The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-11-11
The Wrong Murderer
By HUGH CLEyELY

$50 that's your line. IL It, Mr..
Know-Nothing?" be said. IAN right,
Mahony. III be seeing you again"
He nodded and walked away.
Mahony went to the nearest pub
and ordered a stir drink. He felt
he needed It This new turn in the
situation was altogether startling
and unexpected.
From the pub he rang up Bas-
sett's number and had a brief con-
versation with him. The result or
that conversation was that he and
Bassett met In a bar near Charing
Cross. and Bassett told him in de-
tail all the events OF the afternoon.
But don't the police suspect you
Of being mixed up in all this busi-
ness this afternoon" asked Ma
hony.
THE cops ave been suspeeting
me Of things for the last ten years"
replied Bassett. grinning. $50 long
as 1t don't get no further than sus-
pecting. ! amt worryin'. I told the
cops my 'ouse was broke into by
persons unknown while I was sit
tin In Eli Solomon's back parlor,
and didn't know nothing about it
till someone came IN and told me
there was a shemoZzle goin' on in
my place, and bodies fallin' out OF
Winders. and ell to pay generally.
I amt sayin' they believe me. but
I've got Witnesses that was in Sol
omon's. and they can't do nothinz
The point is. wot's your next move
goin' to beg"
|NEAHONY'S face was grim and set
IfA while he considered his an
swer.
THAT rather depends on you" he
said slowly. do you think you
could find me half a dozen men.
real toughs, who'd be willing to take
chance Of pretty long stretch OF
Imprisonment for fifty pounds
apiece? shall want 'em tonight at
about half past eleven"
81 could find you the men all
right" answered Fatty Bassett. Il
wonder How long are you goin'
to want these men for. mister?"
"Not more than a couple Of
hours" answered Mahony.
well, see here" said Fatty Bas.
sett, with the air of a man who puts
forward a brilliant idea. 1.-THE Amy
Robsart' is sailing from the port Of
London at six in the mornin'. 1 know
the skipper an I know the crew:
there's not one of 'em as wouldn't
sell Is soul for fifty guild down. and
they're as tough bunch as know.
Wot about 'aving arr a dozen of 'em.
and they does their Job. and you
gives 'em their money. and they
gets back to the ship in time to sail
first thing in the morning?"
That's a damned fine idea" said
Mahony. About the time the police
are beginning to look real earnest
ly for them they'll be somewhere
out in the North Sea. And now there
are some other things I want. Lis.
ten carefully. Fatty: you've got to
get this right.
Il want couple Of those men in
evening dress-the most present
able two. because I'm going to take
them into society. I want a couple
of big cars. I want some drink
some good drink; ! should think
champagne would be about the
mark. and l want enough for about
fifty people"
"That'l mean about fifteen bot
ties. II you're goin' to give 'em a
good drink each" put in Bassett.
Yes. A Jeroboam holds about the
equivalent of six bottles; three Jero-
boams would do it. I should think.
And I want enough knockout drops
put into that drink to put the whole
fifty people to sleep for a good
couple Of hours. One more thing. /
want a place where I can hide a
prisoner. IL necessary. Can you man.
age all that?"
Il can manage it." said Bassett.
But volts the idea? Wot are you
goin' to do?"
With any luck I'm going to stage
a hold-up at the Golden Centipede
Club that viii set London talking
for a week. and Lawson swearing
for a month";" answered Mahony
calmly.
After parting from Mahony, In
spector Kennedy returned to Scot.
and Yard. From there he rang up
Elsa Little.
Terence Mahony il dining with
You this evening. believe. Miss Lit
tle." he said. Are you going on
with your original plan of trying to
fool him into committing himself?"
YES" answered Elsa.
Right" said the Inspector. Il
didn't think much OF the idea at
first but perhaps It may come in
useful. Would You mind II send
along a couple Of men TO fix up q
microphone SO that can listen in In
the next room to what you say?
mo. You can do that IL you want
IN Crcod Flee