The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-04-27
OLD HOME WEEK MURDER
by Phoebe Atwood Taylor

yes.
Broke into weston,s Office for
the ledger? Yes. Slapped down
Konrad? Yes again. Now. what
| makes you think Jane Warren
killed Mary Randall?"
"She was here. wasn't she?"
That's not enough. Why were
you so sure about Jane?"
"She and Mary had been fight
ing. They were at each others
Threats. Have been for a month"
How do you know?"
"Eloise told me" Tertius said.
1T was about Zeb."
What about him?"
Mary wanted Jane to marry
him. Said he was good fellow and
it meant security for the rest of
her life. and all that"
"And Jane wouldn't"
Twelve Gauge Gun
JANE said he was all right, but
y she didn't happen to love him.
Mary said at least she didn't hate
him, and it was no time to bother
with that stupid modern sentiment
tality." Tertius was beginning to
get back to normal. "Mary's right.
of course, in, James case. But she
rubbed il in. And the more she
rubbed. the stubborner Jane got"
Asey raised his eyebrows. This
was new angle,
That's all the TRUTH" Tertius
said hastily. You can ask Eloise.
Eloise put in her two cents worth
for Zeb. too. She thinks Zeb is dear
such a nice boy. OF course the
money helps" he mimicked
Eloise's high voice. 81 always say
it helps. Not that money is all, but
/ always think-Cousin Eleanor's
daughter-but then her husband
wasn't nice, and Zeb is so NIGEL I'm
sure it wouldn't turn out like that,
with divorces.
$50 Jane" Asey said, got it
from Mary an from Eloise too?"
That might well explain, he
thought. her attitude on the pre-
vious afternoon, and her bitterness
about the antique business and
everything connected with it.
And howl She couldn't leave.
She hadn't any place to go. All the
usual Orphan Annie stuff. The
Randalls were feeding and CLOTH
ing and keeping her. and she
couldn't talk back too much" Ter
thus smiled. "And then that policy
comes Saturday. Well, there you
are. ] suppose James idea was to
kill Mary, and collect on that, and
marry Slade and live happily ever
after, only not in his tar paper
shack"
Marry Mike Slade?" Asey
stared at Tertius. Look. is this
your imagination?"
ASK Eloise," Tertius said.
She'll tell you, They've been pref
ty sly about il. But Eloise caught
on, and Mary did too. That was
what CALLED them so, that Jane
should play around with Mike.
while the Baked Bean Billions
stared her in the face. And, mind
you, Mary and Eloise didn't care
so much for the money. But they
knew Jane did, and does. Poverty
doesn't agree with her. They
weren't being snooty about it, or
about Mike. They knew their
Jane"
Asey got up and started to pace
around the room.
This put different complexion
on the whole business.
From the start, he and Lane had
done considerable figuring about
Jane Warren. She was there on
the spot, and she was the obvious
suspect. On the other hand, they
could think of no motive. And
here, certainly. was the motive.
That" Asey said, 'is SON ethin'.
But we still go the gun problem.
Zeb Chase an got here seven or
eight minutes after Mary was
killed. We can't find any trace Of
a shell, or any shotgun except
Zeb's, an his won't do. Lanes
plumbed chimneys, an opened
panels in the wainscotin'. an
peered under floors, an generally
fine toothed the house an the sur
roundup scenery. Trees an every
thin. No gun. Now If it'd been
Jane, she hadn't time to hide a gun,
an if she hid it. we'd of found it.
But"
did you say shotgun?" Tertius
interrupted eagerly. @Was that
what did it?"
"A shotgun, an deer bali. Why?"
"Asey," Tertius drew a deep
breath. II should like very much
to winter in Florida or California,
preferably California. like the
place. And Pll promise you on my
word of honor never to breathe a
word to anyone about this mess
until you say so. And I can prove
every bit of what / can tell you.
Isn't ii worth a winter in Cali
fornia to find out who killed Mary
Randall?"
Asey looked at Tertius. The fell
low seemed in earnest. but that
meant little.
What makes you think you
known"
'If it was a twelve gauge gun
was it,"
Asey sat down again on the
chest Lane had weighed one of
the balls. 1t was an ounce ball, a
standard load for a twelve gauge
gun. But only he and Lane knew.
Perhaps Tertius was making a
stab, but
We'll" Tertius said, was it?
And what about California;"
you're half tanned already"
Asey said. Go on
%Oh, it's Jane, all right" Ter
thus said. you see, Jane bought
a twelve gauge shotgun Just about
six weeks ago.