The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-04-07
OLD HOME WEEK MURDER
by Phoebe Atwood Taylor

Via home week, weston SAID
bitterly, twisting his tie back in
place. 'Old Home Week"
Asey sighed. Sometimes ne
wished that the Billingsgate
branch of the family were not
quite so obtuse. The towns forth
coming celebration was not news.
Not at least. to anyone on the Cape
who possessed even d rudimentary
use OF ears or eyes. Billingsgate
Old Home Week posters were
tackled on practically every scrub
pine. Old Home Week news blared
from radios and loud speaker
trucks. and everyone had been
talking about it constantly for at
least eight months.
'Uh-huh." Asey said. II know.
! sort of heard about it. Three
hundred years of Billingsgate, an
how it grew. With frostin', an
early 5ettlers--say. hear you got
ole Winslow Billings washed an
scrubbed an sobered up. I'd be
kind of wary about displayin' the
last Billings. They're a slow but
hard rilin' family"
'Brinkley's idea" Weston said.
"ASey. listen to me. / called in
state cops. The towns full ofem.
/ got extra constables to handle
traffic and crowds and all | got
extra fire wardens. and fire volun-
teers. and extra coast guards and
life guards. / got the Boy Scouts
and the Legion all lined up. and
then | got dozen good solid men
! know. all armed and posted and
ready. / s'pose." he added thought
fully. 81 could get that destroyer
up from P-town. if pulled
enough wires. I'd like
Specifically" Asey inquired
with chuckle. what are you ex-
pectin' cousin? Fires or riots. or
just war;"
you see." Weston went on seri-
ously. shat fool Brinley-J. Ar
thur Brinley. he thought this Old
Home Week up. and Uncle jeff
Leach ana me. we thought it
seemed good idea The three of
US seleetmen- we pushed it
through. 1t was good, and it still
is Only is got too big. It's got
beyond Is. That's why / called you
over. Asey. Mostly I'm mad, but
I'm scared. too" He hesitated. 81
Il guess. I'm pretty scared"
Asey looked at his cousin. then
took his pipe out of his mouth and
transferred his attention to the
bowl
When one of his family. his own
family. confessed to being afraid
of something. there was no sense
to oh-ing and ah-ing and dallying
around with useless questions.
Weston Mayhem and the rest of
the Billingsgate relatives might
spell their name the old = ay, but
they were none the less Mayos.
They had all the physical hall
marks. Even sitting at a select
mans desk for fifteen years hadn't
hurt Weston's waistline. He was
tall and lean like the rest. There
were mental likenesses. too. The
Mayos thorght quickly and to
the point. None of them we're
easily moved. but once moved,
they went into action. To the best
of Asey's nowledge. there were
few towards in the lot. and Weston
was not among them. His jugful
of war medals and his record in
France proved that
Fix Up This Ness
VET here was Weston. ramping
L and yelling. Aroused, but
differing. And not just differing,
but admittedly afraid
@And the trouble" Weston said
plaintively. us that ! haven't the
time to be scared in. This Old
Home Weeks got to 60 over with
a bang. Now. Asey, your name
means a lot. People know all
about you, and the cases you've
solved and detected and all, and
the chances are that your just be-
ing here'n stop this mess. It won't
take even a week, either. Just
from tomorrow. Tuesday, until
next Sunday night. PHI pay you
myself, and make you honorary
chief of police, or something"
Lets get this straight" Asey
interrupted. 81 got il as fairs your
bein' scared. Men kind of lost
track. Where do ! come in?"
4As chief of police. or some
thing" Weston said. you can ham
die everything. Therel" he leaned
back against the blue leather seat
cushion. 9Whewl Am glad to get
that settled Now, hustle back to
the Town Hall. Now this'S off my