The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-12-08

lshment for some crime the dis
appearing person has committed
What crime?"
| GAS yet. none. So there's no use
talking about that. although wen
keep it in mind"
Bunny drew a deep breath and
settled into her chair. you're
still talking about voluntary dis
appearance, Michael" she said
quietly. you've broken the ice.
Now go on, to what's more likely"
| ooh well" said Michael lightly,
"if you must have it." He dropped
down into the big chair by the
desk. Murder" he said.
Tuck moved restIessly in her
chair. Michael glanced at her, and
went on. Robbery jealousy,
hate" he said. Three possible
motives. Everything comes under
those three heads"
Robbery, the diamonds" Bun
ny murmured.
eyes. And that will take in the
largest circle of suspects. From
Marie Murchison down to Higgins
and beyond. An unknown thief
could have murdered him for the
diamonds"
Scarcely" the District Attor-
ney said with a twinkle. "You
can't go too far, Michael. You'd
have lot Of little fine threads to
pick up if you start talking So"
Very well,"- Michael conceded.
mo unknowns. Well, then Z. E.
Higgins is the most likely sus-
pect."
"Piffle," said Bunny. 'Not alone,
Michael. He hasn't the brains"
mo. Well, to go on. Jealousy"
The. lady's husband" muir
INJURED Tuck.
eyes. But first we'll have to find
the lady. So far there doesn't seem
to be any"
The District Attorney sat forward
suddenly in his chair, and gazed
intently into the fire. Bunny was
watching him. She frowned to
herself. Michael was watching
her.
There is, of course" he said
slowly, another possibility there.
Mrs. Murchison is a most attrac-
tive woman"
Gray Box
DUMMY shut her eyes. Tuck
- stared at Michael. "You mean
=" she began.
He shook his head at her. "Any-
one might be in love with Mrs.
Murchison," he told her. Her eyes
were still fixed on his. He glanced
at Bunny.
."Of course" Tuck said quietly.
"A perfect stranger might. Some
one we haven't heard of at ALL"
Someone who lives in Chi
cago," muttered the District Attor-
"And the last point" Michael
went on hastily. Hate"
His father turned and looked at
him. Where do you put revenge,
my lad?" he asked. Its funny,
queer, fermenting thing. It grows
often on unlikely SOIL"
SHate takes in all that" Michael
decided. "All types of enmity and
revenge. 1t gives us a wide
course"
II don't believe he was the sort
of man one hates" Tuck said
swiftly. 81 think his brother is
perfect darling. So there!"
II wish,'' said Bunny slowly, 81
wish we could find the diamonds"
"Oh, as for that" said Michael
loftily, "it's very simple. ! know
where they are"
Three astonished faces turned
toward him. Two mouths fell
open. One pair of shaggy brows
bent over keen gray eyes.
"Michael!"
With elaborate leisure he got
up from his chair, and turned
around. On the floor at his feet
was the grating of the .cold-air
register.
"Of course" he said, 81 may be
mistaken. But I don't think so.
Certainly they're somewhere in
this room, if there are any. And
this is a fairly new house
secret passages or sliding panels
in it, So"
'The pipei" Tuck cried, COM
ing to stand beside him. 'The cold
air piper
They were all beside him now,
peering down through the grating. q
Michael knelt. He had the paper-bl
knife from the desk in his hand.
He applied it to the screws on each
side Of the grating, and after d few
seconds of breathless silence lifted
the grating out, and laid it beside
him.
The pipe just below the grating
formed square and ran along
under the floor. Joining with it at
the back was the pipe that came
straight down from the dressing
room above. At the juncture of
the two, on a little shelf formed
of bent sheet of gray tin, stood
a box; and hanging over the top of
it were Tuck's rosy corals.
$50 it was my idea, you young
scalswag," his father said.
"Your idea, my clever parent.
Somewhere in between, you said.
It bothered me. I thought about
it. They are"
He lifted out the corals and
handed them to Tuck. Then he
leaned forward and picked up the
gray box.
1t, too, was made of tin, like the
pipe. 1t was perhaps six inches
long, by three wide, and three
deep, and the lid was covered with
thick dust and fastened down by Il
a hasp and tiny paddock.
Continued tomorrow