The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-10-14
Chapter Nine
ELSA REMEMBERS

Cnapter Nine
ELSA REMEMBERS
TNSPEC FOR KENNEDY leaned
forward slightly.
Have you remembered" he
asked eagerly.
81. but 1t can't be-" she said
slowly. "Why. hardly know him at
all. And. anyway. he was friend OF
Billy Ross. who was one Of my best
friends"
Whats his name?" asked Inspec'
tor Kennedy.
"The voice sounded like Mr.. Ma
hony's-he came to tea this after
noOn." answered Elsa. "But ne
couldn't possibly have done 1t. Why
should heY And he wasn't going to
the lance He told INC So"
"He was talking to you about the
dance. was he?" askeL the Inspec'
tor. Asking you questions?"
"Well-yes," admitted Elsa. but
why should he want to kidnap me
and kill my uncle?"
"Who is that Mr.. Mahony. and
where does he liver demanded the
Inspector
HE was friend of Billy Ross. a
friend Of mine who was very badly
hurt in a motor smash" answered
Elsa. HE was staying with Billy
when met him. don't know where
he Is now"
Nor did Lawson know where Ma
hony was living. In fact, NOBODY did.
Mahony had not yet bothered to tell
anyone his change of address
ell fnI his address all right be-
fore morning." said the Inspector.
Luckily for Mahony that state
ment was :rifle optimistic.
AGAHONY'S first action after driv-
~ ing away from the L;ttle's house
was to return TO the Albert Hall. He
Lad left his own car in a park near
the Hall and in the mems cloak
room he had left an Overcoat. hat.
and a pair OF grey flannel trousers.
He had worn the oVercoat. hat.
ami trousers on his way to the Gance.
since an Arab kit is chilly wear in
an open sports car on a cold winter
evening. Since he intended to deny
that he had ever been to the dance
II anybody questioned him. it was
essential that he should remove
those things before the dance fn-
ished
In a quiet street IN Kensington he
stopped the car and changed his cos
tune round, so that he now ap-
peared as an Arab instead of monk.
Leaving the car in side street near
the Hall. he returned to the Hall on
foot and entered.
The dance was still in full swing
when he arrived; the floor wa still
crowded; everything was just as he
hal left IL before Elsa's kidnapping.
except that now the dancers were
unlnasked. Mahony di6 mol unmask.
Avoiding the dance floor. he made
his way towards the mems cloak
room.
Halfway to the cloak-room he felt
sudden touch on his shoulder. He
turned. Facing him was the man
dressed in the costume of Charles ii
who had taken Elsa to the exit
where the men dressed as monks
had seized her. From conversation
he had heard in the car while Elsa
was being taken away. Mahony knew
that the mans name was Mulgrave.
Seen unmasked n the brilliantly
lighted passage. he was a dissipat-
eG. cynicatlooking man of forty-five.
with a heavily veined face. small
calculating eyes. and a heavy. brutal
mouth.
so you've got back at last have
you?" he said roughly Where the
devil have you been al. this time?
AMI where are the others?"
II was obvious that. judging from
Mahony's costume. he mistook him
for one OF the kidn& ppers. Evident
ly those worthless had not returned
to the Hall after their recent set.
back.
For a moment Mahony was unde-
cided how to answer. Then he had
an inspiration.
"The games up" ne said hoarse-
iy. THE whole schemes a flop. The
others have all been copied by the
police. | came here to grab my
things frOr- the cloak-room and
make quick getaway"
The red veins in MulgraVe's face
showed up suddenly against death.
~ pale background.
"Copped!" he gasped. But
how the hell did that happen? Our
plan was absolutely water-tight."
Mahony laughed grimly.
ITS wrecked now," he said. "And