The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-05-04
Chapter "a
Get Out-Stay OUT

Chapter "a
Get Out-Stay Out
WILL you give me your word,
w Slade, not to try to beat it
with Jane?" asked Asey.
"She and ] are free, and we have
every right to come and 60 as we
please"
EsYou got the right" Asey said,
fsn' I'm the first to agree, but why
be fool? Will you promise to tuck
that leavin' idea away in lavender
far the time bein'?"
Oh, well. Well, we haven't the
money, anyway. We've just got to
stay here and be intimidated and
exploited and"
"You poor things, you" Asey
said. Lets get back to another
point. I'll grant you that we're
keepin' this murder quiet, but it's
legal quiet. You like the town,
don't you? Well, why not let the
town make its money, instead of
BLOWN things sky high over a
murder? You blow, an your job
goes, because the town goes bank
rupt. Thought of that angler"
/. Slade clearly had not.
We'll, consider it. Now, why did
you rush off an hide after Monday
night, If you didn't know about
the murder until Jane let you
know?"
Tive told you, won't be intimi-
datedl And I was going to hang
around, and lay for whoever start
Cd that fire and stole my gun, and
wrote that note! He thought I'd
leave, and I was going to let him
think I'd left, but / was going to
stay around and see"
Who thought you'd leave?
Slade, can't you stop fiddlin' an
tell me what you're talkin' about?
Who suggested your leavin'?
Who's intimidatin' an conspirin'
against you, an for what?"
This Old Home Week. I've got
THAT is, I had lot to do. He was
Jealous. He tried to scare me into
going, and leaving my part for
aim, that's what, and l won't be
eearedl Not by him. l won't. And
you can tell him as much for me,
too, and I'm"
Z 'Who?" Asey asked YEARLY.
who? Who? My lord, / sound like
Q boot owl, an l feel like hootin'.
Who on earth are you talkin'
about?"
.>'tBrinley," Slade said. "What a
detective you are! You don't seem
to know anything! Brinley, of
course, Little J. Arthur. he's be-
hind all thisl"
"You mean that poor fat hem
pecked man? That piece of Milque-
toast? Oh, come now. Mike. Brin-
ley's a lot of things, but he amt
hardly any master mind! That's
goin' too fart"
what about the message he left
after he started the fire up at my
studio?"
,"What about it? Now, don't say
again that Pm a punk detective.
But you amt mentioned this be-
fore, you know. This is news to
me-"
: "Fish in my pants pocket" Slade
said. you'll find it there, a half
sheet of notepaper, unless your
filthy Cossack of trooper spilled
ifout."
rGAsey found it. a much folded
sheet of official BillingSgate town
once paper, with the town seal and
the names of the selectmen en-
grayed upon it.
Written on it in large three-inch
letters were four short words.
i"Get Out. Stay Out"
eBrinley's writing" Slade said.
snow do you see?"
Brooding
TT WAS nearly noon the next day
L before Asey began his solitary
breakfast in the dining room at
Aunt Sara's. On the table before
him was the message that Slade
had found in his studio, and
packet of letters written by Brin-
ley to JEFF. which Sara had found
for him.
There had been little doubt in
his mind that the Get Out. Stay
Out" message was in Brinley's
handwriting, and Lane, who had
Just left, confirmed his opinion.
81 can send it up to Max in Bos-
ton" he said. eff you want me to,
but I don't see the need. don't
often say I'm positive of things,
but I am about that. Now. I'm 60
ing back to He'll Hollow and grub
around for shells"
saint lost hope YETI"
"See the skye" Lane said.
sWe're going to have a thunder
shower today. Paper says rain, but
! think thunder showers. It's
chance"
Asey nodded. ''You think there's
q chance of something washin' to
the surface?"
There's always a chance of
something coming to light, and
I'm hoping for shells. Sounds
crazy, but in that Bernstein case
we had last year, a knife washed
out Of a mole hole after storm,
after we'd practically dIy the
uiaca I'D, You can't ever tell"