The Key West citizen., 1939-11-29
lOldG3JfsR: Man


=
Bridge" said Bunny Iaconi-
cally.
Michael groaned.
''Such stupidity" said Tuck
evenly, II have rarely encount-
cred. Bridge, as bridge, is never
played at mixed party. One
talks. One listens. One gathers i'm
pressions.
where does she get twelve?"
"Wel - apparently, two Nc
Bains, three Forresters. two
Deans, one Lissey, two Devoes and
Mrs. Murchison and Duncan.
That's twelve"
II forgot Mrs. Devoe," Bunny
murmured, helping herself to the
"Isn't it grand?" Tuck wriggled
ecstatically. sJust think of all well
be able to find out? There's simply
no place like a bridge table for
watching peoples expressions and
sizing them up without their suS-
pecting it."
Michael frowned a little. 'Don't
let them see you doing it, honey"
he warned.
Tuck was insulted. "You forget
that ! have an 10, Michael" she
said bitterly.
81 apologize" he said handsome
ly. II apologize abjectly."
You'd better. | suppose you
think I'd walk right into that
bunch of people and hint and ask
questions, and-Pm ashamed of
you. Don't you suppose ! realize
that this is about the trickiest case
a person could possibly handle?
We don't know anything, and we
don't know that anybody else
knows anything, and maybe no
body does, and yet we don't dare
take our eyes off them for fear
they do"
Blo0dthirsty'
IT UCID," Bunny congratulated
L her. Tuck put her tongue out.
"And what's more, Michael
Forester" she went on, Il notice
that you didn't tell us, last night,
just what you'd been doing to find
out about the Missing Professor"
"Not much. I've been hanging
about at the University bit, and
asking questions here and there,
but I've really been waiting for
matters to take their course here
in the house, my love. In other
words, I've been depending on
your little nose to smell things out
and tell me-"
"If you'd told me sooner I'd have
smelled out lot more things"
Undoubtedly. But you might
have been heard shifting"
Bunny put down her coffee cup.
81 should scarcely call this an ele-
CANT mode of conversation for a
breakfast table"
II don't believe in elegance"
Tuck said firmly. "And what's
more--if you're going to talk
about murder you've got to use
bloody words"
MURDER" said Michael with
lifted brows.
well, what else?" Tuck de-
manded. He's gone, isn't he? He
isn't anywhere around the coun-
try. He didn't walk anywhere, or
ride anywhere, and if he did, he
didn't get anywhere. This isn't
like tremendous big city, where
he might be hiding 10 somebody's
cellar. And if he committed sui
eide, what did he do with his
body? Unless he fell in the river
by accident"
He'd turn up downstream if
he did," Bunny said. "And he
hasn't1has he, Michael?"
"No."
$50, somebody must have mur-
dered him. We're looking for a
murderer and some stolen dia-
monds and body. You can't hang
anybody unless you produce a
body. can you. Michael?"
Tuck, you sound positively
bloodthirsty. You look like two
year-old baby sitting there in that
pink dress, and you talk about
murders and bodies and hangings
as calmly as an executioner. It's
indecent. 1t isn't right"
Its just too bad that you feel
that way, Michael. It's very foolish
Of you. You ought to be glad that
Bunny and ! are hardened crea-
lures. Some people would weep
and wall and shudder and get
afraid of the dark. / don't see any
sense in it. What we've got to do
is decide which of these people
killed Professor Murchison and
how they did it, and why, and get
them arrested, and then move back
to our own little bungalow. can't
say that I'm any too pleased with
your father for putting us into it
without consulting US, and I am
certainly going to give him piece
OF my mind; but now we are in il
l wouldn't leave for ten million
dollars until it's settled, and am
not going to get all shivery about
it. All I'm scared about is that the
people who are guilty are cleverer
than we are
What is it De Quincey says
about murder, Michael? Some
thing about it being rude to MUIR
der a sick man." Bunny mur-
INJURED. "The child's been reading
him. She's got his attitude exact
ly."
Michael did not answer. He drew
a deep breath. II am relieved"
he said after moment. II have
fear Il confess - that this thing
may not turn out to be very pleas
ant. was dreading telling YOU"
They waited.
"There are aspects Of it :. :" he
began, and stopped.
go on" Tuck urged.
Continued tomorrow