The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-10-09
Chapter 80
The DuInbwaiter

THEY crouched on the principal
stairway, listening for sounds
from above. A close heavy silence
lay on the ship that was like a
weight on their breasts. NELL
searched for Janets hand in the
dark and pressed it.
"Jen. darling, I'm SO sorry / got
in rage last night"
She leaned against him. "That
was nothing. Neill."
'But it wasl It was! IF I hadn't
been such a fool. this wouldn't
have happened"
"Don'tl" she whispered. 81 can't
bear to hear you blame yourself!''
Everything you said was right,
Jenl There t01s man hidden in
the clothes closet of your cabin
on the yacht. We found evidence
Of 1t today"
'Then you know now that !
didn't shoot Tanning"
Il know it--not that 1t makes
any difference to me-"
She kissed him.
After what seemed like an age,
they heard doors opening above
them in the ship. and subdued
voices. The searchers had entered
the restaurant on A deck They
did not pause. but came down the
stairs. Nor did they linger on B
deck. Evidently the plan of search
ing the vessel had been changed.
Neil and Janet had to snatch up
their belongings and run on down
IN a hurry. AT one moment Bon
niger was so close to them that
they heard him say:
IF we cornered them in the hold
Of the vessel. a desperate man
might shoot. It's better to work
from the bottom up. Wen force
them out into the open on deck"
Hand in hand, Nell and Janet
few down the stairs as silently as
IL they had been on wings-to D
deck and onto e deck. In the grand
saloon they distributed their inn
pedimenta amongst the other lit
ter. hoping that il would not be
too closely examined. and ran
across the immense room. keeping
only Janet's clothes and the pre-
cious food and water. As the
pantry door swung to behind them,
Bonniger's light showed around
the bend of the stairs.
Running across the pantry, they
entered the corridor between the
bakery and cold storage rooms. As
they came into the galley beyond,
q door on the other side opened
and a light showed through. They
drew back with the cold hand Of
fear on their breasts.
ITS no usel" whispered Janet.
Were caught between thern!"
Back this way" said NELL.
In the pantry. he switched on his
light and cast it desperately
around. In the middle of the room
q dumbwaiter rested on table
with its ropes disappearing into q
shaft overhead.
Going Up
ITS a chancei' said Neill.
\ "Quickl Into i'll"
There's not room for twol"
Rasned Janet.
Il stand on topl"
The dumbwaiter had hinged
shelf. Janet crept into it. pressing
the shelf up. and Neil climbed on
top. The contraption had never
been designed to lift such weight.
Nell pulled the hosting rope and
they started 10 rise from the table.
The whole apparatus creaked
alarmingly. but il held together.
Thev disappeared into the closed
shaft and Nell stopped pulling.
Listening. they heard the doors
swing below them. Bonniger and
Biekel met in the pantry. Each had
q man with him. Bickel said:
"Aft of the galley there are
doors into the port and starboard
engine rooms. You and / can take
one side. Wilson and Forsythe the
other"
Lead the way" said Rcnniger.
''There's a man posted on every
stairway"
The door swung again, and there
was silence below. After waiting
a minute. Neill whispered: "Are
you all right"
III the stairways are watched,
were still trapped said Janet.
We're going az" said Nell.
sWhere does this thing 20 tor
"Darned If / know"
He started pulling again and
they rose slowly. After a SEEM
ingly endless ascent through The
closed shaft. one side Of il opehgNi
and they locked into a room they
had not seen before. A little star
light was coming through the