The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-07-15
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Major Thorpe was a man cast IN
the traditional mould of the Regular
| Army officer. Well-set up. spruce
and evidently as fit at sixty as most
men at forty-five. He was a little
hot-tempered but perfectly just. and
although strict disciplinarian was
popular with his men.
Hylton talked with him for ten
minutes or so without adding ap-
probably to his meagre knowledge.
except to learn from the county
criminal investigation department
what he already feared. that the
fatal club bore no decipherable fin.
ger prints.
pretty cold scent, eh?" Major
Thorpe asked.
The Inspector laughed. ut very
often is, you know" he said easily.
People have an idea that murder.
ers invariably leave handkerchiefs
behind with obligingly tell-tale laun-
dry marks, but as matter of fact
they don't. The distressing truth is
that most detective work consists
Of laborious questioning. usually of
the wrong people,"
We'll thank God you've got the
job and not me-" the Major said
piously. I've lost days shooting
over the thing already. Good luck
to you."
Thanks. | suppose you can let
me have two men up here all the
time to keep ,.ndesirables away?"
you can have all the men you
want Mr.. Hylton. just let me know
and I'll fix it. Do you want a carr"
mo. not a car. I'll just ferret
about in my own way"
Hylton smiled. systematically this
time he hoped. He had no more idea
than the man in the moon where
the expected solution was coming
from. but he kept that under his
hat.
1--WE minutes after the Majors
departure, Hylton was walking
back briskly toward the Hoops. He
was not yet unduly worried by the
almost complete absence Of clues.
There was no truer saying in the
world, he was convinced. than
murder will out" Your murderer
has to go home some time.
Inspector Kingsley Hylton al
ready regarded the outwardly
friendly and placid village of Hope
Enderton as a secretive and hostile
world. presenting a hundred false
faces to him. lying with a hundred
honeyed tongues.
1t was lunch time when he got
back to the Hoops, and a meal was
laid for him in the small back room
already reserved for his private use.
Edward Perry brought in jar of
pickles as an agreeable adjunct to
the excellent cold beef.
pickles sir?"
Good"
1t took Perry a full minute to put
the pickle jar on the table to his
exact liking.
They do say. sir" he blurted out
at last, that the old mans head
was that knocked about you
wouldn't recognize it. and that
there's over five thousand pounds
missing from the house."
Hylton swallowed a succulent
piece of beef and replied equally
Quite a considerable body of people
also say that the earth is not round.
but fat" reply which momen.
tarlly nonplussed the good Perry.
Quite so. sir, quite so. SIR" he
said coloring slightly. perhaps
you'll ring if you want anything
further"
The Inspector undertook to do
this. but as a noble Stilton cheese,
weighing about seven pounds. stood
on the sideboard the question of
ringing did not arise.
Kingsley Hylton was still ex.
ploring the Stilton when the front
door Of his little room was burst
open, and a wiry figure with the
thin gathered legs of the horsemen
and a green hat came unceremoni.
ously in.
"You this detective fellow" he
asked explosively.
(Which detective fellow?" Hyl
ton replied. Have some cheese?"
mo. Damn the cheese. The man
looking after this murder business
at the Court"
That's my job at the moment"
fright. My names Reeves, Cap.
tain Patrick Reeves of Ferney
House and might as we'll tell you
that was at the Court on the after
noon of last Monday and saw old
Burdett there. What are We going
to do about it?'
Hylton had placed one OF his long
cigars in his mouth and was search
! ing vainly for a light.
"Have you go. match. Captain?"
he asked.
Reeves seemed annoyed rather
than otherwise by this reception of
his declaration Of war. and he very
ungraciously pulled out a box of
matches and threw II onto the table.
(coSwtskf. 1886. Lax,saes W. Esyaslll