The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-12-08
Chapter II
Somewhere In Between


MICHAEL spoke suddenly
A Lets forget all this conjec-
turing, and guessing. Let's gel
what we know organized-down
on paper. Then we've got some
thing to work on. I'm getting fed
up with fiddling about"
"Motives?" queried his father.
where are you going to start?"
Bunny wanted to know. Whose
motives? The diamond hunters, if
any, the murderers, if any, or
what have your"
"The Professor" Michael said.
IF any, of course"
TITS like button button, who's
got the button?'" Tuck muir
INJURED.
Michael threw her a cold glance.
"Levity from here on is out"
he said decisively. "Now we start.
This thing probably isn't much of
a mystery at all. There's no use
keeping on with all this suspicion
If we're barking up the wrong
tree, if there isn't any tree. Sup
posing we start at the beginning,
and think about Murchison him
self. He's gone. This letter appar-
emily clears up the question of his
whereabouts, but we'll forget
about that letter. Why did he go?"
The District Attorney tapped his
pipe thoughtfully. He glanced up
at his son, but said nothing.
First" Michael went on, "his
wife says he probably went off to
some remote laboratory to con-
duct some obscure experiment"
What experiment." Bunny de-
rnanded. "Why couldn't he con-
duct it here?"
THAT doesn't really bother me-
said Michael; "the question is,
what lab? AS far as I'm concerned,
that first possibility is out"
There are labs in Chicago"
Tuck said tentatively. ,t ..
Michael frowned. 81 suppose !
may as well own up" he said, 81
do not believe in that letter for a
moment. In the first place, it was
worded too vaguely. He merely
said, in two sentences, that he was
not returning to her, and perhaps
she would understand. He didn't
say where he was going or what
he was going to do. He told her
TO forget him."
"And does she understand"
"She says she doesn't. Although
J snella herring there, too. A very
bright red herring. But the real
question in my mind is-why did
he waitIfor six weeks to mail that
letter? Can you answer me that?"
The District Attorney nodded to
himself. Michael answered his
own question, looking down into
the interested eyes turned to his
face. 49, .---- -.. e.et
Because" he said, che didn't"
Didn't wait six weekS?"
" Didn't mail that letter."
What do you mean, Michael?
II was in his own handwriting"
Yes, but-when did he write
ii? Before he went, or just before
he mailed it?"
you think he might have left
that note for her? That she had it
all the time and then !. :"
Tuck's mind was following out the
steps. Her eyes shone.
Eyes. And, has the lady any
friends in Chicago? Suddenly, you
see, she feels that she has to ex-
plain the Professors absence.
Things are getting unpleasant
or she wants the police out. Per-
haps getting them in was only a
gesture. So, she gets the bright idea
of dating this letter-the date was
printed, by the way, and the ex-
pert is almost ready to swear it's
Murchison's hand but not quite
dating it, sending it to some friend
in Chicago with instructions to
mail il back to her. Simple. The
Professors absence quite SatiSfac-
torily explained, and the police
called off,"
- Three Reasons
ND what precipitated this bit
"A of finesse, Michael?" the
District Attorney wanted to know.
Michael shrugged his shoulders.
Perhaps she really heard from
the Professor and he gave her the
devil for starting this search" He
avoided his fathers eyes.
"Or perhaps she discovered that
the diamonds were really here in
the house, and she wanted to get
them" Tuck said.
"And more likely" Bunny add
ed, "she began to think the police
were finding out too much. The
key question in my mind is, of
course, what happened to the Pro-
lessor? Where does he give her
the devil from? How did he get
there? ] think you're guessing
there, Michael"
"Well, perhaps. Next, then;
supposing the letter is authentic,
He may have gone of with a lady
friend"
we've talked about that" Tuck
objected. "It's no use going over
it again"
Mot any. Very well, then.
There's something we haven't
discussed. They say there are usu-
ally three reasons for a mans dis
appearing. Loss of memory. which