The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-05-11
Chapter so
A Little Experimen.

0P~NA Nv
A Little Experiment
IN spite of the rain" Asey said,
4 you can tell that these How
ers amt been watered, or dug
around, can't you? The grounds
hard as a rock, even a little under
the surface. That was a heavy
downpour, but It didn't soak in
much. It's been pretty dry lately
And here, on, this slant, the water
run down an of into the drive.
See where il went?"
What II the rain didn't soak in?
Hcculd have washed out the shell,
couldn't It? Asey, don't you see
where Il was? It washed out, right
there" Lane pointed to the hole
again.
ct did" Asey said, because 1t
was stuck there this mornin', or
last night, so that a good rain
would wash it out. Lane, I'm not
tryin' to muss this up, but can't
you see? The ground around is
hard. Where you found the shell,
its soft. It was dug up, an the
shell stuck in, Just so it'd wash"
Lane said a number of bitter
things. Z
Yesterday mornin'," Asey said,
you raked this whole area, didn't
you? Monday night you an me
took flashlights, didn't we, over
this whole area? We raked it. We
walked up an down around this
garden plot. We both said # was
hard an dry. Lane, how could We
OF missed SEEM it,. IL the ground
nround were. softer, I'd say It could
have washed out. But fits hard.
And this rain wasn't heavy enough
20 wash anything out Of a hole
like that. And if the shell had been
buried here before. we'd have
found II. see?"
Listen" Lane said, tcan't you
figure that this means the case?"
i can figure enoigh to figGre
that someone wanted me to think
So"
'The Warren girl" Lane said
firmly. stood near here, probably
IN the lee of the apple tree, and
shot Mary Randall, and then
tossed the she'll"
That's another point" Assy
said Shell. Why not shells,
Iane?"
Tossed the shells aside bet
you ] can find the other If / dig
up this garden"
Why" Asey inquired, bury
EN- separate? Oh, Eane!'
IF dig up this garden, I'll find
another. Anyway, then Warren.
took the gun and beat it to the
pond. and tossed the gun in the
water. Then she came back and
let you in the house. and let you
ind the woman"
IF IL were me-" KAY said. 81
wouldn't have tossed q shell. or
the shells, aside. Not If = intended
70 dunk the gun in the pond right
afterwards. I'd have tipped the lot
into the wafer, all at once. Why
compicate things by leaving the
shells here?"
+All women" Lane said, don't
think alike. Where are you going,
;Asey?"
Kay an L." Asey said, s'are.
goin TO make a little geographical
survey. While we're gone, you dig
up the -zinnias an prod around the
petunias. an find the other she'll.
for US. an I'll bet any sum you,
want, you'll find II In a nice little,
hole dug just for il. So long"
Now what" Kay asked as Asey
took her elbow and propelled her
toward the woods, "what is your
idea. and what is your theory"
"A Nice Safe Place
NoMEoNE," Asey told her,
- after givin' the problem due
thought, come to the c'nclusion it'd
be easier for him If instead of
maxim this a hundred percent
mystery. we was allowed 20 find a
suspect. First point Is shells. So,
Lane finds a shell, in a place per-
nonally grubbed. every inch of.
Shortly he will find another she'll"
Kay walked alonRa few steps In
-slIence.
'Then you think that the gun I
found Is planted. too?"
Wa-el." ;Asey drawled, now
s'pose you wanted to get rid of a
gun, yourself, You got two things
handy. Thoph's Pond. an the At.
lantie. There's an undertow along
shore. an you got q fifty-fifty
chance Of havin' your gun 60 for
ever. or havin' some bather find it
az low tide. To do good Job with
the ocean you ought TO dump your
gun In the channel, an that needs
q boat. Too hard. The ponds
nearer. The ponds also more OBJ
violis like, aintit?"
Kay nodded,
But now" Asey paused for a
moment, "s'pose you decided that
Thoph's Pond was the ideal spot to
get rid OF your shotgun, in. So
what?"
why. you'd dump It there!"
Sure" Asey said with irony.
You'd march right out on that old
wharf pilIn,' an you'd dump it
right OF the end, wouldn't you?
Right where all the tourists dive.
IN the summer cottagers get clean.