The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-04-26
OLD HOME WEEK MURDER
by Phoebe Atwood Taylor

his mother, and still more from
his fathers people. But Zeb Chase
had said that he sold insurance,
which meant that his inheritances
had probably lons since disap-
peared. He looked like the sort
whose inheritances would disap-
pear.
want him to TALK" Konrad in
quired with certain grimness.
Don't bother, he'll get to il"
ASey said.
whats about a policy?" Kon-
rad asked. Whose policy? What
policy? Where?"
The policy our pal Tertius was
hunting" Asey said. "Only he went
hunting like man, an Mary Ran
dalps woman. She didn't bother
to put it in her desk, or anywheres
else special. She just stuck it in
her sewin' basket. over on top of
that oak chest there. You see, Kon-
rad, Tertius sold her a nice life
insurance policy, only it was
fake"
at was a splendid policy" Ter
thus corrected him pleasantly. "a
sterling policy. Mayo, you wrong
me-"
Then why were you after it?"
"Say, I'll make him talkl" Kon-
rad unstrapped his belt and pre-
pared to remove his coat. 'I'll show
this"
wait. Tertius, tonight you've
busted into town property, you've
assaulted cop, stole his gun, an
you've emitted armed robbery.
You-what's that? You didn't rob
anything? Oh. don't be finicky
with details. Well fix that. You
see. TertiuS, d'Spite your poise an
nonchalance, you're hardly in the
drivers seat. Far from it. Now,
will you talk? If you don't feel
like it now. Konrad an | can take
you to the barracks. an I'll almost
guarantee you'll talk there. Much
easier to break down right now.
Konrad, bring that policy over to
me, will your"
The Beneficiary
TERTIUS smiled. Don't bother
L reading it, Mayo. I'll tell you
something that'll make you won
der if you are in the drivers seat
as much as you seem TO think. The
beneficiary is your little friend
Jane Warren"
$50" Asey said, so it is"
Your little friend j ane. Oh,
aren't you and Zeb Chase going
to be sorry you happened in here
tonight twenty-five thousand,
double it for death by violence.
Who's in the drivers seat, Mayo?
Fifty thousand dollars does make
such nice motive, doesn't it? Roll
it over on your tongue. Jane gets
fifty thousand il Mary Randall dies
by violence"
Asey smiled back at him, but
the. smile was somewhat forced.
Saturday" TertiuS went on, al
most dreamily. "She gets the policy
Saturday, because ! bring it over
then"
1t flashed through Asey's mind
that the shotgun had first gone
into action Saturday night.
"On Monday" Teritus said,
"She'S killed. Life is a strange un-
certain thing at best, isn't it? One
never knows, does one? Here, as
the saying so cheerily goes, today.
G one tomorrow. BY tn G way,
Mayo, yours is a perilous occupa-
ton. How are on fixed in case of
accidents and whatnot?"
"Tertius," Asey said, 81 begin to
see. EloiSe didn't take you home
last night, did she? She dropped
you here, an you was goin' to walk
back, but you got curious about
the cars parked outside, an so you
looked into TIE matter. Guessed
what was up, an decided to make
sure, so you 60 to Weston's desk
where you know he Keeps that
ledger. Not findin' any ledger, you
smirked like anything an come
here for the policy. Shall guess
why?"
Gould have cigarette? It's a
bit awkward here, trussed up
don't you think you'd better stop
playing games and let me go? Oh,
| do. Definitely. my d e r Sher-
lock-" .a
"Why?"
Asey knew exactly what was
coming. He had guessed it ten min
uteS ago, but he wanted more than
anything to play for time.
well" Tertius S a id, 'T'll tell
you. You pretend to be pumpkin,
but old Captain Porter left you
comfortably off. I've heard h i m
and father talk about you. You're
Porter director, aren't you? And
even if you weren't so richly en-
dowed, your friend Bill Porter is,
isn't he? Yes. And Master Chase
has all those beans. And you and
Master Chase are keeping muir
der secret, aren't you? Because Of
Jane Warren. Zeb likes Jane War
rem. Need ! really go on? 1t seems
such waste of time"
"How much Asey incurred.
do you want?"
Call it-oh, fifty thousand will
cover it nicely" TertiuS said. 81
think fifty thousand viii do
Asey nodded. "An' your plan
of course, I'm putin it a wful
crude. an / know it'll hurt you.
but you had a nice plan, didn't
you? You Tome to get the policy
an change the name. an send in
notice dated-yeS. suppose you
could of managed it somehow. An
after maxim Eloise the bene6ci-
airy - honest. that was brain
wave. Tertius. Eloise wants to be
Mrs. Somebody, an I shouldn't
wonder if she hadn't jumped at
you like a starvin' dog at bone.
An then you'd have had fifty thou
sand to blow. Tertius. that was
smart"
Canfinued kavnarrnw