Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-06
THE GREEN DIARY

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YES"
Major Clifford grunted. did
any of you here leave any sort Of
craft at the swimming beach this
evening ?" His all observing eyes
included Simon in their scrutiny.
She shook her head.
Then did any Of you battle
from the beach ?"
In the silence which followed
that innocuous sounding question
Kay felt a sensation Of danger,
I'VE all went swimming this
afternoon" put in Maud placidly.
II mean this evening after
dinner"
why, no, Major. The four Of
us were playing bridge. My hus-
band always goes to bed early.
Terry was out sailing. And
Elaine
II went swimming this eve
ming" put in the girl jerkily.
About eleven II swan out to
Terry's sailboat. But / didn't
swim from the beach. II dived
off the dock"
Kay knew. Of course, that il
was "A lie Terrys impulsive lie
which he had made at the dock
and which now Elaine was using.
The Majors gaze had settled on
Elaine's scratched temple. He
said slowly:
$50 you dived off the dock.
Scratched yourself too, didn't
you? Well then. I'm TO under
stand that none Of you went TO
the swimming beach this eve
ming Major Clifford drew him
self up TO his full, towering
height Drake was pretty strict
on trespassers. Unlikely any out
slider would have used the beach
this evening, very unlikely"
He had taken on a quality
that was distinctly ominous.
I'D be grateful If some Of
you'd come out to the beach with
me for a moment There's some
thing / want you people to see
something one Of my men noticed
there. The Major STROBE TO the
French windows leading to the
terrace.
Gilbert said we might as
well all come. Major" He
glanced at Kay Il can't get the
wheel chair down the terrace
steps Perhaps you'd help push
me. We Fan go out through my
room"
W/HTN they all reached the end
w OF the beach, after being
Joined by two colored policemen
IN white uniforms. the major
called a halt They all clustered
around him, staring at the ex-
panse Of sand cleaning in the
moonlight
High tide this afternoon was
at five-thirty announced the
Major. AT full flood all this
sand is covered. so any marks
Won might have made this after
noon when you went bathing
would have been washed away
before dinner. Low tide tonight
was at cleven-thirty' He paus-
ei The marks I'm going 20
saov ym rlr ar nc ray 20 the
waters edge which means they
were probably made around
clcveu-thirtv. certainly not much
earlier He added in a very
clirpeI voice: Just about the
time that Mrs Chiltcrn alb
saw Mr.. Drake of al the dock
He turned 20 one Of the police
men Sergeant. a flashlight."
The officer handed him one.
With little click he sent a
powerful beam Of artificial light
straight across the sand TO the
tapping fringe Of the sea.
These are the marks. / want
YOU 10 see them because the
tides rising fast and they won't
be there much longer"
Kay had been able to see
something even in the moonlight
But now. as she peered forward,
crowded between Maud and
Elaine. there was no mistaking
what the Major had meant.
From a spot almost at their
feet where the grass met the
sand straight down TO the
waters edge. the coral sand was
scuffed up in a broad irregular
path In the uncertain light the
effect was Of something's having
been dragged from the turf,
across the beach to the sea.
Can any of you tell me what
caused that disturbance in the
sand ." asked the Major
As she stood there. her hand
resting on Maud's arm Kay
could feel the exaggerated at
tention Of the others
You probably cannot see,