The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-04-28
Chapter 10
Girl Reporter

Girl Reporter
TERTTUS paused for a moment
l to let the information sink in,
and then he surveyed Asey with
a certain amount of irritation.
well, doesn't that please your"
It'd please me lot more" Asey
said, "if you could only prove it. "
u can prove it. She bought that
gun from a mail order house.
have the cancelled check that paid
for 1t. How's that?"
Whose check? Yours?"
Tertius nodded.
ain that case" Asey said, "how
about you bought i yourself? An
if she did buy it, how come it's
your check? Nope. you'll never
bask in any orange groves on the
strength of thatl'
Listen. In June, she came to me
and asked If I'd write a check for
her. She wanted to order some
thing, and had only cash. So"
why didn't she use money or
der? Why'd she come to you. Of all
peopie?"
"Jane Warren" Tertius said,
probably doesn't know what a
money order is. She comes from q
different social scale. There's only
one way of sending money that she
understands. That's by check. She
always sent checks. and not fav-
ing any checking account at the
moment. she gets checks from
someone who has 'em. She's done
it before. Once when she bought
some present for Mary and didn't
want to give the show away by
asking Mary to write the check
for her. See?"
Asey nodded
Anyway" Tertius continued, 81
asked who was the present for this
time. and she laughed and said it
was none of my business. She had
an order blank with her, but I
didn't get a peek at it. But
found out when the. check came
back the next month-say, undo
me, will your"
How'd you fine. out?"
"Oh, well. Well, there was a
catalog number written on the
back, so got out catalog and
looked it up. What she ordered and
what my check paid for, and what
she got, was twelve gauge anni-
versary speciel ;hotgun. And you
can prove that. by the check. and
by her order and by your store
records. BY the post Office. Any
thing you want. There you are.
Mary's killed by a twelve gauge
gun. Jane bought one. Jane has
motive" k
That's all true"
sand If you haven't been able to
find ny gum" Tertius went on,
"what about Mike Slade? Suppose
Mike did the shooting. Or suppose
that Jane did, and then gave the
gun to him 10 cart away. Now,
what about California-do I hear
a car IN the driver"
TITS Hamilton" Asey drew a
folding check book from his pock-
ct. Got a pen, Konrad?"
Taking No Chances
HAMILTON" Tertius said.
II Hes the one who got my IL
cense taken away. Speeding. That's
why Eloise was driving me last
night, and why had to hitch hike
over here from the hall tonight.
I'm marked man-hi, Hamilton"
"Hullo yourself. What are you
tied up for?"
undo him, Konrad." Asey said.
Ham, come here"
After a lengthy whispered con-
versation, Hamilton grinned a n d
>Asey walked Jver to Tertius.
Here you are" he said. Hams
going to take you 10 your house to
get that check for James gun, an
then he's drivin' you to Boston.
Are you goin' to play ball?"
Tertius' eyes bulged at the sum
Asey had given him. If
my gosh Really, this Is very
decent Of you. Really. ] meansY@r
could arrest me, and
Haffn see to things. You p0p
along. Konrad, you hang around
an keep your eyes open from now
on. I'm ieavin' in a few minutes,
but first want to paw around this
desk
He sighed YEARLY after they
left, and then he smiled to him.
self Hamilton would put Tertius
on q train, but at Tertius' ST e
there would be q plainclothesman
for some time to come. He was
taking no chances on the Pretty
man family.
He pulled out his pipe and sat
down at the desk. It was odd that
Mary Randall should have made
no mention Of Jane and Zeb and
Mike Slade in her diary, but on the
other hand il was an impersonal
sort Of diary that could be pub
lshed on any front page without
causing any CONSERVATION to any,
one. She had mentioned several
times that she hoped Zeb and Jane
would get things settled. but that
was all. That was
A noise in the shed beyond
brought him to his feet.
He reached for his gun. There
were plenty OF rats in the barn,
but rats didn't say Gosh" in clear
- ~..lsA1m knAAn~