The Key West citizen., 1939-11-28

/ 1HeH we We Deen mere week
without riDp of curiosity
around the place we dropped into"
"What about Miss Lissey?"
There Is that question. Unless
your Imagination -"
Tuck pounded her.fst on the arm.
of her chair. "The next person who
says that to me will get poison IN
his SOUP" she said fatty. "It isn't
Imagination. It's sense. | suppose
next youth say ! imagined Mrs,
Murchison was frightened stiff
| when I.took over that pipe. Or that
Bunny imagined what she said to
her over the phone"
what pipe? Who said to Bunny
over the phone? Said what?"
Tuck and Bunny explained that
together. IN a sort of recitative
duet, one taking up where the
other left of. Michael listened with
I the deepest attention, but he was
most interested in the story of the
pipe.
Can you repeat her exact
words. Tuck?" he asked anxiously.
He had lit a cigarette now, and was
listening with brows squinted to
keep out the smoke.
"She said. Where have you
found it? It is never out of his
hand She has French accent,
you know, that's what's the matter
with her lenses"
Yes or or she really
wonders where he lis. That
thing will take lot Of figuring
out. Tuck: She was very surprised
to see it?"
"She certainly was"
Michael" said bunny suddenly,
locking up at him keenly. There's
one think don't quite get. From
what you've said, there has been
nothing found that would lead the
police to suspect foul play. A mans
disappeared, but lots of men dis
appear and turn up later. He isn't
anybody in particular. Is he? Just
an ordinary person !. it's quite
possible he'll turn up by himself.
That's what his relatives say.
There's no reason why they'd want
him out Of the way that you know
of. 80"
'One Finger Too Many
WELL, BunnyG"
w Then, why have the police
taken such a hold of this case?
What makes them think it's more
than just one more temporarily in
explicable disappearance"
Michael considered. There's one
finger too many in this pie" he
said slowly after minute
There's someone standing on the
edge and watching someone
who isn't supposed to know the
Professor is missing. someone who
sent an anonymous letter to the
police asking WHERE ARE PRO-
FESSOR MURCHISON'S DIA-
MONDS?'
Diamonds" said Tuck incredu-
lously.
diamonds? A university pro-
fesSor with diamonds?" Bunny
echoed.
Even so, my children. But his
wife says he hadn't any. His
brother doesn't know anything
about them. And yet somebody
else hints about them. Is it because
:. does that other person mistrust
Professor Murchison's relatives?
You seer"
Tuck caught her breath. There
was a little silence.
"Then, that's what they might
| have been after here tonight" she
went on in a queer tone. 'Dia-
monds."
Michael looked about him.
Hardly. honey. Not in a prosaic
house in the twentieth century. |
doubt if there are any diamonds.
Only. I'd like to know who wrote
that letter"
well. Michael if they
weren't after diamonds, what
were they after?"
Michael got up and went over to
/ the big desk before he spoke.
Where did you find that pipe.
Tuck?" he asked.
/ She went over beside him. The
right hand side of the desk was a
row OF drawers. Above them. Just
underneath the top of the desk.
was board resting in the groove
made for it Tuck pulled it out a
| little way, then pressed little
catch and pushed it back again.
Beneath It was disclosed shallow
drawer, little more than a pencil
tray, perhaps an inch and a half
deep. In it lay ruler, half dozen
pencil stubs and some Wads of torn
paper.
There" she said, ''lying in that
drawer. You can see the mark
where it burned the wood"
Michael bent and examined it.
Burned the wood he said softly
to himself.
He stepped back. sat down in the
big chair before the desk and
reached out his hand to the drawer.
It was Just at comfortable dis
lance.
! 1T means it dropped in there
while it was burning, doesn't it,
Michael?" Tuck said very quietly
I Dropped in there while il was
burning ;. and then he never took
it out again. Why? A pipe that was
never out of his hand. What Jour.
ney did he 60 on so suddenly that
night that he didn't think to pick
it up?"
| There was silence.
! Michael pulled the little drawer
out farther and looked in, as if the
answer to his question might lie
| there. Nothing but those pencils
and the ruler, and Q wad of torn
newspaper. Absently he picked up
the wad of paper and spread ii out
between his fingers.
! II was as If he had had his ques-
ton answered at the moment. For