The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-10-05

gTlnlAy. but ne Qldn wait Tor me
10 think up an answer. $50 that's
Wy couldn't keep a finger on
YOU Look here. young lady,
IF you 60 around accusing peo-
pie so freely l don't wonder you
&c: yourself strangled and bat
tered"
Hush" l interrupted desper-
ately. I'D forgotten about that.
l mean, l hadn't thought about
you in connection with it. IL
beg your pardon" / went on in
adequately. You wouldn't have
done thdt-"
The more | talked the more
f1oOred l felt. l was not exactly
making myself clear. But I saw
sort Of grim amusement in
Gerald's eyes.
'You mean | might kill some
one but | would never batter a
lady'S head on the floor" he in
terpreted. We'll, that's not bad
character analysis. | admit I've
never done the latter"
The nurse Uttered. He turned
and gave her a very fshy look.
The missing monocle was prac-
tically visible for a moment. To
my immense satisfaction she ap-
peared to recall that she had
other duties and Withdrew.
And then the implication of
what he had just said made its
way TO my blunted understand
ing. l looked into his eyes and saw
the cold steel there. but | was not
afraid. In that instant of revela-
ton | saw that he could be pitt
less but not unprincipled; that he
could be ruthless. but never in
the service of himself. ~ -..-.1
You must think I'm a fool"
said, feeling my face grow hot.
"YOu're-what are you? Intelli.
gence?"
Department of Justi { e. L
thought you knew, of course. I'm
the one who's a fool, | took it for
granted, that night at FieldStone
Inn. when you made yelled refer
enceS to my masquerade, that
Adam had told you before he left.
That was why he felt safe to 90.
Of course. He thought I'd be able
to look after you. can't say I'm
very proud Of myStlf-"
The Randy Case
YOU mean Adam knew all
L along?" demanded indig-
nantly.
Not at first. l found out he's
only been here since July, so |
told him, the night we found
Ivan. No one else knew, not even
Colonel Pennant until after San
dra was killed. He asked for a
federal man to investigate, and as
l was already here, | identified
myself. | came originally for
quite another purpose. Suppose l
tell you a story"
He drew up a chair, offered me
a cigarette which | decided to
chance, and, sitting with the easy
poiSe of man who is never COM
pletely off guard, began to talk.
you already know parts of the
story. You'read. about it in the
newspapers, and Adam says he
discussed it with you at the beach
party. I'll begin at the beginning
and tell you what the papers
never knew.
In June the Randy child was
stolen-a little golden haired girl.
the only grandchild of a man
who, in his lifetime. has made
many millions and many enemies.
| was one Of the operatives who
worked on the case. Disguised as
the Randy butler-an old Cock
ney who has been with them for
years. deliver. d the
ransom in person a few hours be-
fore the child was returned.
met the kidnaper. talked to him
in the dark of a deserted side
road about twenty miles from
here. | didn't hear mis- voice-he
spoke only in whispers. l dared
not kill him as | would have liked
70 do. But 1 did take a dreadful
chance. l flashed a light in his
face"
You might have been killed."
I protested.
He wasn't likely TO risk a shot
and remember, / was a bent old
man. No. the chance l took was in
rIshlng the child'S life. | ganlbled
on his being masked, which he
proved TO be. He must have felt
perfectly safe. Until long after
ward. when he remembered his
instructive gesture of self-protec-
ton. He put out his hand to cover
the beam of light. and his hands
were bare. had wiped the fash
light clean. He left a beautiful set
Of prints"
That was clever!"
But useless. The fingerprints
were not on file. He took the ran
som and the child was returned
unframed. And somehow he gave
us the slip. So we had to begin
again"
But what did you have to 60
on?"
About what we usually have
the ransom note, the numbers
of the bills and the victims own
story. As soon as the little girl
was over her fright l made friends
with her and got her to tell me
everything she could remember.
It was uphill work. She's only
five. She may have been kept
drugged a good bit of the time,
and at no time could she see very
well. ! got to the bottom of that
before I was through, but in the
meantime she remembered one
thing that was to be our only real
clue. She said that where they
kept her. somebody blew a horn,
To be continued