The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-01-11
THE ARMY POST MURDERS
= Nv Eir0iHin Hnns0a

his head from the stone, were pure
luck, from his viewpoint. And he
must have felt that fate was help
ing him. Otherwise he'd never
have made such desperate, fool
hardy move as the second attack
on Anne"
Attack on Anne!" / said in
credulously. why, I was between
him and the bed the whole time
Arid lucky to be here to tell It."
Adam said grimly. His eyes rested
on mine, he spoke gently. "The
match, child. the match. He kicked
that, lampplug out on purpose. ]
think he was going to throw the
lighted riatch-he was in the SAT-
est spot, on the floor near the door.
I stepped on his hand, match and
all; think at first he believed it
was an accident"
He looked around at our puzzled
faces.
You all know, but you've for
gotten, that normally inert sub.
stances burn violently in oxygen.
She. was in an oxygen tent-a tent
made of oiled silk, with windows
that are not glass but cellul6se
composition--a tent that enclosed
pure oxygen"
The faces around me reflected
my horror. But Shaw, who had not
been there, had not seen that small,
helpless figure, brought us back to
the heart of the puzzle.
"But you haven't told us how he
shot her." he reminded Adam stub
bornly. maybe you know what
you're talking about - maybe
you've learned something you
didn't tell the rest of us. If not, i
say it can't be DONE"
''You all had the same chance /
did," Adam observed amiably. II
don't claim to be very bright; !
missed a lot. He was not as well
covered as he thought he was.
YOU saw him, Shaw, in the aft
ernoon when he fired Elizabeth's
thirty-two in the Service Club. He
had taken it from her car few
minutes. before during the confu.
S1OtA at tIIC pun ilC4o Wl1CAA SUI
fered my ignominious mishap."
'Barney's Ideas
"PARNEY fred it? But I didn't
- see any gun-"
He had just time to hide it be-
fore you appeared. And he had
dropped a light bulb as he fred,
because he knew his sister was
somewhere upstairs, and he
couldn't take a chance of being
caught in the act. Why he fired it
you'll see later.
That second bullet was one
clue. The party itself was another.
Who decided to have it at the Serv-
ice Club? The committee. Who
thought of a balloon danced The
committee. Who decided it should
be a costume affair? The commit
tee. You, Shaw, and Barney were
the committee" il7f 80
He paused interrogatively. ii
''They were all Barney's ideas"
Shaw, admitted. "But still don't
see"
@Itwas on Barney's Instructions,
wasn't lie, that you called the ball
loon dance at eleven o'clock, that
you insisted everyone should join
in, that you announced prize as
special inducement?"
Shaw nodded. evidently at q
loss. az tS h, 49, ~ ~
% 1.-The refreshments were your
responsibility the balloon dance
Barney's. The refreshments, ar
rived, the balloons were provided.
But the prize-where is the prize?
There was no prize. Why? Because
Barney slipped. He knew so well
what was going to happen, knew
that the balloon dance was not
going to end, that no prize would
be needed; knew that 1t was 60.
ing to break up In confusion"
Mrs. Flowers head was NOD.
ding energetieally.
Now you begin to see the
framework. Eleven o'clock. Every.
one inside the ballroom. Lights
low, with that binding colored
wheel confusing everyone. Bal.
looms popping"
And Elizabeth supposed to be
safely out of it, at home with An
ME, thought parenthetically.
He paused, t-1@
did anyone notice Barney and
Anne come in? They were not on
the floor when the dance. started"
No one spoke,
did anyone see her or speak to
her while theya were dancing?"
Several people spoke at once.
"She was dead drunk"
'He was half carrying her"
"She was singing that Tweet-
tweet' thing - couldn't miss it,
she has no ear"
Adam. looked at me. did you see
scrap of leaf mold on the sole Of
her shoe?"
/ nodded.
did you hear them singing to-
gether on the porch?"
I nodded again, and the flesh on
the back of my neck began to