The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-12-08

"A COCA summer, our iaSL at
home. It was all changed now: Dad
rambling through southern France
on his sabbatical: Charles father
transferred to Los Angeles, their
house sold; Eileen singing de-
I terminedly against the incessant
clatter of my typewriter and the
lperiodic, devastating typhoon Of
the elevated outside our window.
And Charlie - Charlie drinking
himself out of the picture because
a girl named Anne Carewe had got
herself engaged to another man.
And Anne Carewe lying on a
chaise Tongue with a bullet hole
in her back. =.
remembered his conversation
with Elizabeth that afternoon and
ran my hand along the back of
the drivers seat. The gun was
there, wedged in behind the cush-
ion, the grip where he could put
| his Land on i.
drew it out and looked at it
with the distruSt / always feel
for pistols. / had shot Charles
twenty-five rife when we were
kids, but this was different - an
omlnons. heavy thing, man.
hunting weapon.
It was. Id; but ! didn't know
how long il would stay warm after
it was fired. didn't know how to
break it to set If it had been fred.
didn't know anything about the
thing except that / was going to
get rid Of it for while.
/ considered. It would not do
Just to throw it away somewhere
in the dark; for eventuallyit would
be found and traced to Charlie
the num0ers, or something, were
registered, I knew. Where, then.
could I hide it?
The only place could think of
was my suitcase in Elizabeth's
guest room.
Fantastic Thought
THE thought of Elizabeth
! brought me UP with an icy
shock. She must be still at home,
waiting for her call. She ought to
told about the tragedy. would
make that an excuse for my ac-
tons.
The keys were in the car. was
relieved but not surprised to find
them. Charlie was casual about
such things.
We warmed to each other like
old friends, Charles roadster and
/. The quarter mile or so from one
end of the plain to the other van
ished behind us like a thread of
smoke and we drew up in front of
Colonel Wright's arters.
was conscious of a pang of dis
appointment Elizabeth must have
gone back to the party. Her car
was not in sight. Well, / would go
in, hide the pun and leave. could
at least say / had been looking
for her.
The knob turned under my hand
doors are never locked on a post
land | entered softly, remember
ing Armies promise to be in early.
The lights were on in the front
OF the house, but | saw no one as
] tiptccd through the hall and up
the creaky stairs. | found my suit
case in the dark. removed the
pistol from the capac'o4s sleeve of
the mandarin coat where | had
been carrying it, and buried ii UNI
der some lingerie. Then | locked
the suitcase and put the key in my
evening bag. That much. at least.
was done.
But on \. way downstairs q
disturbing thought came to me
How long had Elizabeth been
aone2 Could she prove an alibi for
the time of the shot?
/ tried to dismiss the fantastic
thought but it kept coming back.
and with it Adams recital of
Ba~- = Nelson's love langle, as the
tabloids would have phrased it.
Not that | believe Elizabeth capa-
BILE c. murder. The thing. re-
peated, was fantastic. But what
about the goSSipm myers? Would
mt they be the first to scream
sMetive',?
And so. with the high-minded
Intention OF proving an alibi for
her. ] s1ooped. There may have
been some excuse for my med
ding in Charles affairs. There
was none for what did now.
The telephone was on the
colonels desk. entered the den.
closed he door and spoke softly
into the transmitter. A mans voice
answered me-the soldier operator
or the private exchange.
I'm expecting q long distance
call. said in q voice | tried to
make casual ~Can you tell me II
anyone has tried to get this num-
Der IN the past half-hour?.
was prepared to hear that
Omaha had called, Whereupon /
would ask the time OF the call. But
the operator dashed my plans
NO ma'am. There's been no
long-Gistance ell tonight"
replaced the instrument. re-
GREETING my impulse, trying to dis
pei m. awakening suspicious with
the reminder that Elizabeth had
said her father nigl telephone.
One thinc ssas certain. however.
Not even 90 Adam would ! con-
hde what / had learned.
! opened the door Of the den,
and there, at the far end Of the
hall. framed IN the outer doorway.
was Elizabeth.
She looked startled at sight Of
me. and I thought she even caught
her hrnafn