The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-12-19
Chapter II
Oh, Fool, Fool!

Oh, Fool, Fool!
A DAM read the scrap of paper.
n ELEVEN o'clock, ," he said
refectively. where did you find
it,"
an one of those chairs in the
lounge" Mrs. Flower explained
portentously. st was tucked under
the seat cushion. Eleven o'clock:
Too bad it wasn't dated. Or signed.
Still-it is a clue"
"Yes, a clue. Pm very much in
debted 10 you, Mrs. Flower"
Adam sounded haraSsed. 1t was
not entirely Mrs. Flower, / sur
missed. though she had that effect
on people. He was getting nowhere
and the hours were passing. How
far he was exceeding his authority
in OBTAINING all these people, only
he could know. They would be
growing FESTIVE. But somewhere
among them was a murderer, and
time might play into that one per-
sons hands.
Across the balcony there was
motion. It brushed the fringe of
my vision and vanished before ]
could turn. What had it been--a
shadow? The reflection OF pass
ing car? Or someone?
/ strained eyes and ears to catch
some identifying trace of a pres
ence. Whatever had moved was
still. Yet | had the feeling that
someone was lurking there across
the gallery-in the shadows or
behind the closed door of one of
the unoccupied guest rooms.
Almost without thinking rose
70 my feet and stood listening,
tense. stole one quick glance at
the door of the strange girls room
which had been within my range
of vision all the time was listen
ing at the head of the stairs. Then
/ began edging around the well Of
the dance floor. keeping well back
from the balcony railing. The CEN
trail chandelier which hung high
above me had not been relighted
since the balloon dance; the stage
lights and the lamps which dotted
the lounge provided ample illumi-
nation downstairs, and the light,
rising diffusely, cast the shadow
Of the balcony itself PARKWAY up
the walls that surrounded it. In
this shadow / was hidden from
below. But to anyone on the same
level with me, eyes accustomed to
the lesser illumination, ] would
provide an easy target.
/ thought about that for a mo-
ment, but couldn't feel particu-
larry menaeeds, Perhaps foolhardy
people are simply conceited-the
most vivid imagination balks at
picturing its own extinction.
Halfway around ] did pause,
however, remembering my prom
Use TO stay with the sick girl. /
had not been very faithful to that
promise. Perhaps should go back.
might be on a fools errand.
And then | heard a stified moan
so near me that my heart seemed
to turn completely over. One step
brought me to the closed door of
the room from which that voice
had come.
Some instinct prompted me to
stand clear of the door as swung
IL open. But nothing came hurting
at me. 10 bullet whined over my
head. There was no sound, no
movement, no indication of life
within: and presently. feeling
rather foolish. I unflattened my
self from the wall and peered
cautiously in at the wide-open
door.
So Trustingly
THE room was like that other
L which | had left a few minutes
before--the same furniture, the
same absence Of ornament, the
same bleak efficiency. And at first
glance It was in perfect order. No
one was there, nothing seemed out
OF plEce--or not quite. A second
glance. as my eyes accustomed
themselves to the deeper gloom.
discerned dark shadow just be-
yond the foot of the bed--a long,
motionless shadow that bulked as
big rs 4 slight woman's body.
l felt for the wall switch inside
the door. remembered that there
was only a light bracket that
turned on at the fixture. I could see
il across one corner of the room,
well away from the bed and that
motioaless shadow. Two steps
would take me to il.
Something keener than my mind
was warning me. / left the door
wide open. riveting my eyes on
that shape on the floor. At the first
faint movement could be gone.
Then took those two careful
steps.
The thing on the floor did not
move. But the air in the room
stirred family for a moment and
the dim light grew DINNER. My
hand was on the switch Of the wall
fixture ! turned IL frantically back
and forth. but nothing happened.
/ could still see. dinly. that the
prone shape was motionleSS.
An instant tNn fAfa Il rnalfyad