The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-04-27
Chapter 10
Blackmailer

Chapter 10
Blackmailer
THAT is very crudely put" Ter
1 thus said. But what, on the
other hand, is fifty thousand to you
and Zeb? Chicken feed. Now,
Mayo, let's stop skirmishing. You
can't arrest me. You know you
can't"
Konrad rubbed his forehead. He
was plainly bewildered. He won
dered to himself who was the
crazier, this hick detective that
was supposed to be so hot, or the
burglar who wasn't acting at all
the way burglar should act. par
ticularly when caught in the act of
burgling.
"How d'you figure that?" Asey
asked.
@Can you prove ! entered the
"You was careful" Asey adj
nnitted, about prints"
"And will you tell me how this
cop can identify his assailant as
me?"
"Say," Konrad said, 81 know"
Maybe you do" Asey said, "but
did you actually see who throttled
you? No. There you are"
Have taken anything from
this place? Did you find on me
anything belonging to Mary RAM
dali? See? If you arrest me on any
trumped up charge, I'll blow this
hush hush business higher than a
kite. II you just let me loose, and
forget this fifty thousand, it'll be
worse than that"
Konrad turned to Asey. "Can't
you get him for the murder?
How'd he know about it? If no one
knows, and he does, didn't he do
it," The problem had been both
ering him.
Unfortunately, Tertius was on
q ferris wheel at the time, an
steen thousand people know it.
includin' Tertius.'
Think fast. Mayo" Tertius said.
Think fast"
Asey strolled over to the oak
chest. sat down and began to
laugh.
Whats so funny?" Tertius was
irritated by the sound.
Tertius," Asey said. did you
ever hear tell of possession?
There's coarse, Grass old adage
that says possession is nine points
Of the law. l admit what you can do
TO us if we keep you or let you 90.
But that don't alter the fact. we
got you"
Embarrassing possession" Ter
thus said. "You can't keep me in
your pocket. Or leave me here.
Think of the long autumn evenings
ahead"
with the frost on the pumkin
an you a'moulderin' on the floor.
] been considerin' that, an / Just
found the solution" Asey said.
you went on the Porter yacht
once, didn't you? Aha. You do re-
call that? Gets you little green 10
think about it. don't it? An how
they had to put back to port an
let you of. with you so weak from
seasickness you couldn't even
walk. Had to be carried off in a
stretcher. Well, Tertius, over to
my wharf got nice motor boat.
All set to 60, cause / was intendin'
TO take weeks fishin' trip. call
her the Rock an Roll She's nice
boat, an I'm sure you'll be real
happy on her. My cousin Syl an
his brother Alf-what's that?"
Hes A Pulp
TERTIUS face was a horrible
= greenish white.
"You can'tl You can't do that,
it's kidnappingl"
well, really" Asey said, 81 can't
see it's any more kidnappin' than
what you was doin' here tonight
was burglarin'l You said couldn't
call you a burglar. I'm sure you
wouldn't want to call me kid
napperl Why, perish the horrid
thought Course, you're a black
mailer, really, amt your"
Tertius' mouth was working.
"He's going to have a fiji" Kon-
rad was alarmed. Say. he's froth-
ingI'
Hell froth more, after two
weeks on the Rock an Roll
You're an amiable blackmailer,
Tertius, but adjectives don't make
much difference. How about it,"
Helplessly, Tertius tugged at his
bonds and writhed around on the
floor.
"Come, come" Asey said i'm
patiently, answer mel You're a
blaclxmailer, amt you?s
He repeated the question until
Tertius admitted with a sob that
he was a blackmailer.
Zine, now we're gettin' some
place. Sit up, an stop this nom
sense. You been tellin' me where
to get of. an now Pm goin' to tell
you Do you want to spend an in
definite period on the Rock an
Rolr7 All right. Bear that craft in
mind, feller. If you don't want an
extended cruise, you sit up an an
swer my questions, an answer'em
truthful-what Is IL. Konrad?"
Whats got into him? He's sick
he's a pulpl What happened7"
@Just seasickness. He near dies
of It I'm glad finally remembered
all the yarns about him. Now, Ter
tuis. goln' criisin' or not?"
splendid. How did you know