The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-04-25
Chapter l6
Night Vigil


% :. Chapter l6 Lli83It
Night Vigil . YI,ntf
THE Brinleys and Weston both
l. lived near the center ofEthe
town, and the troopers whom Lahe
had selected both assured Asey
that they would look out for any
emergency.
81 loo after the fronts" one
said, "Bif takes the rears. Well
see to everything"
That's that" Hamilton said to
Asey as they got into the car.
whats behind this. a crank?
Sounds like one"
81 thought that way at first, I"
Asey said, "but it's too bright for
a crank in some ways, an not
bright enough in others. Besides,
cranks like publicity. been kind
OF waitin' today to see if some hint
of this crept out. But it amt. No
ones questioned Mary Randall's
goin' to New York to see sick
cousin. No talk. no gossip F.there
had been. I'd have said crank.
Lets drive around ito, SHADES
place. an see if he's beed there. I"
The door was still open. Asey
went in and made for the ice box.
"If he's drepped-aha" he said.
"Slade is alive an kickin', an he's
had some milk an eaten up some
odds an ends. Taken his money
out, too. Now, let's look into the
clothes situation"
The new white hannels and blue
coat were still on the unmade bed.
"He's not bein' formal, anyway"
Asey said San here on the floor
is the flannel shirt an dunga-ees
he had on last night. These weren't
here this mornin'. Ham, I should
of lett someone here. Let's look at
the closet"
He peered so long a: SHADES
wardrobe that Hamilton became
impatient.
Taking inventory"
Nope. Ham, I'm awful dumb.
He took dark suit an felt hat.
An the lad who busted into Wes-
toms Office tonight had on a dark
suit an felt hat. In this weather,
with the whole populace in light
clothes, an wearin' straws an
panamas. an yachtin caps, that's
Just a little odd"
Think it was Slade? Say, Asey,
what about fingerprints? Think of
them at the hall?"
81 did, an so did he. He wasn't
much of a burglar, bus the door
an the top of Weston's desk an
everythin' else he touched was
wiped off nic'n neat. Ham, I'm
droppin' you off at the Town hall,
an you rouSt up someone to stay
here Take one of the two at the
hall-they got car there? Well,
drive one up here. an you take his
place"
Hamilton protested. "hnd leave
you care ening around the coun-
tryside? / don't like to, Asey.
Everyone knows your Car, and
with this fellow loose"
Don't worry about me. Tell
you what, though. Get Lane, an
have him park here in this shack
tonight. Men after you brought
him here, come over to the hollow.
] want to see If everythin's all
right there. Somehow I'm uneasy
about that place"
"So':n l." Hamilton said. "All
right. I'll get Lane. and then fol-
low you up. Asey. where are we
getting in this meSs?"
Asey sighed.
Reasonably Masculine
ITO TELL you the truth, don't
Il know. This seems to me the
jerkieSt thing. We know we're on
guard against somethin'. but we
don't knew what. Everythin's
scattered around. Disconnected.
We got a murder, an two b1obS of
deer ball They're worth Rethin'
as clues. Nothin' we can tell about
'em, except that someone fired 'em
out of a shotgun. Just shotgun,
no special one. Just someone, no
special someone. We can assume
it's a man. Deer ball is reasonably
masculine. We can assume Mary
Randall found out what he was
up to. What she found an what
he's up to are both mysteries to
me. Somethin' TO do with this in
fernal town. That's all there is.
What I'd give for somethin' to
stick my teeth into, an chaw ont
This is just like pickin' at chicken
bones or lobster claws when what
you want is a good hunk of porter
housei"
He wondered as he sped along
after leaving Hamilton, If il really
could have been Slade who broke
into the Office. If it had been, what
did he want? And If it was some
one else, who was IL? He felt sure
that this intruder was not the
person who had killed Mary Ran
dali That man didn't do amateur,
bungling jobs when it came to
murder, so why should he be ANA
teur and bungfing when it came to
burglary? And particularly in .
building full Of people, any one