The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-06-08
Chapter II
Where Is Pam?

"TF the note isn't genuine" Tim
Aothy said, then it's the most
reasonable facsimile | ever saw.
Even to that little squiggle under
her name What d'you think?"
81 .hink." Asey said. that she
wrote the note.
"What'll we do now?r Mrs. Carr
asked.
"You nights well 60 long back
TO Octagon House." Asey said, IAN
get some sleep. If Hanson asks. say
that you tried and tried but you
can't move me. | Just don't seem
to care about the case. But tell
Aaron Frye that she's all right,
and I'll do what ] can"
Asey stared thoughtfully up the
road as the little coupe whizzed
of.
He wanted to like those two.
They honestly seemed DESTROYS of
helping Pam Frye out OF this busi-
ness. They were candid. they we're
human, they were pleasant. They
liked their cat, and their cat liked
them. And Asey had a certain re-
spect for people whom cats liked.
This great red beast die not belong
TO the Cars; they belonged to her.
On the other hand. their very
candidness was against them. Had
they come to pump him, to find out
where Pam was? Had Timothy
Carr unearthed the anbergris-
say. in the cellar. or the coal bin,
or wherever Pam had hidden it,
Could Tim Carr have been the
prowler? Could Mrs. Carr some
how have whisked Pam away,
while Tim chatted inconsequen-
TALLY about Marina and his life in
the quadratie surd business7 And
his story about Marina-there was
a certain glib quality about that
yarn. about the key-maker and the
rest of il. that made one wonder
Asey shook his head He wished
that he Knew the answers.
There was one place where he
had purposely not hunted while
Tim, and his grandmother were
around. and he strolled there now.
along the path TO the landing. Pam
didn't know the first thing about
automobiles. but she did know
about boats.
Why should she have gone?
There wasn't an earthly reason.
unless she had some quixotic mo-
ton that her presence In his house
was dangerous to Asey. That was
the only explanation he could
think Of If she had been whisked
away-but she couldn't have. Peo-
pie couldn't be whisked as quietly
as all that. Pam was a strong,
healthy girl She wouldn't have al
lowed anyone to snatch her. not
without raising rumpus first.
Unless--the simplicity of the So
luton brought him TO standstill.
Unless someone whom she knew
and trusted had come. And what
was Il Pam had said. something
about intending to tell her male
boaraer about the ambergris be-
fore she set out to Boston. because
he seemed such a decent sort?
1T Amt Human
CHE'D had no chance to tell him,
- of course. But Just supposing
that Timothy had climbed up on
the roof and talked to her through
the window, while Asey was
downstairs in the kitchen. He
might have lured ner away by
some yarn about the ambergris.
Then Pam wrote the note. slipped
into another room. slipped out
while ASey and Tim we're talking
downstairs. or while they were out
by the coupe in the DIRK eway Pam
might tor all Asey knew. have
been IN the car all that tinel
But II she had gone on her own.
she would have made for the wa
ter. There was no harm in looking
into the situation The sharpie.
however. was there by the land
Ing. and the iaary B rode her moor
ing. The canvas cockpit cover was
in place. She hadn't been touched
On sudden impulse. Asey un.
locked the shanty az the foot Of the
landing. and hunted up a paddock.
Then, with the short jerky stroke
OF the Cape Colder. he rowed out
10 the Mary B and firmly locked
her chain TO the mooring. II any
professional boat thief really want
ed 10 steal the craft. that paddock
would not stop him. But II Pam
Frye had any fancy notions OF
making of in the Mary 3. that
paddock would effectively put a
damper on the excursion
The FIRST red streaks Of dawn
showed over the outer beach as
he returned 10 the landing. AS he
tied up the sharpe. the lide turned