The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-10-04
Chapter 81
CirehllsianiiaI Evidence

- - 49, ~-&- -N%~~- - NA-@~AA~D
THE door was locked. I sent
Amedee for the key to the room
next door, unlocked it, and en-
tered Venner's room from the bal
cony. The bed lay directly before
me, and a tumbled heap Of blank
cts upon it showed me that for once
Mr.. Venner had oversight. But as
! took step forward, something
brought me up with a jerk. and
wave after wave of cold terror
swep. over me.
It was a human leg. With one
stride was beside the bed and had
dragged aside the shrouding blank
cts. Blood was everywhere.
My. nerve cracked. I made one
bolt for the door, tore it open,
wrestled with the lock of the ante
room, and flung through into the
corridor. sending the tray crashing
from Amedee's hands.
what is lit, nlonsieur?" he
gasped. aal t@5
Its deaths. / said soberly. lis
ten man; your patron has been
murdered. I'm sorry for you. but
you must come and see"
gripped him by one shaking
arm, dragged him into that dread
ful darkened place, and showed
him what lay there. Next minute
We were oot.I back in tie corridor,
staring at each others gray faces.
The police" I said. you must
telephone at once for them and a
doctor, hut first the door must be
locked"
After he had locked tn door and
pocketed the key. drew him into
mp room and gave him a pull from
my flask.
Then ] propelled him gently
from the room. but as turned to
follow him. something caught my
eye. and halted me sharply in my
tracks. My room was small and
bare: apart from the bed. q dresser,
and a couple Of chairs, the only
furnishing was the somewhat lurid
floral decoration of the walls. bun
now. az | took a step towards the
door my eye lighted on q pecu-
larry gaudy rose. half-hidden by
the wooden head-board Of the bed
Straight across il showed a long
scratch of white. and as looked
more closely ! saw the narrow
silver OF torn paper hanging from
It. II was fresh scratch. and II.
seemed 10 me that il had been
made by shifting the bed from its
accustomed position.
| gave the bed an experimental
shove. and something heavy fell
with a muffied thud on the pol.
ished boards. In a flash | was on
my knees beside the bed. and next
instant held 1t in my hands,
foot-long roll of brown paper that
held something heavy. / unrolled
Il carefully and found myself
staring at a formidable looking
wrench. whose end was clogged
with dried blood.
| laid the grisly thing on the
fioor. still in its paper wrapping.
sprang TO the door. and shut and
locked Ii, then | sat down on the
edge of the bed and took my head
between my hands. Here was
Geiss's final effort. the murder that
| should. as he had told the juqe
d'insfrucfton. inevitably commit,
Here was the damning evidence
that would. IL il hadn't been for
that single scratch on the wall.
paper. infallibly have sent me to
the guillotine: but somehow I
didnt think that the weapon alone
would he considered evidence
enough There would be something
else. something to suggest a mo-
tive TO- the crime.
Framed
I TORE opssh the drawers of the
4 heavy walnut dresser and found
them empty. flung wide the
doors Of the hanging cupboard and
found nothing. The bed was
quickly examined, but it was
equslly unproductive. and there
remained only my suitcase 4
dragged II out. unsnapped the
locks. and there. neatly tucked
into the folds OF clean shirt, was
a thick morocco wallet with Q gold
" stamped I'm one corner.
II was full OF notes, English and
French. of all denominations. butI
u was not its contents that worried
me: had 10 find some safe hiding
place for IL and the wrench-and
find II quickly. for even now Anne.
dee must be wondering at my alb
sence.
| could not tell which of the
other bedrooms were occupied.
and | dared not take the risk Of
opening strange doors. There was
only one solution-the loose tile
IN the corridor. peered out eau
iiously. found no one in sight, and
slipped wallet and grisly weapon
into the friendly hole.
AFnedee was emerging from the
office as came down the stairs.
They are coming said he The
police chief himself and the police
surgeon and the rest" He broke
OF. looking at me with q troubled
face.
Well I said impatiently,
whats up. manf@
Monsieur. he answered hesi-
family. II do not understand il!
The first question they asked was
IL you were in the hotel"
sOh, well. said 4 they doubt
less wanted IN IA Sfira ~ hayyix,g n