The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-01-02
THE ARMY POST MURDERS
i. Rv VIRGINIA Hanson

exploring the skull with sensitive,
practiced fingers.
"Slight confusion on the side Of
the head" he observed suddenly.
mo fracture that I can find"
Enough to knock him out?"
Adam asked.
lizard to tell. He might have
fainted-did it once before this
summer-struck his head on some.
thing when he fell"
He applied the stethoscope
again, dropped it with a dissatiS.
fed expression.
Barney came out Of it suddenly,
like these people who wake all at
once and jump out of bed with all
their faculties. He sat up, glanced
from Adam to the doctor, said,
whats happened?"
you're asking us?"
Adam fetched bed pillow from
the other room, and over his pro-
tests they forced him to lie down
again.
whats under me?" he asked
fretfully, writing a hand under
the small of his back. It came out
clutching something which he SUBJ
jected to puzzled scrutiny. where
did that come from?"
Adam whistled softly. I craned
for glimpse.
It was a smooth stone, white
washed, smoke smudged.
"That accounts for your faint"
observed Adam grimly. Quarter
of an inch to one side and you
wouldn't. be asking what hap
pened."
Barney stared. "What are you
talking about?"
'Mean to say you don't remem-
Der this thing hitting your"
Nothing hit me-" Barney pro-
tested irritably. 81 couldn't sleep
-dozed off, woke up-too hot in
here. got up, put on my dressing
gown, was going to look for you.
Then saw Flower had forgotten
to open this front window. It
stuck, but I got it open, was reach
ing for that screen to put in when
I passed out cold" He appealed to
the doctor. "Just like the other
time.
Two Something's
"VOU probably didn't know what
L hit you," Adam said soothing
ly. "Open window-you were right
in front of it."
But Doc Moore was regarding
him with a bright, professional
eye. "The window stuck, you say?"
yes; I tell you nothing hit me-"
he insisted.
Then where did that stone come
from?" Adam asked sensibly.
Barney said, Search me-" sat UP
and began looking casually around
the room. His hand explored his
dressing-robe pocket, his glance
roved.
The notebook-he had missed IL,
was looking for it. But he said
nothing, and neither did Adam.
Barney observed me suddenly.
His eyes had passed back and forth
across me; tn, = now rested on me
in surprise unmixed with welcome.
"I'll wait in the car" I said faint
ly and fled to the hall, feeling
foolish. After all, what was I doing
there?
Adam overlook me.
Put up the car windows and
lock the doors. I'll be with you in
a second" Z.
Don't worry about me-the
murderer had one good chance to
eliminate me and didn't"
Don't be a fool" Adam retorted.
''This murder business grows on
one. Here, keep this. I've a bunch
it can tell us something" And he
thrust the notebook into my hands.
Maybe two something's.
What do you mean?"
"Motive-and who was Ethel
Curtis"
He turned and vanished into
Barney'S rooms.
The downstairs hall was empty
except for Charlie. He was staring
modify at the whitewashed stone
and by no sign betrayed that he
was aware of my presence. I went
past him and out into the night.
The big brownish ambulance
was pulling away from the curb.
shut and locked the car doors
and rolled up the windows, enclos-
ing cube of the sweltering night.
The stars were gone, blanketed by
thick, impenetrable clouds that
hung heavy and low and steaming,
reluctant to let fall one drop on
the suffocating earth.
The night was too long-out Of
it had come too much horror. In
spite of my brave words to Adam
/ was afraid there alone in the
dark. Limp bodies, contorted faces
swan past me in an endless, NOV
ing frieZe - and faces, normal
friendly faces of the people ! had
been with, came at me with muir
derous eyes. Behind some one Of
those Speciously smiling masks
lurked diabolic guilt; and as ! re-
called the nights atrocities ! was
sick with terror and loathing and
with longing for the night to be
done.
FTon,.;cht ,aso us..s.f. n.....a