The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-10-14
By HUGH CLEvELY

come with me-"
"Fut :" began Mulgrave.
Mahony had no intention OF argu.
ing. For one thing ne was too un.
sure OF his ground. Fer another he
wanted to get away as soon as posi-.
BILE before the police arrived at the
Albert Hall But he wanted to take
Mulgrave with him If possible. He
decided to bluff.
HELL" he said. What are you
arguing the toss about? The police
will be on their way here now. Are
you coming, or are you going to stay
and be pinched?"
And he resumed his progress to-
wards the cloak-room.
That decided Mulgrave. He also
made for the cloak-room.
Mahony reclaimed his belongings
and fairl. hustled Mulgrave out
the cloak-room and out or the Albert
Hall to the car park where his Aston
Martin was waiting. With a roar
they shot away. heading north.
"Tell me exactly what happened;
how did things go wrong?" asked
Mulgrave excitedly as they drove
along.
Don't talk; I'm busy. You'll learn
all about It when we get where we're
going" replied Mahony shortly.
THERE was a slight smile about
4 his lips as he drove the car al
high speed through the silent and
empty streets. He WIS rejecting
that, as a piece of kidnapping, his abb
duction of Mulgrave had been rather
neat
Leaving Hampstead behind him.
he headed out across the lonely
heath. Halfway across the heath he
brought the car to a standstill. All
round them was bare grass. and
away in the distance the lights OF
Hampstead and Highgate twinkled
brightly. Mahony switched of his
headlights and turned t. Mulgrave.
This K our first stopping-place,"
he stated. Get out Of the car"
get out OF the carr"
II seemed that Mulgrave did not
understand.
what do you mean?" he asked.
Il mean get out of the car. don't
want you to bleed all over the up
hosiery" said Mallory.
During this speech he quietly pro-
duced his pistol. Mulgrave looked q
it. and from it to Mahony. rather
as a rabbit, paralyzed with terror.
looks at a deadly snake.
"B- but W-what-?" he began.
"Shut up" said MahCny. his voice
suddenly cold and savage.
Mulgrave shut up.
you've been kidnapped" went on
Mahony in the same cruel. biting
tone. And now you're going to be
murdered. At least. | think you are.
But maybe you're not. It will all de-
pend on low much information you
can give me-"
"B-but you c-can't bring me out
here. and m-murder me in c-cold
blood" protested Mulgrave in ter
rified tone. "You can't do it."
"But / cam" said Mahony. quite
easily"
He spoke quietly and naturally.
And yet. somehow. the manner in
which he spoke made 1t quite clear
that he would not have the slight
est hesitation in shooting Mulgrave
if he considered 1t necessary. The
realization m a lie Mulgrave feel
slightly sick.
"W-w-what Is It that you want to
know?" he quavered.
Mahony thrust han1 into his hip.
pocket and produced from 1t news
paper cutting. The cutting was from
a copy of the evening paper which
ne barmaid in the wayside pub had
been reading Just before the motor
smash the previous night. 1t con.
sisted of one small paragraph:
Miss Ruth Fraser. a popular
young Society girl. has been miss
ing from the house OF her guardian.
Mr.. Gerald Lee-Ramsden, OF l73
Upper Brook Street. since yester-
day afternoon. Miss Fraser, who Is
twenty years old. Is an intrepid air.
woman and a weIl-known tennis
player. Mr.. Lee Ramsden states
that she left home with the Inten-
ton OF going shopping. and has not
been heard Of since. Ii Is feared
that she may be suffering from loss
OF memory.
Since the barmaid's comment on
this paragraph had agitated Billy
Ross considerably. Mahony conclud.
ed that Billy had known something
about the young woman's disappear.
ance. And Mahony felt that il he was
going to shield Billy. it was certainly
up to him to try to undo as far as
possible any harm that Billy had
done. That was the chief reason why
he had kidnapped Mulgrave. He
wanted to ask questions.
Il want to know where that girl
is" he said. He leaned forward and
switched on the dashboard light in
his car so that Mulgrave could see
the cutting clearly.
copyright. 1886. Hugh ClereiyJ