The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-06-15

You mean you've GOT the octi0n
lpIeeed togetheri"
"Just that. Follow this closely ana
| see II It doesn't cover ell the known
/ points. The masQuerader arrived &c
1.-THE rendezvous ahead Of time. The
storm Is In its early stages and he
would not want to leave plain tracks
around the place. He went TO Du.
| fresne's room. shaved. changed into
one OF DufFesne's dress suits and
put on his disguise"
'Why the disguise7" was LAT
ferty's terse interruption.
II don't know Harper admitted.
"That Is some evidence Of mania.
am dealing with physical move.
ments now. not motives. The mas.
Querader made himself comfortable
He got out the liquor decanters. per
haps filed them. III the hearth IRE.
and sat back to enjoy q drink and .
smoke. With the snow coming down
thick and the double curtains
drawn. It was safe to light the IRE
and the candles
why bother with candles?" LAT.
ferty questioned again.
All. they explain one Of those
odd points that are so troublesome.
You remember that the electric
current was cut on at the switchf
Mrs. Whitmore didn't do that. fig-
ure that every time those persons
met here at night they threw that
switch. Why? Because IL the Whit
mores. or any one else. came back
unexpectedly. they could not make
alight. Hence the use Of candles
r AFFERTY approved with . nod
= Of the head.
Then the killer came to the rem
devious. The snow was not yet deep
enough to retain the tracks very
long. They sat In this room and
talked. There was drinking and
smoking. At the predetermined mo-
ment q gun was whipped out and
bang! the maoQuerader went out
like q candle.
And now the murderer had to
work swiftly. because any Interrupt
tion would be fatal. The killer need
ed more light. for nothing MIST be-
overlooked. The Gre was stirred up
to increase the visibility in the
room. Unknown to the killer. O
shower OF sparks went dancing up
the chimney.
NOW that pistol shot In closed
room must have sounded like q can
non. With the sound still ringing In
his-or her ears" Harper amended
with q smile. .'the thought came
Had any one heard Il? The killer
stole to rear window to look to-
ward the garage. All quiet there. He
went to the front window. Damna,
ton! A policeman Il approaching.
The murderer thought the shot had
been heard and Il momentarily
thrown into Q panic. What to dot
Meantime. HamilI had turned IN At
the gate.
1.-THE killers first thought was
that the game was up. Talk the Of
tlcer out Of looking around7 That
meeting would be remembered
whenever the body was found.
Then came the Inspiration and
Hamill was doomed from that mo-
ment. This cold.blooded killer de-
clded to take the bull By the horns.
lie opened the front door to Hamill
and invited him inside. Hamill. no
doubt recognizing the killer as one
OF the rightful household. went in.
unprepared and unsuspecting. You
remember We wondered why Hamill
went directly up the steps to the
front door instead Of reconnoiter.
ling and why ne wasn't shot down on
the threshold or In the hall?
''The reason was that the killer
Instantly grasped the value to his
plan Of having the policeman die at
the proper spot. Had Hamill not
known the person who opened the
door to him he certainly would have
had bis gun ready and reports Of
his superior oilicers show that he
was not the type to be caught Dat
footed II there was the least reason
70 be wary. TO my mind his death
In this room II the strongest evi.
dence that some person In this
house did the job.
ESQ the stage was set. Dufresne's
gun had been used TO XIII the nrsk
man. then the dead mans own gun
was used to kill Hamill. The orig.
inal murder gun was put back IN
Dufresne's drawer. The gun used 10
kin Hamill was wiped clean and
placed In the masQusrader's dead
| fingers.
Then the killer dng the As bull
let from the wainscoting and used
the nre-tongs to hold II IN the
flames. but e wouldn't melt. He
went down into the cellar. found the
roll Of old carpet. and fred one shot
from Hamill's gun through Il.
THE fact that he thought Of the
hole under the steps as . good place
10 hide the betraying bullet shows
again extreme familiarity with the
house. He carried HamllI's bullet
upstairs and dropped Il In position.
fCopsrssAt. 1854. " Waatsv o. srs~ul
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