The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-10-25
Chapter 4S
The Loot Is Found

door. The sounds that followed
told him that the girl had tainted.
To a man mad with hatred, the
opportunity was too good to be
passed up. He stole out of the
closet, picked up the gun that lay
on the stand Che had seen it there
previously and shot Tanning as
he was putting the unconscious
girl in the easy chair.
He placed the gun in such d
manner that it would appear to
have fallen from Janet's hand, an
put the money that he found in
Fanning's wallet in the pocket of
the girls wrap. She was the
daughter of a man he knew, but
Referring was not one to be de-
TERED by that. He said in Is own
excuse that he was certain no jury
would convict her of murder un-
der the circumstances.
The coming of NELL forced him
back into his closet. After Neil
had taken the girl, Kettering
searched the yacht at his leisure.
Behind a secret panel in Fanning's
cabin he found the little package
which held the takings Of the
swindle, and swan ashore with it.
Having wrung the yatel out of
his clothes as well as he could, he
hung around the store in the dark.
When the movies let out, tie store
for a few minutes was crowded
with customers buying soft drinks
and ice-cream cones, and Kette9.
ing took advantage of it to get into
the telephone booth without at
tracing attention. He called up
his son and told him to bring down
the car with a fishing and camp
ing outfit. He spent the night in
his damp clothes shivering In the
woods. In the morning he drove
up with his son to the store as
Neill had seen him.
An hour later he shot the little
package addressed to hi, wife
through the slit in the pos. Office
door. He telephoned his wife to
carry the package unopened to his
safe deposit vault. This unfortu-
nate woman was not in any way
implicated in the crime. Once they
had established themselves at Abb
SALONS, Kettering sent his son
back to Baltimore with instruc-
lions to disguise himself. Ketter-
ing knew that the investigation
would flrStuate between Absa-
Ions and Baltimore and he
wanted an observer in town. He
kept in touch with his son by teIe-
phone. Horace. junior, was now
lying in a Baltimore hospital with
a bullet hole through his thigh.
Buclkless Talks Freely
ON the next day when it all
- came out, Buckles was re-
leased from the yacht. His story
was true, and the authorities had
nothing against him except a pos
sible charge of wilful damage to
the yacht. Having more important
things on their hands, they were
not likely to push that.
Since he had nothing to fear.
BuckleSs talked freely. He said he
had arrived in Absalom's on Tues
day night just as Neill was coming
ashore for water. He sent his COM
panion back and walked along the
shore, following the slSiff part way
up the river From the farm house
above the ships he borrowed the
same skiff that NELL used later,
and cruisea around until he had
satisfied himself that Neil had
hidden the girl on the Lincoln.
/ Returning TO Absalom'S, he
picked up another skiH and roWed
put 60 the yacht. He discovered
that Tanning had been killed AMI
from that moment his whole OBJ
bet was to recover the loot. His
Irst search for it on the yacht sas
Interrupted by the waking Of the
ew. and he had to make a quick
tawSy.
On the following night he hfte,,
G sklff in the village and rowed I'D
river 10 the ships BY sheer luck
he found the rope ladder hanging
down and went Up. The suite was
empty and he took the opportunity
20 search Il He made his getaway
before NELL and Janet returned
Landing nearby, he waited for
lNeill to come ashore, and attacked
him IS has been described. On III
next night he visited the yacht a
second time 10 search for the loot
As for Eystsr, nothing new about
him came opt except that he had
brlbed McGee. the engine /, to
keep him informed Of the yachts
movements. There was in ceiling
between McGes and Buckless aiast
when the engineer went 10 Ball |
tlmore he did not communicate /
with the Streng-arnl Taan. ~ sei /
was a potential murderer OF f@u
ming. but lie hacked the courage |
10 carry il out. rs a result af his |
prowlings. he lsEaw Buckles an /
was terrified Of him. lui Buckles |
vas completely unaware Of Eys- /
ler.
When everything was known /
snd the excitement began 10 die /
4own. EySier came to Neill nd l
hered him his hand. The crazy /
sran was unchanged. but a certain /
sase had come into the tragic YES 1
Nell. goodby. he said
Nell took his hand With . good /
IL Where are yaa gata he 1
ked.
Oyster merely GRAINED arr
agged his shes