The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-07-16
Chapter IL
THE CAPTAINS TALE


AT what time were you there,
Captain"
about five. might be ten minutes
either way. but whereabouts"
Hylton carefully lit his beloved
cigar and nodded. He was rapidly
turning over in his mind the con
versation sehe had had that very
morning with Doctor Chambers.
Chambers had stated that in his
opinion death was due partly to the
blow on the skull. partly to the
shock consequent on the blow. and
had taken place certainly two hours
before he arrived just after ten. pos
sibly four hours before.
On being closely questioned by the
Inspector on this point he had re
affirmed his strong opinion that
death had taken place somewhere
between six o'clock and eight on the
fatal day. And here was somebody
protesting. indeed pugnaciOusIy pro-
Tossing. to have seen Burdett alive
at five. or even after.
"Was Burdett all right when you
left him?" he asked.
Sour as a crab apple. but that was
his nature"
"You saw nobody else about the
house?"
mot a soul. chose Monday to go
up because | knew that ex-convict
looking man of his would be away.
and | wanted to see Burdett alone"
you called on a friendly visit |
suppOse?"
Pat Reeves laughed. 81 did not"
he said. land mighty few ever did
at that house. If &c want to know 1
called there for the express purpose
of telling Arthur Burdett that he
was a filthyminded old roue and
that his soul was as rotten as his
beggarly body"
"YOu had a quarrel with him"
aye can call it that If you like;
I'll not dignity it with the name"
What about. Captain Reeves%
"I'll not tell you"
Kingsley Hylton looked steadily
at his man and the tall why blue
eyed Irishman looked as steadily
back. Hylton knew the type we'll
pleasant to work with. but beggars
to drive.
"YOu may have to tell US. Captain
Reeves" Hylton said quietly: to
which Reeves replied grimly and
sardonically,
MAKE me-"
The Inspector let that pass. "You
might have told us about this ear.
lier." he said
"And | might not have told you
n OIL" Reeves pointed out
would have been very foolish
to-"
Maybe. What's between me and
old Burdett is my own affair.""
you're wrong" Inspector King
sIey Hylton answered with a sud
der new quality in his voice. what
was between you and the dead man
is now the affair of the Law. and the
Law will not be trified with"
You're a deal keener on the law
here than we are in ireland. Inspec
tor" Reeves said Arthur Burdett
was a dirty. damned old good for
nothing, and the worlds no worse
off because he's out of it. Ferney
House you can find me at. when you
want me. Goodday."
ID EEVES left as abruptly as he had
IN arrived and for long minute
Hylton sat staring at the banged
door. Burdett was seen alive by
Reeves at five and he was murdered
say between six and seventh mar
rowed things down lot.
He let his mind play with the spec
ulation as to how much of Captain
ReeVes's aggressive honesty was
real, how much make believe Sup
pose the Captains story was true IN
every particular save one. that just
before taking mis- leave from Ender
ton Court he had picked heavy club
from it's nail on the wall and broken
his hosts skull with it.? ". called
on the man: we Quarreled; left
him."
"What did you quarrel about?"
81 shan't tell you. it is too pri-
vate."
A cunning move because. as any
jury would instantly argue. no
guilty man would admit the fact Of
quarrelIing. being under no compul-
sion to do so.
His speculations were interrupted
by tiny SOUND on tine far side of the
second door that led from his lunch
con room. Hylton had not been
through that door yet. indeed he had
hardly noticed 1t. and a double Gu
riosity now led him to examine what
lay beyond. The Inspector had &C
uuired a sort of instinct in some mat