The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-10-12

y y
please come down to the stofe2"
The crowd was still hanging
around the store when Neil passed
in, talking over what had hap
pened in low voices. He saw Eyster
in the group with the top of his
pajamas tucked in his pants. Eys-
ter grinned at him in his crazy
fashion, and nodded to assure
Neil that he could depend on him.
Neill entered the little Office at
| the back. Bonniger was there with
Sergeant Wilson, Kettering and
the hulking Buckless. Bonniger's
greeting was unchanged. So moth
ing serious could have happened
yet. Buckles on the other hand
was sweating and uneasy. Ketter-
ing's face wore its usual pleasant
mask. The soiled gloves lay on the
desk. Bonniger said:
Il picked up this fellow on suSpi-
cion of having broken into the
yacht. He swears he has never been
aboard her."
Neil coolly looked Buckles
over. The big fellow showed his
teeth.
"The gloves were picked up on
the floor of the store" Bonniger
continued. Anybody in the crowd
might have dropped them. I have
no proof as yet that this is the man
we want, but | have trapped him
into an admission that he knew
Tanning, and I have decided to
take him into custody until / find
out how much he does know"
How can ! help you?" asked
Neill.
Bonniger smiled. sHe has init
mated that you know more about
this case than you have let on"
The usual red herring" said
Neill easily.
s'Sure. But l thought you
wouldn't mind confronting him."
certainly not. Why does he
pick on mel"
"Aahl you're a cool hand all
right" growled Buckles. .'You
know what I know about you'll"
There was nothing for Neill to
do but brazen it out. well, spill
It'll" he said.
"This guy is a federal agent"
Buckles said to Bonniger. 81 don't
know what his right name may be,
but he goes in the department by
the name of Neill Tryon."
Il know it." said Bonniger. $50
what?"
''He knows the girl in this case" "
NeiI laughed out. seThat's a good
one!"
lettering led the laughter of the
others. But support from this quar-
ter only angered Nell.
Looking For Revenge
"CHE was his GIRL" Buckles as
~ serted. Tanning took her
away from him, and he was look
ing for revengel"
How do you know all this?"
asked Bonniger.
Tanning hisself told me-"
'How did you know that this
was the man called Neill Tryon?"
Il seen him in Fanning's CONF
pany Monday night"
Under what circumstances"
Il went to Fanning's room to re-
port =. !"
"Just a minute. What were your
relations with Fanning?"
u worked for him."
I'm what capacity?"
Body guard"
sBody-guard?"
That's what ] said. Tanning was
a slick business man, and when
he out-Smarted q man sometimes
the fellow would get sore and lay
for him, and it was my job to pro-
tect him, seer"
Ask him what Fanning's BUSH
ness was" put in Kettering.
you heard the question" said
Bonniger.
Buckles turned wary. 81 don't
know. Tanning was q slick opera
tor, and ] was just his strong-arm
guy. He never told me nothing
about his business ane I never
asked"
Which may or may not be
true, said Bonniger. Lets go
back a little. You say you went to
his room Monday night to report. -
Yeah. And he says. Ira he
says, ! got guy here who's en-
tirely too nosey and can't figure
what he's after. Take a look at him
through the door, I takes a squirt
and | says: I never seen him be-
fore. boss, but ] bet he's one of
these college-boy federal dicks. I
can smell out them buzzards."
Kettering laughed heartily.
"And then what?" asked Bon
niger.
THAT was all at the time,n said
BueklesS. But ] seen flaming
again couple hours later and he
says to me: Ira. you was right
about that guy, been through his
pockets since / seen you and had a
look at his papers. And says to
Tanning: What the he'll have the
federals got on YOU. boss? And he
says: Not thing in the world, Iral
It's q personal matter with that
guy. His doll has fallen for me. Is
that my fault2' And he laughed.
He showed me picture of the doll
that he had took out Of Tryon's
pocket"
All BuckIeSs' hearers laughed
together. Bonniger said:
Have You any proof Of this
yarn?"
Only what I'm telling you. =
growled Buckles.
well. as the self-confessed
strong farm man for a swindler.
your word doesn't carry much
weight"
Eestyysst4 1877. - EsaSi Fsss-rl
Mem produces tAs aAApshss = =.