The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-09-25
80
Conviction of Guih

la = Important nc SAID
gravely when | had finished.
"You see what it means. don't
you? That Ivan was probably
killed before the rest of you left
the beach-during the time when
everyone was scattered. As | un-
derStaad it. the men all went Of
alone-first Adam, then Gerald
or the chaplain. and finally JEFF.
You three girls were together,
which gives you an alibi - not
that anyone would seriously con-
slider that one of you would have
killed Ivan"
"Sandra could have killed him
before she left the barge" ]
pointed out. But it was a purely
academic observation. S a n DIR a
herself had been murdered.
"Of course there is the posi-
billty which someone has sug-
geSted." he went on, that Ivan
deliberately rem aimed at the
b e en- to keep an appoint
ment-"
Il was coming to that" / said
mlSerably. / had committed my
self TO telling him the whole
truth, but | knew that what. was
ming was pure dynamite.
There was that car
Can you place the time you
heard the carr" he asked, uncon-
sciOuSly granting me a reprieve.
1t was soon after eleven. |
heard taps as we were driving
back out there for our swim"
He asked me 20 describe again
just what we had heard and seen.
| told of the arrival of the car,
the sound of a single door SIAM
ming, the dim sight of someone
moving on the barge. the brief
wait. then the car door again and
the repeated whine of the starter.
And while we were dressing
Julia told me- Colonel Pen
nant, ! hope you won't think I'm
just trying to make trouble. But
| said | was going 10 tell you ev-
erything- And Julia can deny it
now all she likes. I'm positive she
told me it was Minis car; that
they had been having trouble
starting it"
His eyebrows lifted. but he did
not snUb me as | had been afraid
he would do. Instead. he got 10
his feet and went over TO the door
where ne pressed an old-faSh-
Toned bell push that | could hear
ring in the kitchen regions.
Well ask Mimi if she knows
anything about it." he said easily
Cora came TO the door pres
emily. and he asked her tn see If
Mrs. Pennant was IN her room
and if she was to ask her 10 come
down
Now about Sandra being
killed IN your room" he bc-
gan.
! told him then, reServing moth
ing, of Sandra's admission 10 me
that she was afraid of jeff. of the
bruise she had shown me. and of
the fact that she had shared my
room since their marriage
By the time | was through
was frightened by the weight of
the case | had made out against
JEFF | had not thoroughly COM
pretended It myself until | put il
into words. And when went
back and told of the encounter at
FieldStOne Inn. ard Sandra'S D
parent conviction that jeff had
seen her with Ivan on the barge.
and her blunt reminder OF rae
time jeff had knocked ivan ToWn
i looked at Colonel Pm lau'
then and saw with a sick <e"se 81
remOrse what had oeen Lnwel-
come suspicion on his part vas
now a conviction of Jefs guilt
Well. maybe he was guilty
julia might never believe it.
might never forgive me Gar what
had just done. But if he was
innocent I'm ct ing would
something must come to light 10
prove it, And If ae was guilty
there was No use IN Withholding
damning evidence.
Craven of Me
MIMI came in then. looking
IfI rather drawn and tired in
spite of the fact that she had OBJ
viouSly been asleep. She had on
a fresh frock and her hair was
neat, but her face was flushed
like baby's when il first wakes
up, and her eyelids looked heavy
Colonel Pennant repeated to
her what | had said about the
car. and she sat down rather
abruptly.
Its only fair to tell you. /
put in hastily, that Julia doesn't
remember saying any Suca thing
It's possible that she merely AID
she'd been having trouble start
ing your car recently"
No doubt il was craven Of me-,
but / would have given a lot to
back out of this particular situa-
ton.
Julia ought to know the sound
of my car" Mimi said with me-
chanical courtesy. And Pm sure
she must have said il if you think
so, Kay. But / certainly did not
90 back out to the beach that
night, or any other night. / would
have been afraid to. after the
things that have been happening
around here"
Suppose you tell us just what
you did after we left the beach,
H-lnl no-Hnnk r,rrA u n1anc-