The Key West citizen., 1940-12-17
Chapter %
Real Clue

heaI Olu6
IT THINK that's sort Of silly" I
L said as he came down the lad
der, and they helped me up.
where IS it? Oh yeS"-and with
shaking fingers / removed the
calf = bound volume from the
shelves and climbed back down
again.
The book opened easily in my
hands. The pages thus revealed
showed plainly the imprint of a
marker or paper which was there
no longer.
I shook the book in a kind of
frenzy. rufiing the pages. Some
thing fell out and a joint sigh of
relief went up.
Bob picked up the fallen paper.
It was only a loose page Of the
book itself.
l sat down on the sofa. with
Alice and Claire on either side
and examined the page minutely.
But we were forced to admit that
we could find nothing 20 suggest
the clue Aunt Maggie had lien
toned.
Tears were very near the sur
face as l handed the book to Bob
to replace in its niche. My hopes
had been so high. "Why don't you
all go down to the game room and
have little ping-pong?" | sug-
gested. "It's sweet of you to help,
but | don't believe we are going
to find anything and it is going to
be bad enough for everybody
with the police and everything" J"
Understandingly Claire mar
shaled them out.
"Pll just fold this ladder back
for you" said Bob. lingering be-
hind. As he bent over the table,
an exclamation escaped his lips.
whats this?" he asked.
| walked over to the table and
looked at the slip of paper he
held. Written on it in Aunt Mag
gie'S hand were the words, "Din-
ing-room closet"
Where did you find it?"
asked. struggling for calmneSS.
Here, in the table. You see, the
ladder folds over it."
Excitedly l grabbed the bell
pull. Find Mr.. Bill and tell him
to come to the dining ROOM" |
told Andrew when he appeared.
Tell him to hurry"
False Lead
DOB and l decided Aunt Maggie
- had found whatever clue was
contained in the book on wills.
had made this note and had
dropped it as she climbed down
the ladder. We were in the dining
room itself before | realized there
is no closet in the room.
There were the mahogany side
boards, the end tables against the
wall, the breakfast china cab
met. the fireplace. the two win
dows opening out over the side
driveway, the three doors OPEN
ing respectively into library, hall
and buffers pantry. but no other
door. No sign of any closet any
where.
Bill joined us in the midst of
this fruitleSS inspection. Whats
wrong?" he asked. glancing from
one to the other of us.
I'VE thought we had found
something" | said. exhibiting the
note and explaining how Bob dis
covered it. But it seems to be
just another blind alley"
wait a minute" said Bob.
perhaps it is not meant to be
visible. Claire and | did look in
here for signs of a hidden room,
but found nothing of interest. See,
there's no break in the wallpaper
Such rooms were usually placed
near the fireplace. No. nothing
here" His eyes roamed around
the room Speculatively.
"rve got it," He snapped his
fingers. ITS back of that china
cabinet"
What makes you think so?"
asked Bill, his voice taking on
some of Bob's excitement.
Because. don't you see. a door
could be concealed behind ii. One
of those doors cut into the wall
and without any frame You
know. like somebody cut through
the painting of The Last Sup
per?"
The two men heaved and pushed.
! held my breath as priceless
china tinkled on the shelves and
slid back and forth against the
loaded paneS of glass doors. Bes-
sic came in 10 see what was going
on. Sweet Jesus. Miss Sally. they
gonna break all vo' gran'ma S
chinal" she gaSped.
At last the tall Cabinet stood
away from the wall. But If there
had ever been q door behind II.
no trace remained. The wallpaper
covered an unbroken surface. Bill
and Bob rubbed their hands across
it experimentally in an effort 10
discover a groove. but without re-
suit Deiectedly they moved the
cabinet back into place.
Maybe she meant the kitchen.
l said. without much conviction.
"You know. the kitchen used TO
be the dinning room when the old
kitchen was a SEPARATE building
back OF the house"
But Aunt Maggie knew that. "
Bill argued why would she
write dining room if she meant
kitche1?"
I couldn't answer that: but we
all moved back through the but
ler's pantry. and il was immedi-