The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-09-23
Chapter 81
Evil Spirit

Chapter 81
Evil Spirit
JULIA parked in front of her
house, got out and took my
overnight case from the open
rumble seat.
ut wasn't jeff" she said stub
bornly, and led the way up the
walk.
Mimi, looking pale and fright
ened, met us at the door.
Thank Heaven you're here,
Kay" she said fervently.> Il
wouldn't have had an easy mo-
ment with you alone over there.
Something is terribly wrong on
this post. don't know what il is,
but feel it-something like an
evil spirit roaming about a house
something that doesn't belong
here. An evil Invasion"
Julia was staring at her.
do you by any chance think
these murders are supernatural"
"Of course not. Julia. Don't be
silly. What ! mean is that we're
all quiet, peace-loving people. We
army people"
Contradiction in terms, old
dear. But 60 on. ! know what you
mean"
Il haven't been part of it very
long myself, I know" Mimi went
on with dignity. But it was one
of the first things I noticed when
/ married your father. It's like
! imagine the life must have been
in these religious communities.
The army lives to itself. too, has
its own community of interest and
little reason for contact with the
outside world. We have our own
inside quarrels. but aside from
that we live together in COMPARE
tive peace and harmony. This is
like something that has crept in.
You understand what l mean,
don't you, Kay?"
"Yes, I understand"
understood something else,
too: that Sandra's death was par
ticularly frightening because it
had struck almost within the
charmed circle. And because, say
what she would, suspicion logical
ly pointed to the few members of
the garrison who had known
Sandra well. What had the chap
lain said? Murder is an intimate
thing"
remembered, with little chill.
the way opinion had turned
against me, the outsider. when
murd er had struck at Fort
Ravens. They banded together.
these army people. They stood
back to back when there was
trouble: and it was too bad for
the stranger within their gates.
After they had taken nae to the
guest room-the room Sandra had
occupied until her marriage-and
left me to make myself at home.
reviewed the strangers. realizing
that. except for myself. there
were only two-Gerald and Fe-
licia. Could either of them be the
creeping evil that Mimi had so
chillingly suggested?
Gerald. when he had found
himself in sole charge Of a
tainted female, had carried me
into Fellcla's rooms and brought
me to with the good old fashioned
remedy of plenty of cold water.
externally applied. l had recov-
cred enough to tell him the trou-
BILE when an orderly. looking
scared, put in an appearance
Gerald sent him for Felicia. who
was somewhere in the kitchen
regions in the opposite wing of
the building.
They had looked after me, Fe-
licia and Gerald: Gerald himself
attending to the unpleasant busi-
ness of making sure that Sandra
was past help, then sending for
the doctor and the commanding
officer. | have said that it was
late when ! rose. The officers who
lived in the building had gone to
duty. There were only the three
Of us. the three outsiders, left
with murder.
Felicia, when she heard the
news. had looked as CHASTITY as |
felt. Genuine horror is difficult
to fake. Looking back on it now.
I felt sure she had been unutter-
ably shocked. But Gerald?
Gerald was no longer the pos
turing idiot. His eyes were cold
and wary. his manner business
like. The Glowing was a mask
that he took off, and without it
he seemed hard and ruthless. ]
was suddenly afraid of him.
Like A Wax Model
LIE was in my room what
i seemed q long time before he
went to telephone, but he came
back to Felicia and me to wait
for the doctor and Colonel Pen
,nant.
odd that you heard nothing in
the night" he said in the clipped.
dispassionate accent that belonged
to the strange, new manner, His
eyes. revealing nothing. regarded
me.
"But I did," I told him. sur
prised. There was someone NOV
ing about IN my sitting room.
thought it was Sandra."
"At what timer"