The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-01-16
9233 JIM: IlS::Ill
10y Fr0nces Shelley Wees----

would dissolve animal matter
completely and admit, I
thought of that later however"
he went on hastily at the express
sion On Tuck's face, Il didn't suS-
pect for a moment that he had
secret laboratory near by. ! should
think that fact would explain the
disappearance of those bodies :. . =.
as it explains so many other things.
He'd have had no trouble getting
them through the woods unseen at
night, and into his boat. If I'd
guessed of the existence of that
place or dreamed that Murchi-
son was still alive. I'd have had
McBain Swallowed, sooner"
Sooner"
ayes. Donovan was shadowing
him the night =. the night he got
you, Tuck. Hall was up here, you
see, but too late. After Smith said
he'd seen him buying an oar-lock,
I decided it was time to keep an
eye on him. l thought he had some
devilish scheme up his sleeve to
dispose of us through this boat,
and we couldn't take any more
chances. We'd thought, you see,
that it was enough to search for the
boat. It wasn't. So Donovan was
watching him down town that
night for an hour or two until |
could get fresh men on the trail,
but then he was pretty tired, and
McBain gave him the slip. My
fault, but Donovan insisted on
doing it. He hated McBain after
what he did to Gordon"
Duncan looked up quickly.
what about the attack on you,
Forester? The gas? How did he
do it? There wouldn't have been
time for so much gas to have es-
capped just while the two men were
at Deanes'. would there?"
Michael shook his head. "There
are lot of places where he vas
too clever. I don't see how he
pulled that stunt about the poison
ing of the meat but he did. Perhaps
he'll tell. However, he certainly
had the furnace fixed, possibly
weeks before, with the chimney
pipe disconnected, and certainly
he pulled the gas lever with that
string through the window. When,
we don't know. He must have done
it just after our bedroom lights
went out. At first the gas wouldn't
be noticeable, you see, and we'd
get off to sleep and then it
crept up and caught us. l think
perhaps he had a second cord tied
to the first, running out to the
hedge. don't know. It was a very
dark night. You can ask him your
self, Dune. if you'd like to try it
sometime"
Key Or Keys?
THANK you. I'll remember
l that. Another thing-will you
tell me now why you were having
me followed?"
81 wasn't. That's just it. If you
tDere followed, McBain himself
was doing it. l was afraid of that.
He was away from home great
deal too much. knew he'd dc it,
after Miss Lissey talked to you on
Sunday. You see, he was almost
sure she suspected or knew the
truth. In any case, she knew too
much. And he was sure that you'd
discovered that he'd signed your
brothers name once or twice, and
he didn't know exactly how much
your brother had told you. He
thought you might be working
only for confirmation before you
spoke, and you were very danger
Gus to him. That's why he put
the keys and the poison in your
rooms. you see. He hoped you'd be
arrested long ago. He was counting
on the enmity between you and
the DevoeS-and perhaps he got
the idea itself from what-shall
we say Mrs. Jared Devoe said
about the keys. She overheard
your brother saying he would
leave you the key, I take 1.-THE
key to the mystery of the diamonds
and the papers relating to her
future-those love letters from
another man. After she had tes-
titled at the inquest that your
brother said keys, McBain got a
new idea. So did l."
$50 that's it." he said. ''Key &.
keys. Certainly. And those love let
tiers. Edgar expected to leave a
message as to where l could find
them-certainly he did. I told you
that. The key. It hadn't occurred
to me just what she meant that
she'd overheard. And the moment
/ saw those letters I knew what
they m an t, that she wasn't
worthy of any consideration from
Edgar" He fell silent, thinking.
Then-''How'd you know he had
planted those things on me?"
Katie" Micha Ell answered
promptly. "Katie Jameson. She
was watching for me. The first
time McBain showed his nose
around the residences she was to
telephone me. She called nearly
week ago. I told her to look for the
things in your room, and she found
them. We just left them there for
a while letting things transpire. I
hoped McBain would make a move
to cast you further into suspicion
and incidentally get himself into
the limelight. My hands were tied.
you see. He couldn't be arrested
for the murder of Edgar Murchi-
son when we had no body. He'd
have gotten off on some count,
trust him. With Miss LiSSey's
death, the evidence was against
you, and with poor old Mrs. Devoe
it was going to be hard to prove it
wasn't suicide. He didn't take
many chances. For instance-he
stole Fred's body because he didn't
know what the reactions might be
to that poison. OF course he didn't
know that Jethro had tried it on
| hic nn& Mr. nnrrnn,r Innfh SrraS