The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-12-31
Chapter 80
Dart In Her Hand

Dart In Her Hand
IN the movies I have always had
= to turn my head away from
those medieval scenes showing
victims on the rack and / had TO
turn it away now. For | could not
bear the look On BOb's poor tor
tured face. That look made me all
the more certain Alice had killed
Eve.
AND L she had killed Eve, she
must be in some way responsible
fOc Aunt Msgg;e's death. That
was the only possible explanation
Ct ner strange behavior from the
time Of the discovery of Aunt
MaPgie's body. I had always
thought Alice q bit silly, out
had never known her to be such a
bag Of nerves. The only ray OF
Light I could see was that this
must surely show Bill as innocent.
Remembering Ewes broad hint
with regard 10 the identity Of the
Of the murderer. I wondered if she
had done more than hint to the
person suspected. It seemed likely
and that her own death had been
the result.
No doubt she had gone upstairs
because she realized she would be
unwelcome among the other
guests after her behavior in the
dining room. Completely disre-
garding the fact that she might be
called at any moment for Gues-
tioning by the police, l could
imagine her calmly deciding upon
a nap. She was always like a cat
for comfort.
And, Of course. she would not
have minded making the police
or anyone else wait while she
dressed. Indeed. she would have
told them that if they were in a
hurry they could come to her
room.
Something else Eve had disre-
garded was the fact that we had
a murderer in our midst.
And now. as we all stood hud-
died together indecisively in the
half-dark of the upstairs hall. I
heard Alice saying to Bob, "She
had the dart in her hand when
came in the room. She had it in
her hand"
Inside Job
NOBODY asked who had the
! ' dart in whose hand, because a
deep, pleasant voice just behind
US said. $50 we've had a second
casualty, with the police and the
coroner in the hOuse?" We had all
forgotten Mr. DodSon. but he had
found his way upstairs and evil
IDENTIFY had arrived in time to hear
most of what had been said.
Lieutenant Gregory was trying
hard not to say anything he might
regret. Its an inside Job, all
right" he admitted sourly. Either
one OF the people standing right
here is guilty, or someone who
Is concealed in the house. I'm 60
ing to find that person even if we
have six more murders while we
are about IT."
That would make it just about
unanimous, Lieutenant" said Bob.
but there was none of his custom
airy jauntineSs to match the
words.
What do you mean?" Lieu
tenant Gregory barked. This is
no time for humor." Then, in
congruously enough, he started
counting us after the fashion OF
a conductor on a sightseeing bus.
That's everyone. isn't it," Ne
asked Bill. You told me there
were eight of you"
There were eight of us, includ-
ing Aunt Maggie" Bill affirmed.
There are SIX of us left"
And which is this latest vic
tim?"
1t seemed an odd question for
Lieutenant Gregory to be asking
but, O. course, he had not yet got
around to Interviewing the guests.
though he did have the LIST of
names AMI other information and
Anderson had taken fngerprints
of all of US.
Mrs. Benedict" Bill told him.
Eve Benedict"
"Ah." breathed Mr.. Dodson.
"5ut she rather invited il, didn't
she?" At MS loW-voiced remark
you could feel the tension tighten
until it seemed that soon we
would be hearing it crackle an6
seeing sparks as from electricity.
"W h a is that?" Lieutenant
Gregory snapped.
That's right" drawled Mr..
DodSon, you insisted on lunchjng
alone and - making hay. You
didn't hear the lady's parting shot
when she left the dining room"
"Are you saying that she made
some threat which would have in
spired her murder?"
"We1. hardly that" Mr.. DodSon
replied. But I rather gathered
there was more than met the eye
in a good many things she said.
She didn't seem to be overly fond
Of anyone present"
"Al right" agreed Lieutenant
Gregory resignedly. We'll 60 into
that little later. Just now want
everybody to 60 downstairs and
wait for me in that room we've
been using for conferences. Mr..
Stuart will you send Anderson
up? I want him to check for I'm
gerprintS."
'Fingerprints?" Claire repeated
strangely.