The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-10-01
Chapter SO
OudptSE DO
The Vanishing Notebook

Hc EdHle0i0S INOIcDOOk
"HOW did you get here?" de-
IL manded.
Walked out" he whispered
back grir|ing sardonically. "Sent
the sentry for a tray and the
darn fool left the door unlocked"
locked"
We'll, you're walking right
back in" l told him grimly. "Of
all the fool stunts Climb out that
bedroom window on the side and
wait for me ii Adams car. Here's
the key to the garage cell And
keep an eye out for the sentry
along the back row.
He did not argue with me.
Maybe he thought if | knew as
much as Sandra l might be equal
ly dangerous. At any rate. he de-
parted informally by the window.
and had just started into the
bedroom to latch the screen after
him when Felicia came in.
Anything l can do?" she asked.
I pretended l was coming out
of the bedroom instead of going
in
mo, thanks. I've been sorting
my papers and just remembered
something | left az the remnants"
said, inventing hastily. I'D bet
ter go for it right now. before
they go to bed. I'll take Adams
car"
What if she should offer to go
with me? l held my breath, but
she didn't. l opened the door and
held it for her. then / turned off
the light and went out, closing
the door behind me-"
Guess I'll get out Of this Cir
de" she said with yawn. "Pll
probably read for a while, but if
I'm asleep when you come in.
your bed is the one farthest from
the door And for gosh sake
don't creep in quietly unless you
want me to wake up and scream
my head off,"
Jeff was sitting dutifully in the
car. backed it out and turned
1t down the row toward the hos
pital.
For a girl, you've got CUTS"
he observed presently. How do
you know I'm not a murderer"
Il don't know it. | hope for
Julia's sake you're not. But walk
ing out of the prison ward tonight
isn't going 10 make matters look
any better for YOU"
IF Dan had put me in arrest
in quarters I would have stayed
there" he said reSentfully. II
guess he really thinks l killed
her. It's funny how few people
viii keep on believing in you
when things look black. Sandra
certainly acted as if she thought
/ killed Ivan. But if she did why
did she mary me?"
Now you're asking something.
You said awhile ago that it wasn't
for love. There aren't many rea-
sons for a woman marrying a
man she doesn't love. and you can
sum them up III one word-gain."
But what would she gain
through me? I haven't anything
but my pay. and she was pretty
well fixed financially. At least she
ought TO have been. You don't
spend twenty thousand dollars in
a couple Of years - not without
having something to show for it."
Painful Subject
Jeff You don't suppose she
- gambled it away on the mar
ket?"
mo. She doesn't know a stock
from a bond"
But did she ever tell you how
it was invested. or how much in
come she haS?"
Not me. l wouldn't have lis
tened. I didn't want anything to
do with II. II my father wanted
her to have it"
, He stopped. but not before bit
terneSS had crept into his voice
again.
I hesitated for a moment, but
something made me pursue the
painful subject.
Julia tells me your father left
you house in Memphis and your
great-grandfather's farm in the
Ozarks."
THE Memphis hoase is so
heavily mortgaged even the bank
won't take il over. And the
Ozark property-maybe you don't
know it. but land up there isn't
worth the paper the deed is writ
ten on. l pay the taxes on it for
sentimental reasons. The old gen.
tleman loved it, and Julia and l
had fun there when we were
kids. There's another nice little
trait of SandTa'S: she never even
saw the place. ut she was plenty
sore when she found out that I've
willed it to Julia. You'd think
she'd be satisfied"
wait a minute" / said. my
breath coming a little uneven.
slowed the car to crawl. Are
you sure that property is worth
leSs?"
mo doubt about nothing
but rocks and hills. Why?"
But is there anything Sandra
might have got hold of that you
didn't know-a railroad, or some
project like Boulder Dam, ; or
oil Oh, I don't know anything
about real estate, but mightn't
there be some reason for Sandra
to think il was valuable?"
you don't dam a brook" he
said. He sounded grimly amused.
Neither do you build railroads