The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-11-11
Chapter 4s
n NEW CLUE

a NEW CLUE
A4AJoR ANDERSON came for
ward and leaned on the table.
Caroline came AMI stood by Jim,
end as she ont , hand on his sshoul.
z1sf. the inspector said.
"wsll. sir. I think that settles it."
caroline began to shake. Why had
Jim told tleA ali those things?
They weren't 81 q to understand.
Jimss hand came up and covered
hers. Is was strong, and warm. and
heavy. ne said.
go ana So down. Caroline"
And then. to 8Es inspector,
"FoaA better. lst me flnish. I'VE
only got half way"
List aiila % on" said Major An
dsfsoh In q hard. tired voice. It was
. good thing old James Randall was
dead. Nice woman Mrs. Randall. A
@Ood thing she'd gone--a thing ike
this would have killed her. The tel
low must be mad OF course. A
damned bad business.
He watched the inspector pick mp
the whining heap. It Straightened
tato Q double peari.struug chain
linking the eight square 'erneralds
% lightly that they sesfned to hang
II the ar. THE inspector let them
kaIl upon q piece Of plotting paper.
Major Anderson want back TO the
areplece and said CURLY.
40 on. Randall"
Jim moved his chair back q little.
Re wanted to be able to address the
Chief Constable without appearing
20 ignore the inspector.
wow we're really going to get
down to It. I snatched the efneralds
and made on just about as hard as
could 90. and all In Q fash my
memory came hack. You know the
way . blind goes up with a click.
II was like that. I want to tell yoh
what I've remembered.
"To start with. | wasn't Jim Rid.
aSIl, and 1 hadn't married Nesta
Williams. Ny business over here
WIS to try and interest various i'm
portafit people In . new steel proc
ess had Invented. Elmer Van Berg
wasone Of them.
He'd been nibblins ct It In New
York. where I'd known him pretty
well. We'll, he'd cooled OF. On the
9Th ofAusust I had d telephone con-
ysfsation with him. When he heard
that certain other people were In
tsrsstsd In my process. he warmed
up 9 bit.
The upshot Of the talk was that
he wanted me TO go down and see
him. Wen. I was leaving for Scot
lana next day and | didn't want to
put on going. 30 ] went down by
train to Hinton and walked over TO
Packham."
"what train did you take" said
the inspector.
''The sstghttwsnty. Il got into
Hinton 1t ten-iifteen. / walked over
90 Rackham. and It took me about
an hour and 4 half. went round to
the library and knocked on the win.
dow. and Elmer let me In as we had
arranged. We talked. and we had
drinks, but we didn't come to any
agreement"
.Did you auarrel'g" said the in.
spector.
1T depends on what you'd call
quarrel We didn't agree. II you
don't akree With Elmer. he tries to
shout you down. There's nothing In
II, but it.s nOisy while II lasts"
You parted on bad terms!" said
the Inspector.
.oh no. We didn't--ne blew him
kelf out and ralnied down. We had
ahother drink. He told me about all
kha shAws they we're going to. and
about the emeraIds. He said his
wife was going to wear them at the
ltaekinktons' n . day or two
tahleaux Tor Nnfna charity 80 he'f
cot Them tn the house.
~Ife asked me II I'd like to sc,
them. and said yes. He took them
but of his safe and showed them
tos iges aThat. vps the BIZ | semep
bared his hand under the ligh
and those eight Stamping big stones
Then | said goodnight ana wen
out ne same way I'd come In. he.
myself out. he was over BY tn
table swinging the chain on his
iinger and worshipping It He
crazy about stones.
THE inspector spoke again.
! .'Rna left him like THAR"
'.Ilsft aim like that. No. havS
hnishea-not by . long chalk.
misee3 the last train handsomely.
walked into Ledliagton,"
The inspectors eyebrows (which
oil.
sYon walked into f.ediington:'