ralph Hardcastle, ostensibly to go home. Tucker came by moments l a t e r . Bessie told him that Ralph and the g i r l had l e f t together. She followed Tucker out to the sidewalk. "Hurry," she said, her eyes malicious. "Try the Travelers Hotel." Tucker knocked at room 23 of the Travelers, second floor, |