The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-12-21
Chapter 26
Telephone Wire

telephone Wire
a BOUT what time was Ephraim
a over here?" | asked.
He come home about three,
Miss Sally" said Indy. "He come
over here just a little while
But why should he come here
II he knew you were somewhere
else?" | asked Thomas.
Miss Sally, Eph want some
body phone for the doctor man,
that what l think. But l guess he
don't find nobody"
you are sure of the timer"
asked Indy.
"Yesm. cause 1 take that short
cut through the woods to go to
my aunts house and it was after
four when I get there"
Ephralm'S visit, no doubt,
solved the mysterious footsteps in
the kitchen and the door that
slammed when | was upstairs.
did not want to jump to conclu-
sions. but it did. occur; to me
that while Lieutenant Gregory
was conducting his investigati6n
in the office l was probably solv-
ing the murder, much less for
mally, in the dining room. rs
Thomas, why didn't you tell
me about this when l talked to
you this morning?" l asked.
Miss Sally, ma'am, l amt
know till Indy tell me this
morning that Eph been over here.
Anyways. he never come back
here last night, Miss Sally. l was
with him the whole time. But,
Miss Sally, that man l tell you
about SEEM here yesterday,
forgot to tell you he had a long
knife in his hand md he was
1ookin' alb around the house like
he want to cut somebody's
throat"
It seemed to me that could
follow Thomas's train of thought
perfectly, but l asked him to
describe the neutrality-suspicious.
visitor.
HE was a big tall man with a
black muStache, Miss Sally" Well,
the black muStache clinched the
matter. Thomas was merely con-
coctlng a smoke screen. "Why
didn't you tell me this to begin
WITH" l asked.
1T scaped my mind, Miss Sally.
But Epnraim, he amt had nothin'
to do with maxim no trouble over
here. Miss Sally. Eph amt no bad
boy"
Did the doctor ever come"
Strange that DR.. Grace should
pass SO near the house and not
drop it, and on such night. too.
"Yes'n, he CONF. That young
doctor man what help DR.. Grace.
He been here before when my
misery was bad" Thomas ex-
planned. HE say Eph done got
in-in-"
an what?"
well, Miss Sally. seems like he
got cut in a fight. And the place it
amt got well yet. The doctor man
say it in"
Infected? Well. how is he to-
day."
THE doctor man say to keep
him in bed. He still just layin'
there with high fever and don't
know nobody"
What time did the doctor
come last night"
81 don't rightly remember. Miss
Sally. 1t was kind of late. All the
time worry about Epk and think
maybe no doctor not get here at
all on account all that rain. But
finally, here he come"
did you tell the police about
Ephraim. ThomaS?"
''No'm. They never ask me
nothin' about Eph. They just want
to know where Indy is or any
body else that suppose to be
round here. Well, Eph amt sup
pose to be round here. LeastwiSe.
he don't what you'd say live here.
Miss Sally"
"All right, but from now on
think it would be best if we all
tell the police everything we
know. And, Thomas. don't try
telling them more than you know.
Don't 60 making up stories about
men with black muStaches and
long knives, because they will be
sure to catch up with you and
then they won't believe anything
you say"
81 sho' am goin' to tell 'em the
TRUTH" said Indy, giving Thomas
a scornful look.
Enter Bessie
I KNEW exactly what was 60
L ing to do when the door swung
shut behind them. | would tele-
phone DR.. Grace, learn the name
of his assistant and check on the
time he visited Eph raim last
night. That would either give
Ephraim an alibi or place him at
the head of the list of suspects.
But with my hand on the door,
knob. l was halted by Bessie, who
evidently had been waiting for
Thomas and Indy 10 finish their
interview.
She came over close. looked
around in all directions and whis-
pered.. Il done found a clue. Miss
Sally"
What do you mean, clue?" l
asked. Thomas and Ephraim still
on my mind.
ITS somethin' I found" she
went on cautiously. you know
this mornin' when I was maxim