The Key West citizen., 1940-12-11
Chapter II
Battling Clue

Battling Clue
THEN she didn't know? Did
L you ever help her 10 look for
it, ThOmas?" 1t seemed hopeless.
but l kept trying.
Thomas looked really embar-
rassed this time and suffered and
finally came out with. Well
nom; that Is. not exactly"
What do you mean. not exact
ly?"
We'll, Miss Sally, ma'am.
sometimes | sort of looked fnT i
myself, seein' as how anxious yo'
gran'ma was to find il"
did you have any luck?"
Nom l didn't have a bit of
luck"
Thomas" l then asked, "have
you seen any questionable char
acterS around the place lately?"
well, Miss Sally. you know
they's been some carpenters and
folks like that around. 4 seen
them when | come over here to
sort of look over the grounds.
Course them mer Mr.. Bill hired
TO fix that bad place in the road
been here. but they amt wLrk on
Saturday. And them carpenters
been gone week. amt they?"
But have you seen anyone
else. Thomas? Anyone who didn't
look as though ne should be
here?"
Nom. not exactly. l seen a
man yesterday. but he went off
pretty soon. | reckon. | amt
Studyin' much about it. cause
Andrew done say you all MaS
comm out and bringin' COM
pany."
What time was this. Andrew"
81 disremember exactly, Miss
Sally, but il was after | eat my
dinner. / come to tell Andrew
1indy gone but | look around and
don't see no cars and | reckon
Andrew gone to the store"
"You didn't see anybody around
here later in the afternoon or eve
ming, ThomaS?"
But if | had hoped to trip
Thomas, | failed miSerably. He
looked at me with a puzzled
frown. But, Miss Sally, you all
was here last night. l wouldn'. a
thought nothin' bout seein' no.
body here then"
"All right. Thomas" | said. Civ
ing up. "the reason / am asking
you this is because something
dreadful has happened. and we
have all got to work together to
to get to the bottom of il. Miss
Maggie was killed last night"
Bessie. who had kept in the
background with utmost difficult
ty. now came forward to 1upply
the gruesome details ard | left
them together in the kitchen. As
/ passed through the buffers pan
try to the dining room, the buZzer
sounded and l saw that the call
had come from Alice'S room. This
brought my mind back to the
scrap of silk on the stairway.
'TQ take Miss Alice's coffee"
told Bessie.
But here again my sleuthlng
-
the first thing / saw on entering
Alice'S room was her quilted tobe
thrown over the foot of the bed
and, even without comparing
them, / knew that ny sample was
of much deeper shade.
Like Bill, Alice looked rather
the worse for wear. More than
that. she had a sort of hunted
look In her eyes, as though still
nervous from her experience of
the night before Her hanGs shook
SO that she spilled snore of the
coffee than she drank, and de-
cided it was not just the time TO
tell her that Bill had had a run-in
with her ghost.
Red Comforter
COUNDS of splaShing in the
- bathroom indicated that Claire
was UP and about, and remem-
bered that she had spent the tat
ter portion of the night in the
room with Alice.
Sorry / just brought coffee for
one" ! called. "Pn ring for more
right away"
Never mind" she called back,
the lilt in her ''oice agreeable as
always. I'll dress and 60 down
IN a few moments more, rosy
and fragrant from the bath
Claire herself appeared. trailing
her jade-green negligee. Now her
concern was all for Alice and e
''Srace up, old dear" she tolI
Alice. Well be taking you home
IN a little while now" And, "Sal-
~, il is all so dreadful foI you.
know. I almost feel as though
were responsible. The party was
my idea, you know"
While ! knew Bill would agree
with this Fundamentally, l said
she wasn't to feel that way for {
moment. Are you sure you don't
Hant to rest a while and have
your breakfast sent up?" | asked
oh, no. I'm coming down
Really, think it would be much
better for Alice if she would get
up too"
left them TO settle that ques-
ton between them and when
V:aA back IN he kitchen I dug the
hit Of sIk troEs any pocket. ''Bes-