The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-21
CHAPTER VII

For 0 moment CnrlSLlne narOly heard what was being said. For that moment she stood, isolated by shock, torn by pang of affection she had never before known she felt for the formally kind, but painfully re- pressed woman she remembered as Cousin Emma, but had never really known.
 Oh, Cousin Emmai she thought. l don't believe you were ever very happy I might have been much nicer to you.
 When she came back to her sur- roundings, the inspector was ask ing the doorman, Have you mo- iced anything unusual around acre in the last two hours?"
 "Welr' the doorman hesitated about half after Il did see this young lady" respectfully he indicated Christine - "come along md stop right here; then her boy friend comes running up those stairs from the beach, and they hurry of together But first, she takes him under the Twen- tieth Century lights and - kind of looks him over"
 Christine flinched as she thought of that moment while she and Bill stood there, laughing and talking with Cousin Emma perhaps al- ready lying there - like that - a few feet away.
 Looks him over?" the inspector snapped. What do you mean?"
 T know what he means" the waitress stopped snapping her gum long enough to put in. T seen them, too, and he was drip- ping wet"
 Why, Christine remembered with an unpleasant start, Bill had been wet He had said
 Say - lookit!" The newsboy, who had been staring at Bill, pointed grimy forefinger. T see him before all right. I sold all my tomorrow mornings papers by 10:30; and I was out along the Boardwalk. And seen him in a parked car. He was leanin' out, a1 if he was waitin' for some- thing."
 The inspector turned to Bill.
 What's your name?" he de- manded.
 William Yardley."
 "Oh, yes-run the riding school, don't you? And you say you knew Mrs. Talbert?"
 T did"
 The inspector took small dark object from his pocket.
 Recognize this2" he asked.
 T ought to :" Bill said after a brief inspection. "Its my key holder"
 T wonder if you'd be interested to knew where 1t was found?"
 T should, rather" Bill looked fatntly sheepish. T hadn't even missed 1t. Lucky 1t had my name on it."
 The inspector surveyed him for a moment; then he coolly reclaimed the keys and said, Tt was found on the beach near a rowboat that had n't any business to be where 1t was. The boat may have some connection with Mrs. Talbert's death"
 T saw that boat. I had a little run-in with fellow right about there earlier in the evening""
 You'd better explain"
 Nothing to explain" Bill look ed as If he could have kicked him. self for speaking. T was doing my best to pin his ears back, but he showed more speed than I looked for"
 "Who was this man?"
 "1f you don't mind" Bill said pleasantly, i've won't go into that any further at present How ever, here he comes now. Perhaps he'll want to tell you all about it-but I don't think so.'
 Two uniformed men pushed into the booth, holding between them a disreputable object in rubber wading boots. Aside from the boots, he wore a soiled pair of flannel trousers, tattered shirt, and a greasy hat.
 Heres that beachcomber we found down by the boat, Inspec- tor" one of the men said. He made a break for 1t, and we had to chase him half way to Key West"
 Christine looked at the man with interest She had seen sever al men in rubber boots, wading about in the backwash of low tide that morning, poking with long sticks in the sand-occasionally