The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-10-03
Chapter 40
Lovers Return

Lover RcIurn
THE corridor was not quite
Il dark. A dim light had been
left burning on the cross hall
that led to the lounge, and a
small fanlight over the side door
let in a little light from the
street. To my left, not more than
a dozen steps away. was the door
to my rooms. Directly opposite
Felicia's door and mine were
those of two empty guest rooms
which | knew were kept locked
when they were not in use. To
my right, beyond Felicia's room,
and beyond he cross h a ii.
stretched a double row of crypt
cally closed d5ors. Now that San
dra and jeff were gone. only one
other room IN this wing was oc-
cupied. and that by the chaplain
Gerald was upstairs somewhere.
among the bachelors.
There was no one in sight in
either direction Nevertheless that
strange chill persisted told my
self that | hal imagined the
creaks and rUStles, the click of
the door latca. ] hdd to get thai
manuscript It would take me
only a moment. | would simply
unlock the case, open it. extract
the manila envelope and bring it
back to Felicla's room to read.
It was nonsense to suppose that
| was in any danger
Clasping ny pocketbook tight
ly in hands that were suddenly
damp, edged along the wall that
distance of twelve steps. found
the knob Of the other door and
pulled myself toward 1t as if |
were walking a tight rope was
tempted TO turn back as | faced
the mystery of what might lie
"ithin tfat closed room. but |
listened as yell as | could above
the hammering f my heart. and
heard nothing: so presently. re-
buking myself for a coward, |
turned the knob and swung the
door wide
There was no light. no sound
within the room. Fearfully I
pressed the switch and inspected
the light-hO0ded room. not neg
lecting to peep through the crack
behind the Wlde-swung door.
had been fooled by that just once
in my life. and it had been a
costly error.
There was no one there.
crossed the room on light steps.
leaving the corridor door open
behind ne. and repeated my
maneuvers in the bedroom. |
looked under the d ism anti e d
beds; looked m the closet: |
looked IN the bathroom. There
was no one in the suite.
Feeling cor sidarably better.
went back into the sitting room.
closed and licked the corridor
door and switched off the over
head light There was small.
shaded lamp on the table had
turned that on instead, after pull
ing down the thick blinds of the
sitting-roOm windows. Then
closed the door to the dark bed
room and. reasonably safe from
interruption. unlocked the ward
robe case and got out the manu-
script
1t was just where l had left it.
the seal still unbroken. carried
it over to the table. sat down
facing tn corridor door, and pre-
pared to open it. | had thought
better of NY resolution to return
with IT 10 Felicia'S room. | did
not want her waking up and
coming IN on me with her ever
lasting curiosity. For the matter of
that. how did I know I dared trust
her? | was in no mood to rust
anyone.
And suddenly | saw Sandra's
notebook.
Rear Vision
TT was lying on the table, just
beyond the lamp. On top of
some magazines I intended to
give the orderly. Where jeff had
found it; where ! had looked for
il in vain when l returned from
the hospital
If il had been a coiled snake |
could not have felt a more fas-
cinated horror. Then someone hud
been in this room since | left it,
| forced myself to reach for it
but as | drew it toward me / felt
a sudden consciousness of the spot
between my skou' der blades that
acts as a third eye. glanced ner-
vouSly behind me. but there was
nothing there-nOthing but the
closed door TO the bedroom which
had just thoroughly searched.
Don't be a fool" | muttered
Grossly But l reflected that if
human beings were cars someone
would long ago have contrived for
them some form of rear vision.
Rear vision
Why not contrive a little of my
own?
There was a fair-sized mirror
set into the inner side of the flap
of my pocketbeok-one of those
envelope-shaped Affairs. turned
it inside out and propped if
against the lamp so that the mir
ror reflected the knob of the bed
room door.
l still have that pocketbook. /
expect to will it 20 my grandchil-
dren. II any. For if they ever
have any existence. they will owe
II IN that y1,ir-or Without -