The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-12-30
Grilling Kirk

1 piled, disappearing through
the door and returning a few mo-
mentS later with a dark blue
llama-cleth topcoat. Bill and
looked at it and then at each
other.
81 take it you recognize the
coat" Lieutenant Gregory OBJ
served.
Certainly" said Bill. "After
all, there were only two coats be-
sides my own and both worn by
men see frequently"
'Then it is not your coat?"
'Tt IS Kirk Pierce's coat" Bill
told him. Naturally l am aware
that you could easily establish
this fact without my telling you"
Anderson" Lieutenant Greg
DRY instructed, please ask MIR.
Pierce to step here"
Kirk came in, looking puzzled,
but interested too. suppose it
had been pretty boring, Just sit
ting around waiting or trying TO
make conversation with Alice. He
glanced about the room in that
quick way of his. Sally" he said,
nodding in my direction, then sat
down in the chair Anderson
pushed forward for him. His eye
caught sight of the coat thrown
over a chair slightly in the back
ground Looks like my coat" he
observed casually. but guess
not. Hung mine in the closet"
at is your coat" Lieutenant
Gregory told him. We brought it
In here because of something in
one of the pockets. Would you
have an idea what that would be,
Mr.. Pierce?"
Gould be most anything. 1
should think" grinned Kirk.
"Gloves. Gig cites. Papers.
Handkerchief. Rolls of camera
film. Might even find cigar"
NO." said Lieutenant Gregory.
Guess again"
Kirk turned to me. Not the
clue, Sally?"
."oh, no" I answered. 81 only
wish it were"
'Mr. Pierce" said Lieutenant
Gregory. have you seen this
piece Of wire before?"
Kirk looked at the wire blank
ly. Looks like a piece of tele-
phone wire to me-" he said. No, if
have seen it before, 1 am not
aware of the fact"
You did not put it in the poe
ket of your coat?"
I'm afraid 1 am past tie age
for collecting pieces of wire, Lieu
tenant" he replied, smiling.
This is a serious situation, Mr..
Pierce" he was rebuked. THE
sooner you and the others here re-
aliZe that fact. the better. We are
trying to clear up a murder"
Kirk instantly wiped the smile
from his face. I assure vou that
you have my entire cooperation. Z"
he said.
Perhaps then You will tell ne
what you know about the events
o. last night"
Kirk raised his black eyebrows.
81 know nothing" he said. eek
cept that l thought l heard some
sort of cOmmOtion and came up
from the game room to that little
room at the head Of the stairs"
And what did you find when
you came upStairs?"
Practically everybody els e
crowded together and Mrs. Am
bier on the floor"
Aside from the fact that Mrs.
Amber was dead, did you notice
anything else that struck you as
unusual?"
Kirk hesitated for a moment, as
though trying to recall the scene
IN all its details. NO" he answer
ed. Il don't think So"
Before or since that time. have
you seen anything which might
shed some light on the situation?"
Nothing that would shed any
Ight-no."
BE more definite. please. You
saw something which"
The Scream
saw a door open and close with
L apparently no one behind il, 4"
said Kirk. AT least found no
one. Mrs: Stuart was with me at
the time"
Yes" I nodded. Tive already
told them"
Have you any suspicious with
regard TO the identity OF the muir
derer. Mr.. Pierce?" Lieutenant
Gregory questioned.
i have not" said Kirk posi-
lively.
you have no cause to think
that Mr.. Stuart might have muir
dered Mrs. Amber during the
time ne was absent from the game
WHAT" Kirk cried, half spring
ing from his chair. Certainly
not"
Thanks. old man." said Bill.
The Lieutenant seems TO think
differently"
But its impossible" Kirk in
sisted, even as ! had done. "He
couldn't have"
why do you say that he
couldn't have?" asked Lieutenant
Gregory.
He is not the sort Of a person
to do such q thing"
Tive found that almost anybody
Is capable Of murder under the
proper set of circumstances. /"
Lieutenant Gregory remarked
dryly.
Roberts was back from the tele-
phone. Anderson has kept your
notes for YOU" Lieutenant Greg
DRY told him. What did you find
eut7"
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