The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-07-01

in his life but look my damned
family"
Michael has an Irish streak which
calls for the noble and highly dra-
matte. Right then had no answer for
him. felt rather like person lost
in the woods who knows there is an
animal of some sort behind him, but
doesn't dare turn around to look.
Higgins must have had motive But
just then / didn't care to turn around
and look at it.
THE police" / said, will have no
reason for thinking anything but that
the poor old chap lost his mind. You
haven't either. Stop trying to dig
yourself up family skeleton. Go
take"
The hell with your shower!" Mi
chael exploded. who gives a damn
what the police think? I've got to
know why he did it. I've GOT"
TO take a shower" / finished
grimly. Picking him up clothes and
all, | carted him, struggling, into the
bathroom. It was something of a job
to hold him, but he was thoroughly
doused before he managed to send me
crashing on my ear and stalk out. /
threw him towel.
Take a rundown" l said.
''You go to hell!' But he caught the
towel with his bad hand. / grinned
and set to work on my own dressing,
leaving him to his Tuning. The at.
moSphere was so natural that could
have whooped for joy. / was busy
with my tie before he got to the point
where he could directly address me.
do you suppose there is any way
that they could leave the aunts out
Of all this? II the story about my
father hits the headlines. Aunt Mar
tina will never get over it. Foster
ought to be able to keep them away
from the Skipper for while any
way"
/ said, Il think the best thing to
do. Mike, is for me to go into the VIII
lage on the first boat that gets here.
I'll go straight to Foster and leave it
all up to him. Then, if he'll let me,
I'll push on to the Blinshops'. Ought
to be back by seven tomorrow night,
easily"
Michael was silent for moment.
That's decent Of you. jim"
climbed into my coat. Forget II,
] said. Keep your ear cooked for the
Skipper. III see how the breakfast is
coming. !"
SpIotch On The Wall
TN broad daylight, the effect Of the
1 electricity in the hall was rather
gh0stly. The sooner we got all the
lights out and the house nearly nor
NAL, the better for everyone con-
cerned. Switching them of as went,
/ headed down the hall and into the
servants quarters. At the head of the
back stairs remembered the lights
in Higgins room and in Jude's.
turned back. With my eyes averted
from the bed. made for Higgins
dresser. And then something leapt
into my throat.
Directly in front Of me at the level
Of my eyes. was splotch in the wall
plaster. and within that splotch the
bullet which had ended Higgins life.
Passing 3 bewildered hand over my
eyes. looked again. There was no
mistake. The bullet was there. Was
my memory Of the situation blurred?
! rushed to the bed and nung back
the blanket
Higgins lay on his back with his
arms flung out at his sides, the revol-
yer tightly clenched In the right
hand. In his right temple was the
bullet hole. and in the left. the nasty
cash made by the bullet tearing
through. But the mark in the plaster
was in the wall on his right
Ideas began bouncing through my
head. A man falling In faint or for
any reason other than blow. falls
on his face. Unless Higgins had been
sitting on the bed. he could never
have landed in that position. Could
he have been sitting? crouched un.
til my head was approximately at the
level Of person sitting on the bed.
For bullet to have passed through
both sides of the mans head and
landed where it had. it must have
passed right through the top of his
skull. And Higgins wounds were in
his temples.
Much as the idea of the old mans
guilt hurt. | wanted the whole thing
TO be over with. Perhaps. reasoned
frantically. the impact Of the bullet
spun him around. Perhaps My next
realization sent me staggering against
the wall. The revolver was In his
right hand. and Higgins had been
sleft-handed. Murder number three!
5 Right then and there my state Of
mind clarified. All along had been
nearly as much afraid that we would
catch the murderer as | was that we
wouldn't. But | thought OF that tor
tured old face as | hal last seen Il
alive. ! took one more look at il as it
was then. And / wanted that MUIR
derer. II II was Michael himself.
was going TO see him die before my
own eyes.
My mind began 10 work as coldiy
as II Il were dealing with a problem
in bri6.se. Not the Skipper. had been
sitting beside her when the shot was
fred. Furthermore. the murderer had
put her behind that chest. Higgins
must have seen them. to his Gndoing.
fcopyriaAt 1857. Esther Tylerl
devise trap Tor the murderer. co.
morrow.