The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-12-08
Chapter Eight
Capable OF Murder

Capable Of Murder
COMEONE was breathing hard al
- my shoulder. / turned.
"Charlie!" ! whispered. Fear
shot through me and left me
trembling.
His face was paper white under
the golden down that covered il
like peach fuzz, and his odd, yellow
cat eyes had the brilliance of topaz.
He looked wild, tigerish; his hand
closed on my arm and the fingers
sank in like claws. But he was
looking past me at that tragic,
down-fiung form.
"She's dead" he said suddenly
in shockingly ordinary voice.
The crowd panicked. Some wo-
man began to laugh. Doc Moore
glanced up from his examination,
said something in low voice, and
Adam, with courteous, RELENTLESS
fnality, forced us all out of the
room. 3t4n1
Everyone wait, please" he di-
rected and closed the door.
"Quick, sorneplace where we'll
be alone" whispered to Charlie.
He merely stared at me stupidity.
took his unresisting hand and
hurried him across the floor to the
reading room. For the moment we
had it to ourselves.
Listen, this is serious" said,
trying to fix his wandering, fever
ish gaze. Listen, Charlie-please
pay attention to what I am saying.
You realize this is murder, don't
your"
The vacant yellow eyes looked
back at me impersonally.
well, what of ~" he asked
crisply; and ! saw what I had
missed before. that he was very
drunk.
In that moment of horror it was
possible for me to believe any
thing. ] remember looking him
over quickly for suspicious says
or bulges. He was untidy-his
tawny hairwas mussed. there were
wrinkles in his white mess jacket
and Stacks: but there was no sus-
picion of gun on his lean. tall
ored form.
"All right, Charlie. just wanted
TO make sure you remember you
were with me in this room when
the shooting took place"
Maybe / was fool, but at that
moment ! thought ! had to get him
out of It. I'd take a chance on fixing
1t with Adam.
with you? don't believe |
was" said Charlie with a flash of
intelligence.
! sighed in assumed impatience.
Il was afraid you were too tight
to remember. | sup ose you've for
gotten | asked you not to take that
last drink"
Tightg Nothing of the sort. OF
course remember. The trouble
with you, Red. you're a prude.
Cut out TO be an old maid"
And with that distinctly uttered
pleasantly Charlie Spencer drop
ped onto the leather divan and
went Instantly to sleep.
I stood looking at him for a
moment in bafiied s:lence. There
was no telling what he had done
-and no cl ance of finding out
from him now. Il seemed to me
he was perfectly capable. bolstered
by a few drinks. Of killing a girl
TO keep another man from having
her But had he? And how could
/ find out?
A Matchmaking Weapon
I TURNED out the ligh> in the
4 reading room and pushed the
door nearly 10. hoping that he
would not be found for a while.
Then I slipped through ahother
door | found unlocked Which
opened direct from the reading
room on the strip Of side yard
between the Service Club and the
chapel.
The club stood back from the
street q short distance like a pri-
vate residence. and the block was
lined with parked cars. Avoiding
the front Of the building, l cut
across in front Of the darkened
chapel nd hurried along the side
walk, searching for Charles car.
A passing sentry eyed me curious
ly. I thought. before he sauntered
on.
Under the next street light /
found the roadster that had been
Charles pride and JOY for the
summer before, when he was on
graduation leave.
I slid behind the wheel, con-
scious Of a homesick pang. | had
driven this car In lighthearted
moments.
unly year ago.
Il had been q good summer
commencement behind me, and
ahead vague rosy dreams Of fame.
based on nothing more tangible
than q small check for my first
story. Beside me, Charlie, looking
like new-hatched chick ia bis
spanny officers uniform. The sum
mer-School gang: campus parties
miles and miles along the lake in
the roadster with Eileen and her