The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-07-07
Chapter ST
COLLAPSE


sC0 THIS man bounded You?
y asked Harper. Followed you
back to the city and forced you to
continue the affair? He made you
meet him in this empty house in
this roorn7 Then he rs the one who
put the notes in that sand urn on
the hearth?'
''Ycs. How did yon know that?"
she asked. surprised.
You'd be surprised how many
persons IN this house knew about
those secret notes But why did this
man buy q disguise so that he would
look like Mr.. Dufresne2 We have
traced that purchase. back in Oc.
tober."
Aline Croydon shuddered. "He
turned into a beast. a maniac. once
he had me III his clutches. / think
at first he got the disguise to avoid
detection should he be seen here.
but later It pleased him to strut up
and down dressed in Pierre's
clothes. sneering and cursing at our
money and social position. saw
that his madness would bring ruin
and disgrace anyway once this
house was occupied again"
She squared her shoulders. Il was
desperate. It was too much to pay
for my folly. | saw plainly that it
was simply a question OF his death
or my ruin" the words tfailed on
into significant silence.
was he blackmaiiing your"
"Oh, II it had only been a uues.
ton of money-but he'd only laugh
at me when | tried to buy him of.
/ began to plan. II had to be carried
out here in this house. He would
meet me nowhere else. He made me
give him key for the side door.
"He kept his address a secret. He
would call me up from pay .atiols
and tell me to look for the note in
the urn. built up my plan. tested
every detail. went through every
motion thousand times. The FIRST
time there is snow on the ground,
swore to myself, he should die"
ibid this HID. write those threat
ening letters to Mr.. Dufresne?" Har-
ner interrupted.
II don't know. hadn't heard about
them until after-it would have
been like him. his idea Of a Joke. |
put off the next meeting until the
night of my husbands concert.
knew it would be easy to slip away
then"
Weren't you nervous, afraid,
when the time Gamer"
Mrs. Croydon shook her head "EY-
erything was arranged. rehearsed. |
had no need to think. Just act. When
il got dark enough | slipped out Of
cur house and came over here 10
put up the rope. Then went down
Town with my husband.
1T was nearly eight o'clock when
| drove back. left my car two
blocks away. | tested the rope by
reaching the house that way. It
worked perfectly
oh, so you came by way of the
rope? hadn't thought of that"
4 LINE CRoYDEN nodded. "He
! was waiting in this room. We
quarreled again. . think he enjoyed
those sceIes. It was then that |
pounded angrily on the table. stand
ing opposite him down the length Of
Il. He went on calling me ugly
names. so raised my gun and shot
him. | was amazed at how easy It
had been.
First wanted to be sure no one
heard the shot. looked-and there
was a policeman Just turning in at
the gatel The next thing knew. i
was standing with the front door
open. telling the policeman that
had shot a burglar. He seemed to
recognize me and came in without
the least1sign of suspicion"
what brought him to the houseT'
Harper questioned.
"He said he had seen sparks COM
ing from the chimney and Knowing
that the family was away. came to
investigate. He had not heard the
shot. had been stirring up the logs
IN the fireplace to make a better
light in the room"
The detective felt a pardonable
pride in the accuracy of his previous
deductions about Officer Hamill's
movements and motives on that
fatal night.
1T wasn't until the policeman
was actually standing here looking
at the body that realized what an
error l had made-that ! couldn't
possibly explain any Of the details.
my own presence, the seated body.
the disguise. the two liquor glasses.
anything. All this time ] had been
holding the gun.
He made step toward me and
fred-twice. That is the horror Of
It. she burst out.
Harper nodded understandingly.
"That Is true Of every cri ne. The
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