The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-09-05
Chapter 3s
MURDER SQUAD

MURDER SQUAD
QUT then. sooner or later. Colin
unused, his life was forfeit any.
way unless he could uncover the
Masks identity and force out into
the open this little-less-than fiend.
who more and more continued. it ap.
peared. to grow and acquire the stat.
IRE OF what might well be the most
ruthless. versatile. and powerful
criminal OF his time.
The stakes were heavy. Thoughts
OF Germaine came to him. He was
fighting not only for his own life
but for Germaine's happiness as
well. His all was on the table. He
shrugged his shoulders fatalistical-
~. There was no turning back now.
It was the toss Of coin.
But he had come long way on
the road. Heimie Schwarn and
Buck O'Mara. It was certain, were
both at times in direct contact with
the Mask-and he, Colin, was now
in Buck O'Mara's mob. Heimie
Schwarm was remote; it was Buck
O'Mara's confidence that he had to
win, and Buck O'Mara that he had
to watch. That was why he was
here.
He smiled without mirth. Misgiv.
ings and fears were the human lot
and came unbidden, but why sub
ject himself to this mental tor.
ment? 1t was useless, purposeless-
even IL 1t was human to do so. He
had chosen his course deliberately,
there had seemed to be no other
way. and, whatever happened to-
night. he must perforce go through
with ito the end.
He drove his mind afield. More
had been said about Lazarre and
the members" OF the club who had
taken flight on the night of Dol
aires attack. They were still in
hiding, still under cover. and New
York knew them not! The identi.
fication Of Remission. their rou6
millionaire leader. had been awk.
ward-Kenniston's life was still
being subjected to a searching In
vestigation. as we're the lives OF all
those VINO, so far as the police could
discover, had ever been associated
with him.
And since the uttering of coun-
terfeit money was a matter that au-
tomatically involved the federal au.
thorities, the Secret Service was in
the forefront OF the picture. La
sarre's name had not actually been
mentioned, but through inference. a
reference to the man who had got
q hide full OF lead" 1t was appar.
emit that Lazarre had entirely re-
covered, and like the others. was
still in hiding.
Colin smiled Queerly. So. after all,
he had saved Lazarre's life. He
was glad in q purely humanitarian
sense that his efforts had not been
in vain; but in q material sense 1t
little now whether La
Earre was dead or alive. Instead Of
Lazarre there was now Buck
0'Mara.
DRoBABLY from the start, La
4 zarre. even IL Lazarre had been
willing. could have helped but little.
He rated Lazarre as being perhaps
OF the same status and on the same
plane amongst the Masks tools as
Benny Malone-Quite a different
status from that OF Buck O'Mara or
Heimie Schwarm.
And yet Reddy's letter, though
still undeiivered. had proved to be
by strange twist OF fate the "open
sesame" to the Masks operating
headquarters at the Wine Press,
and to whatever measure OF Buck
o'Mara's confidence he already pos
sessed. II It had not been for that
letter he would never have gone to
Cap a Forage: II he had not gone
to Cap a Forage he would never
have heard OF Dollaire.
And, II he had never heard OF Dol.
laire. he would not have gone TO
Spineili's last night: and The
trail led on. blaxed by that letter. to
where he stood at this moment. an
initiate into one OF the Masks mobs.
Nevertheless. though II had now
outlived its usefulness 30 far as he
was concerned. he wondered. as be
Always had. what was in that letter.
Some ID. perhaps BE would meet
Lararra again and deliver the letter
land perhaps not. And perhaps La
xaEre would explain the nature OF
his liaIson With Reddy and per
hans not. II nattered little now, Ia.