The Key West citizen., 1940-11-30
Chapter Eight
The Grip Of Fear

The Grip OF Fear
I TRIED to tell myself that Eve
L was desperately unhappy and
that this was what made her lash
out at people And that she was
unhappy because she either didn't
know what she wanted or, per-
haps, didn't realize what she
wanted until it belonged to some
one else But, anyway, it would
not mend matters for me to lose
my head. And there was no gain
saying the fact that she was right
about the unhappy consequences
which must follow in the wake
Of murder.
So l said. Bob, don't you think
1t would be a good idea to get
Alice a sip of brandy? VIII any
one else have drink"
Bob brought in a decanter and
glasses from the dining room and
both Alice and Eve took the small
drinks offered. after which he
downed two quite large ones HIM
self. And now if you girls viii
excuse me a moment" he said,
I'll 90 upstairs and get my pipe y
Hurry back" Alice told him,
obviously braced by the brandy.
''That awful pipe" Eve chided.
Hasn't Claire made you throw it
away yet?"
Bob pretended not to hear as he
passed through the doorway, and
we all settled down in silent
gloom before the fire. Claire lit a
cigarette and it was then l no.
ticed where Eve had tossed sew
eral half-Smoked ones TO the
hearth. their tips smeared with
IpStick. There were plenty of ash
trays about and. although | knew
her careleSSneSS was due to natu-
raj nervousness under the cir
cumstanceS. it did bring back
Aunt Maggie's remark about the
imDossibility of being what she
called "well born" at the age of
thirty.
And that made me think of
something else Of Ewes threat
when Aunt Maggie spoke of 60
ing to Ewes divorced husband.
And of their later passage-at-
arms in the library. Yet believed
at the time and | believed now
that Eve had not meant her threat
literally.
And so we sat and stared into
the fire.
"Golly." Eve calculated finally.
what a pleasant little party this
turned out 10 be-"
l. was on the tip Of my tongue
10 remind her that she had invited
herself. but decided again that
we had enough trouble on hand
without letting Eve stir up more.
From the Wav Alice looked at her.
! knew she also would like to tell
Eve this and plenty besides. But
she restrained herself and, shiv-
erlng slightly. inquired instead.
WHY doesn't Bob come back?"
It did seem that Bob had been
gone rather longer than his er-
rand required. but just as / was
about to say that he no doubt
would be along in a moment
every light in the house went out.
plunging the library into dark
ness relieved, onlv by the glow of
the Goals in the fireplace.
Alice eam e d. Eve said
Damn" and Claire and l. both
reaching cut to clasp hands with
Alice. found that our own hands
had come together instead.
There are matches on the
table" ! said. gr0Ding. for them in
the darkness. As I lighted the
candles on the mantel and table
and secretary to fi;ckering flames,
Eve stirred up the Goals and put
another log on the fire.
Light At Last
'TIIHAT the devil do you sup
w pose has happened now?"
she asked.
IT'S the murderer" Alice
whimpered. We'll all have our
heads cut off,"
Well. that's no reason why we
should lose them beforehand"
snapped Eve. Anyway. it is prob
ably only this damned storm"
'YeS." fastened to agree. "Of
course. it is the storm. don't sup
pose Bob will ever be able to find
his way down from upstairs. At
ter this / shall certainly provide
flashlights for every room"
Eve smiled one of her cryptic
smiles and said nothing; but l
gathered that what I did about
flashlights in the future was Of
small interest to her. as she OBJ
viously did not intend to be
among those present.
"You can call it the storm. if
you like" Alice quavered, but
after all. Aunt Maggie was mur-
dered. Then there's the telephone.
And now the lights"
And there is still more that you
don't know about I thought, as
Kirk and Bill came in through
the dining-room door. Bill carry
ing one OF the big silver can
delabra from the dining room,
which he carefully deposited be-
side the candlesticks on the Sec
retary.
Eve told Andrew to take the
station wagon and 60 to Roswell
and report what has happened"
he said. at seemed the most prac-
tical thing to do. knew we would
all feel better when somebody