The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-05-21
Chapter II
OPEN AND SHUT


OPEN AND SHUT
DEroRE the discounted servant
- could reply. the Superintendent
L Service arrived with q bunch OF
) sags on . heavy ring. The third
sey he tried did the trick. Harper
md Andrews entered the bedroom.
ma the detective. after one look.
eicsed the door on the others.
a dlsheveled figure lay across the
sd. fully clothed except for coat
nd shoes. The coat was flung care
easily across q chair. the shoes
licked or thrown under the bed.
Harper lifted the loIling head. The
syes were closed and puffy. the ia
siai Aesh fiabby and loose, but there
Eas the meticulous beard. the fine.
slearcut features Of the real Pierre
Dusresne.
Who, then. was the dead man sit
ling at the head Of the table in that
MANSION on Powhatan Terrace, with
gun in bis hand and Q neat round
isle through bis brain3
Al irst glance Harper had been
deceived By that corpse in the arm
shair. but q closer view had revealed
differences in the hair, the facial
structure. the ears. the age lines Of
lis features. while still closer scru.
tiny had shown him the fact that
ne dead mans beard was artificial.
20 he had turned the key on that
room Of death and followed the sud.
6sn, overwhelming urge to 60 back
hnA make certain that Dufresne
himself was still In safety.
The behavior Of Andrews had
been very peculiar and Harper had
act been too absorbed to notice II.
when the bedroom door had yielded
under the master-key, the old butler
had stumbled into the room like
one IN q daze, and now he stood use
Iessly around. with his eyes staring
nl bis masters inert figure with .
peculiar fascination.
The detective saw that his hands
were trembling and that he grasped
at things Tor support This was the
more notable when contrasted with
Andrews unspoben turbulence he
fore the door had been opened. for
81 one point Harper had felt that
xlze gray-hnired butieEswa consider.
ing forcible resistance.
The detective heaved the sagglng
ngure around 30 that the lClling
head rested on the pillow OF the bed.
He picked up the brandy bottle
which stood on the night table be-
side the bed. IL was empty. Some
Of the liquor had been spilled on
che rus By the bed.
Tie detectives lips curled as he
shook Dufresne brusQuely By the
shoulders.
Harper soon realized that more
heroic measures would be needed to
restore this inert mass TO reason
and consciousness. He turned to
Andrews. We've got to get him
sohered up" he declared. @Yon get
on that phone and order up q bowl
OF cracked Ice and q couple Of quarts
Of the blacklist coffee they can
make
UTHlLE Andrews was carrying out
" this order. Harper admitted the
two guarding detectives into the
bedroom. He gave q brief but ade
quate account Of the situation In
the house on PCwhatan Terrace.
"Markison." he went on. we've
got 20 get Dufresna sober. I'm
leaving that to you. They're send.
ing up some cracked Ice and black
: coffee Open those windows and get
him over 10 the cold air. Rub the
hack OF bis neck with the Ice. Then
al him with as much OF the coffee
90 he can swallow. Walk him up and
down. II that doesn't work. give
him IN emetic and start over again.
Let him growl all be wants. but GET
him on hls feet"
Harper looked ct bis watch. -rve
got to get back on the Job. lhaven't
evsn started the work up there
when ron get him axed mp Mark
con. bring him Up 10 Powhatan Ter
race You two win ride with him,
Of course. We've rot 10 try 70 ret
some sense out OF this queer bust
ness and ] want Dufresne 10 see
that room and the bodies In II "a
they were found
Andrews had been listening,
aghast. 20 the detectives deacrip
tion OF the grlsly scene IN his mas'
tsr's house. -Mr. Dutreaneis car Il
here In the garage. sir. he ~
marked. on hearing Harper's plan.
~WheFe 10 the chauifeur1~