The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-06-13
Chapter IS
NLLHPLNA 10
Nettie's Two Visitors

Chapter IS
Nettie's Two Visitors
You liel" the woman said an
grily.
81 lie? You mean, you liel" Net
tie embarked on shriIl TRADE.
49," Asey said softly. "So!"
He put down his paint :dns and
~looked critically at the ell.
Its original brown had faded
through the years to particularly
unpleasant shade of greyish-red,
with which Asey was not prepared
10 cope. But whoever owned the
building. Asey decided, should be
glad 70 have anyone touch up
those bare spots.
Before Nettie finished her
speech. Asey was standing on an
empty packing case just beyond
the window, theoretically paint
ing the ell with his nice green
paint.
"Are you quite through? the
woman asked rather YEARLY. Il
should think you would be. Now,
before you get second wind, let
me sum things up. I've appealed
to your family pride. After all,
you're a relation of PANS. I've APP
pealed to your common decency.
I've appealed to everything any
one can appeal to, and you're ada
mant. Now. I'm going to point out
several items. In the first place, if
you were actually in any position
to view this murder-if you really
were in, or near, or outside the
garage last night, and if you didn't
stop Pam from killing Marina
does it occur to you that you're an
accessory after the fact?"
"How did know she was going
to? / just followed her"
$50 you're following her now,
are your" the woman interrupted
I'm the original version, you SIM
ply sat in Octagon House and
peered through the window and
saw her run toward Lornes. ga
rage. Little item there, by the way.
The only window from which you
might possibly have seen in that
direction, from the living room,
is that awful thing of colored pur-
pie glass. And no one ever saw
through that. Did that occur to
you. Nettie? Because the police
are shortly going to have 1t pointed
out 10 them"
you're trying to shield a MUIR
dererl" Nettie yelled. That's
what | wouldn't wonder if you
weren't hiding Pam Fryel And
what if ! am cousin Of hers? I'm
only a eth cousinl"
Oyster Bay" Asey murmured,
"versus Hyde Park"
"And BESIDES" Nettie went on,
II have higher duty. have. It's
my duty 20 expose a murderer,
even IL she is a relationl Some laws
is higher than others. Blood may
be thicker than water"
"But not when you can pan gold
out of the water? Isn't that 1t, Net
tie? Oh, how you must have count
ed on marrying Aaron Fryel"
Whoever this woman was, Asey
thought, she was playing Nettie
like banjo.
What about your" Nettie re-
turned. Didn't you expect to
marry Jack Lorne, until Marina
took him away from you? Didn'l
you want TO paint that mural in
the post office. Peggy Boomer"
Boone. Asey thought. Pam had
said something about modelling for
someone named Boone.
Ven vlndietive Thingg
"nF course | wanted to paint
" that mural sNettie. So sdia
several hundred other people. But
you're wandering from the point
again. The point Is, you didn't see
Pam Frye last night. because you
didn't even look out of the wine
dow; or IL you looked out OF the
regular windows. you couldn't
possibly have seen the Lorne ga
rage. Or IL you looked out of the
purple glass window. you just
plain couldn't have seen. That's
the point You suspected nothing at
the time. you suspected nothing
when you left. BY sheer chance
you left your pocketbook-and it's
the consensus that you never for
got your pockethcok before. You
usually have il gripped tightly 70
your eapaeiens bosom. And when
you realized what you'd popped
into. you saw your chance 10 take
q whack at Pam. and then you
realized the gold In them thar hills,
All right. Net'ie. But you've got
Your last nugget.
What do YOU meanf Where are
yea goingg" Nettie sounded more
annoyed than alarmed. AS Jennie
Mayo had remarked that morn