The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-06-12

- gntRtO9s
Chapter 80
PUZZLED HousEKEEPER
~u0w long have you been living
IA over the garage?" Harper
asked.
Since about the middle Of De
cember."
when did the decorators finish?"
"About two weeks ago"
"Why didn't you move back to
the house?"
.Mr. Dufresne thought It Just as
wen to leave things as they were
until the house was opened again.
There was to be a big party then, I
believe"
"Then, since the middle Of De
cember there has been no one stay.
ing in this house at night?"
"No. After the workmen left each
day Mr.. Holiday locked up and
brought me the keys. Every morn
ing he came for them, 50 the men
could get In and work"
@Were you here in the house at all
yesterday2''
eyes, IN the afternoon. ! was IN
every room OF the house"
"What then?"
II locked up and went back"
"Was It showing then?"
"Just beginning
"Your husband was there all the
time? IN the evening? p
"Yea."
During the evening, did you at
any time look out Of the window.
over toward the house?"
eNot that / recall. We went to
bed early. The pext thing we knew
the phone was ringing and Andrews
was telling me that some one had
been killed In the breakfast-room
and to hurry over. So we got up
and dressed"
ezra WhitmoFe. what would you
say II told you that this house has
been frequently occupied ct night
during the last few weeks2"
The housekeeper stared at him
without the slightest change in her
grim expression.
~Am to imply from your silence
that you don't believe met"
Il don't believe II" she snapped.
ITS impossible. would have
known"
"welI. 1t happened. Probably II
was the man who was killed last
night. In fact, it's possible these
nocturnal visits began A. far back
as last October. while you we're
still living here in the house
"That's absurd" Mrs. WhitmoFe
declared.
Perhaps I can prove 1t to you.
When this place was closed for the
summer the ash,pits for the ere.
places were cleaned outf''
"certainly."
~Well. IL you win look into the
pit from this room you will find
quite an accumulation Of ashes
there-wood ashes. That means
those ashes have accumulated since
last summer. In other words. some
one has been using that nreDlace.s
For the ilrst time Mrs. WhItmofe
looked startled. "But the hearth
was always clean and ready" she
muttered. II would hare seen had
Il been used. I've been through this
foom a dozen times"
"0f course the hearth was clean
lit was swept clean every time II
was used and the ashes put down the
chute. Fresh logs were left IN place.
From the amount OF ash In the plt
I'd say the ere had been lIt half .
dozen times.s
MRS. wHITMoRE pondsred this
IA In puxzled silence.
while the logs we're beginning 70
burn. smoke would be- coming from
TIE chimney the deteetive conlin.
sed. ~ lake It that ycu never no
ticed that from your wlndowsf"
mo. No. We never saw any.
thing like that or We would nave
looked into Il.
Another thing. MIRA WhItmore.
These Two decanters we're found on
this labla When did yoa Lest sec
them?"
They were emptied and cleaned
last summer and put away IN the
middle compartment 81 that buffet
well. you can see that they've
been allied. The man Who broke d
here last night knew his way about
the house. And u ron stiIl have
any doubts. there Is the matter Of
the candles. When you we're IN
here yesterday. what vas the eondk
tlon Of the candles In those hold
ersg"
"Thsy were fresh candles. no,
nsed at ALL
yet when We rot here lat night
they were about 10 expire. Now z
twelve or foartseninch candle viii