The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-02-18

the man who did 1t. -"
That's pretty GRIM" said Bobby.
HE seemed such a nice, pleasant
sort Of fellow. But you know,
frankie. we can't be sure Pritchard
really was pushed over"
'T'm quite sure!"
"You have been, all along"
mo. just wanted it to be that
way because it,made things more ex-
citing. But now it's more or less
proved. If it was murder everything
fits in. Your unexpected appearance
which upsets the murderer's plans.
Your discovery of the photograph
and, l., consequence, the need to put
you out of the way"
There's a flaw there" said Bobby.
"Why? You were the only person
who saw that photograph. AS soon
as Bassington-ffrench was left alone
with the body he changed the pho
tograph. which only you had seem"
But Bobby continued to shake his
head. mo. that won't do. Let's grant
for the moment that that photograph
was so important that | had to be
got out of the way as you put it.
Sounds absurd. but | suppose it's
just possible. Well then. whatever
was going to be done would have to
be done at once. The fact that went
to London AID never saw the
weekly Times" or the other pa
pers with the photograph in them
was just pure chance-a thing no
body could count on. The probable
ty was that | should say at once.
That isn't the photograph | saw.
Why wait till after the inquest when
Everything was nicely settled?"
There's something in that" ad
mitted frankie.
And there's another point. | can't
be absolutely sure. of course. but |
could almost swear that when put
the photograph back in the dead
mans pocket Bassington french
wasn't there. He didn't arrive till
about five or ten minutes later"
HE might have been watching
you all the time." argued frankie.
81 don't see very we'll how he could
have" said Bobby slowly. There's
really only one place where you can
see down to exactly the spot we
were. Farther round. the cliff
bulges and then recedes underneath
so that you can't see over. There's
just the one place. and when Bass
lington-ffrench did arrive there l
heard him at once. Footsteps echo
down below He may have been near
at hand. but he wasn't looking over
till then-that I'll swear"
THEN you think that he didn't
L know about your seeing the
photograph"
81 don't see how he could have
known"
"And he can't have been afraid
you'd seen him doing 1.-THE MUIR
der. mean-because. as you say,
that's absurd. You'd never have held
your tongue about it. 1t looks as
though it must have been some
thins else altogether"
only don't see what it could
have BEEN"
Something they didn't kno
about till after the inquest. l don't
know why say they"
why not? After all. the Caymans
must have been in it, too. It's prob
ably gang. like gangs"
That's low TASTE" said frankie
absently. "a single-handed murder
is much higher class. Bobbyi"
"Yes?"
what was it Pritchard said just
before he died? You know. you told
me about it that day on the links.
That funny question:"
"'Why didn't they ask Evans?"
"Yes. Suppose that was it"
"But that's ridiculous"
ut sounds SO. but it might be i'm
portant really Bobby. I'm sure it's
that. Oh. no. I'm being an idiot
you never told the Caymans about
it,"
Il did, as matter of fact" said
Bobby slowly.
"You did,"
Eyes. wrote to them that eve
ming. Saying that of course it was
probably quite unimportant."
"And what happened?"
"Cayman wrote back politely
agreeing that Of course there was
nothing in 1t. but thanking me for
taking the trouble. l felt rather
snubbed."
"And two days later you got this
letter from a strange firm bribing
you to go to South American"
"Yes."
Well" said frankie. 81 don't
know what more you want. They try
that first. You turn it down. And
the next thing is that they follow
you round and seize good moment
to empty lot Of morphia into your
bottle of beer"
"Then the Caymans are In ftp
"Of course the caymans are in TT"
Yes" said Bobby thoughtfully.
III your reconstruction is correct.
they've simply got to be in it."
(cosyrisSt I03;.ss-;6. AsasGs cxrissi.J
.TomorroW. frankie and Bobby
discover still another clue.