The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-12-27
Chapter 80
Duncan's Story
I'D better start at the begin
L ning," Duncan said.
1T might be better"

I'D better start at the begin.
L ning," Duncan said.
1T might be better"
at sounds utterly fantastic
That's one of the reasons why
haven't confided in you before
You must believe me. It was like
this-when my brother told me he
was going, he said too that he had
a very definite reason for leaving
his wife as he did. He said-well,
II wasn't what he said particular
~. We needn't go into that. But
he did tell me that he was leaving
something for me, the only thing
of real value that he possessed.
He said he wouldn't want it where
he was going, and he didn't want
his wife to have it. He said he'd
put it away in safe place until
he decided just what he wanted
to do, and when he wanted to 60,
and then if he made up his mind
very suddenly, I could go and get
it. It sounds foolish until you
think it over. You might say, why
didn't he give it to me then? Well,
because he didn't have it then. He
couldn't get it. She-Marie-had
it, and she wouldn't give it up.
She said it belonged to her."
May we know what this thing
was, Mr.. Murchison?"
"YeS. It was a diamond neck
lace" He looked at Michael I'M
happily and made a hopeless ges-
ture with his hand. 81 know it
sounds most unreasonable" he
said. ut was mentioned that night
at Deanes'. =. I don't suppose any
of you noticed. Marie said she'd
never had a diamond necklace, it
was only one made of brilliantS.
That IS not true. When she said
that / knew for sure that he'd
gotten it away from her at last,
and put it away for me-"
"Why didn't he put it in safety
deposit vault for your" Michael
asked quietly.
Duncan put a hand over his
eyes. Il knew you'd ask that" he
answered. Don't you see why?
BecauSe-even if he left me the
key to the vault-the transaction
of hiring a vault might be traced.
The question would arise - how
did the key come to be in my pos
session? Unless he left a signed
paper to say that the diamonds
were mine, I might be accused OF
.. stealing from him. He didn't
want to leave that paper. He
wanted to drop out. And he was
afraid. too. that she would dis
cover about the vault and have
her lawyers attach the contents in
her name. / may as we'll say right
now that it might just be possible
for her TO prove that the diamonds
are hers, rather, were at one time
given to her."
They were hers then? She had
a right to them?"
mo. This is the part I am not
at liberty to explain. 1t wouldn't
be fair to q. a certain person.
But that necklace it was worth
over fifty thousand dollars. E.
Edgar paid for it. 1t took all of
his share of my grandfather's
money. He didn't want to buy it
-. but :. we'll, we won't 60 into
that. He bought it. His wife al
ways insisted that it was hers,
that he gave it to her. His point
of view was that he held that fam
lily inheritance in trust, to a GER
tain extent, and that if he had no
children it was to be mine. | don't
want it. don't need it, but since
he wanted me to have the dia-
monds, and under the circum-
stances, I'm going to have them"
There was a grim set to his jaw.
"There'll have to be something
arranged for her support" he
went on. "I'll have to do that, /
suppose. And that raises another
point. We discussed that, Edgar
and l, and he said he'd leave pa
pers for me which would guide
me in that. I don't know of what
nature the papers are"
And what can 11e do about all
this, Mr.. MurchiSon?" Michael
asked.
The Truth
DUNCAN looked him in the eye
- and flushed. He turned to
Tuck. Perhaps you'll remember
the first day I came here, after
you moved in" he said. "When
you had been here only few
days, l came one afternoon and
knocked at this door rather than
at the front. I had a purpose. I
thought / knew where Edgar had
left the stones for me, and l want
ed to get them. You came IN too
quickly, and I've only now mus
tered up enough courage to tell
the truth, and ask if I may hunt
for them in your presence"
There was a silence. Michaers
eyes were on his cigarette. Bunny
gazed Stonily out into the garden.
Tuck looked miSerably at Duncan
Murchison's face.
Haven't you a key to the
houSe?" she asked. Couldn't you
have come in for the diamonds
before we came, when the house
was empty?"
mo. I left the morning after
Edgar did. I gave my key to Marie
then" He turned to Michael. ''You
will give me permission to look
for my property"
'You saw the diamonds and the