The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-12-21
Chapter 10
Lost And Found

RO1 VINO Us SIIe! odIilSy oS
- manded.
IT strongly suspect that only
one person knows the answer to
that Adam answered dryly.
Barney said quickly, ELIZA
beth has been in the kitchen all
the time--we were making cof-
fee"
Shaw burst out eagerly, "And
Mary and / were together in the
lounge ~ don't you remember,
Barney, you had just brought US
/ smiled a little. No need to pry
for alibis from now on-they all
had the general idea by now.
Coffee" said Adam. KAY, you
need a cup-several cups. Here,
take my fashlight and go down
the other way, through the dress
ing room. Find Elizabeth and stay
with her until / come. And
drink a cup for me"
To the left of the stage a short
flight of steps led to an unobstru-
sive door opening on a narrow
corridor. I followed it past the
stage entrance, past two or three
tiny dressing rooms, and arrived
suddenly at the kitchen, small,
compact room dimly lighted by
pair of battered candles that had
evidently seen service before. The
aroma Of coffee, the yellow light,
the general honey atmosphere.
were comforting.
Elizabeth's concerned eyes
viewed me from head to foot. She
swept a stack of paper napkins
from a high stool and established
me on il. An instant later my
teeth were chattering on the rim
Of thick white china cup and the
scalding, bitter fluid was shock
ing me back to some sort of con-
troll.
HDon't talk" she admonished
me gently. "You're all right now
There's only Annie and me-"
I saw her then-Annie in her
decent black, the regal hat frac-
ton tilted. huddled in a corner be-
yond the gas range, her wizened,
elflsh face dismal and direful.
when did you get here?" ]
asked.
HJust now" Elizabeth answered
for her hurriedly. "She walked
here from the Carewes' quarters
-
dismissed, was" Annie
croaked suddenly. "That whipper-
snapper of a medico comes in and
throws me out-me that has
known Evvie Carewe like a sis
ter--mel TIL be speakin' to Mrs.
Carewe alone he says. So / says,
BE damn. then, if I'm not needed
here my girl will be glad to see
me- So here I am" And she
lapsed into dark brooding.
I set down the heavy cup and
told her what had been happening
upstairs.
Z had even Annie's full atten-
ton. Horror, unbelief. then a kind
OF despair registered on Eliza
beth's face. She made that futile
gesture known as wringing ones
hands.
"And Adam can do nothing?"
Maybe now-when the alibis
are checked"
"Such things cant be allowed to
happen on Fathers garrison" said
Elizabeth. "Oh. If he were only
herei They wouldn't darei"
Suddenly the lights were on
We blinked at each other stupid
" in the abrupt glare.
Elizabeth blew out the weak
candle flames. and the acrid smell
Of the scorching wicks momen-
tarily filed the little room.
"a .An Inside Job
"XAY-
~ ! turned. Adam was stand
Ing In the doorway.
Feeling better?" he asked
cheerfully. Care to help me a
minute?"
/ rose, thinking with shame in
the bright, normal light of the
panic that mad gripped me only
a few minutes before.
&AG WaS AOOh4Alk Ruob AlCg AlAo
round. good-natured face oddly
reassuring.
"You here, Annie? Good. Stay
with Elizabeth-don't leave her
for a minute. I'm depending on
yoli.s
I followed him into the narrow
corridor. "Then il was short-cir-
cuited up therein her roomf"
He nodded. Look, what did you
do with that note-the typewrit-
ten note?"
I stared at him blankly. Did I
imagine q trace OF suspicion. Of
distrust in his candid eyes?
But-but ] don't know" I
stammered, trying to remember
and feeling guilty, because ! knew
that In his place I would be sus-
picious too. Still. I needn't have
told him about the typewriter II