The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-07-02
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to the door. Jimmie. what i it,
OH"
But I clapped a hand over her
mouth before the scream was fairly
started.
~Quiet!" Kissed. "I've Just discov-
cred something they'll all have to see.
You'll have to-show me how to
break it to them"
had not underestimate Gay Pal
mer. She was suddenly as calm as
If had merely come to escort her to
breakfast. When the panic was COM
pletely gone from her eyes ! removed
my hand.
aIs it Mixer" she demanded levelly.
Don't fool with me, Jim. Is he all
right"
Hes all right" said, leading her
into the hall. That short silent walk
to Higgins room was CHASTITY. was
obliged to concentrate on all the
worst features of the crimes befGve
could force myself to push open
his door. Gay walked in without
sign Of alarm, and / followed her,
closing the door and putting my back
against it. Swiftly her eyes swept the
room from the bed to the far wall
and back to my face.
"Why-what is it," she said blank
~.
There was a dead, heavy weight IN
my chest Whatever she had done,
this was the girl that Michael wanted
to marry. Violently wished that my
slow wits had been able to devise
something quick and conclusive in
place Of my slow, questionable
scheme.
/ was banking desperately on the
Shippers evidence. Briefly, ! had
reasoned that IL one Of the servants
was the cu1prit, the Shippers evil
dence added to the eircumstantiai
chain which had built up against
them, would be all that was neces-
sary. However. If a. member Of the
Shippers family or a person who
might shortly become a member OF
it was guilty. the Skipper would lie,
and ii would be necessary for sorne-
one else to prove their guilt.
Going back over the scene of the
finding Of Higgins body, had real-
lied that not Michael, Gay or M.
Harrington could possibly have
seen the body as 1t lay on the bed.
Annie and William had been stand
ing in the doorway, completely block
ing off their view. Consequently, If
any one Of them knew in what posi-
ton both the body and the gun had
been found, that person was the MUIR
derer.
intended to ask each one in turn
to help me prove that Higgins was a.
suicide. The murderer had had plen-
ty OF time to ponder over his or her
blunders. Therefore. IL any one Of
the three could reconstruct the scene
Of the crime, satisfying in full all Of
its peculiar circumstances, that per-
son was the person / wanted. If not,
we had simply to wait until the Skip
per was well enough to tell her story.
We Hunt The Bullet
JIMMIE! What ais you? Are you
- sick?"
shook my head to clear it. mo" I
said, 'Just tired. Listen. Wen have to
send for the police as soon as some-
one gets here from shore. And there's
something wrong with this. If Hig-
gins killed himself in here, the bullet
ought to be here. It's the first thing
the police win look for. And ] can't
find II anywhere
Hmmrn," said Gay slowly. that's
so" She paused moment and then
her face frightened. "Well, lookl He
must have been either standing by
the bed or sitting on IT. II be was
standing, the bullet ought TO be III
the door. II he was sitting, Il must
be In the wall above or behind the
bed. The darned thing could have
gone right between those iron bars
She was assuming that Higgins had
used his right hand, and that there
was nothing peculiar about the
wounds In his head. Hedging for
time, l examined the door carefully.
felt along the wall above the bed. and
even moved the bed to look Al the
dusty surface behind Il.
That's funny" said Gay.
! had some thinking TO do. 'sWait."
] grnnted. moving the bed back into
place. Let me think. Yes, OF counsel
The door was openl"
II there was anything in her face
but an unfiattering opinion Of my IN
telligence. l couldn't see II.
Then the thing must be III tFse
hall. you sapl" she said sc0rnfnlIy, /
followed her into the hail and exarsi-
inhd the wall solemnly. My head
wouldn't seem 10 clear. had TIE IIns
preston that my bright little scheme
was Topping. W
Gays face was worried. This d
ridiculous, Jim. II must be hereI"
Was she acting? ] played my last
card. Good Lord Am lunkheadl
The old boy was left-handed.a
Sincere or feigned, there was nlen-
" Of disgust in the look she levelea
at me. Perhaps ! was gullible. but al
that moment was sure that my in
formation meant nothing to Cay
Palmer.
lcopyrt0ht. 1851. Esther Tylerl