The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-05-06
OLD HOME WEEK MURDER
By Phoebe Atwood Taylor

OF IL, what was she Up LOT, an now
come she had the opportunity to
see the horrid man leerin' at herr
That window he was at opens into
the, hall" 1865
''En route, or returning from the
bathroom, 1 shouldn't wonder"
Cummings said. II didn't ask, but
I'm reasonably sure. Going to get
some rain, ] guess"
Looks like It"
Maybe you'll get q nice batch
of colds" Kay said. isn't that
cheering?"
"Oh, pin my faith on. the BAN
quets. Only ptomaine now, but III
be reducing fat women all winter,
and there'll be plenty of aftermath.
You can eat Just so much chicken
a Ia King, and just so many Char
lotte russes-oh. They tell me up
town that Win Billings ate The pa
per cup to his. Wanted me to do
something about II, but ] didn't see
the sense. After what that old duff
fer did to the lining of his stomach
during prohibition, he could eat
sheets of corrugated iron. without
the slightest difficulty at all. There
was a legend that he used to. eat
the bottles. No one could ever find
'any-well so long!"
"Now there" Kay said. "goes a
character"
Good doctor, too, in spite of all
he talks: Look. do you really want
to swim?"
81 do, and it's rank heresy, but
I like fresh water. Is there any
iaround?"
There's a pond up near the hol-
low where people do CO." Asey
said, though / wouldn't give two
cents for it myself. Tourists wash
there, and cottages without any
bathtubs take a cake of soap an
dabble with the outer layers, an
any number of dogs get washed
there, too. Thoph's Pond. It's no.
torious. It's got a Shiny sort Of
bottom. with few hornpout."
Searched. Combed. Dug, Prodded'
"HOw delightful" Kay said.
L i "How attractive! Billingsgate
Beautiful
Get along an change, an I'll
take you. Bring sonethin' to keep
my car leather dry. I sort of favor
that leather"
$50 you DON'T" Kay said as they
sped along later in the roadster,
'tput any stock in this bruise on
James shoulder?"
'Tt,s nice to know about, bat
how could Jane have set that fire.
or left that note for Slade?"
'tSlade could have done that part,
easily. He had and has access to
the town offices. He could have
picked up that Get out message
without any trouble. He could have
faxed the fire, easily"
Then come back to Jane" Asey
said, "an' tell me what become OF
her shotgun? Or any gun? Lane
said he had three fellows on the
line of that shot this mornin'-we
know the line, even if we don't
know the place on the line. Lanes
still got high hopes of findin' the
shells, but I'm sure he's doomed
to disappointment. We worked it
all out on a time basis, so many
minutes to get her indoors after
the shot was fired. so much time
for her to get to point where
she could Of shot--it's easier to
work it backwards, see. What's
left of the seven or eight minutes
there was between the time Zeb
an heard the shot an got back
here-that's the time anyone had
to hide or throw away gun. You
see, that narrows you down. The
time element was hair splittin'."
"And everything's been search
ed, all around?" Kay asked as
Asey swerved off the tarred road
onto narrow rutted lane that slid
at a sharp angle down to the pond.
Searched, combed. dug an
prodded," Asey said. Here's your
fish bowl. Go SWIM" II
'sIs it safe to dive?" Kay asked.
"Oh, what a simply glorious spot,
Asey, and what grand blue water!
It's a wonderful place, and how
you did malign it! Can ! diver"
There's couple over there,
divin' off that end OF the ice house
pilin'-see?" Asey pointed. Makes
off deep around there. Don't YOU
wear a cap?"
: 'Hate them. I'll be quick"
Asey watched her run along the
narrow shore to the ice house, and
make her way out to the end Of
the old wharf. She poised for a
moment, and then shot clearly into
the water.
Nodding his approval, Asey bent
over and lighted his pipe. When
he raised his head, there was no
sign Of the girl, and the couple
by the ice house were peering over
into the water.
Asey dropped his pipe and set
out on dead run.
He reached the last pile in time
to see a white hand reach up
through the water.
In il was a shotgun.
WELL" Kay said breathlessly a
ro;n,,to later ahorosS eyhikit AIn