The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-11-18

5%t~- A03ALAi4y 4fEAA1Cu NdS
upstairs in the dressing rooms, /
heard him calling places. And
Amelia, that's Eve North's maid.
had just gone into the Htchenette
70 do something for Eve. don't
know where the do0rrnan was ex.
eept that he certainly wasn't on
stage. There, that takes care Of
everybody doesn't it?~ "
Everybody but me-" Clint
Bowers said $50 50 > =.
How about you7S e
81 had gone up 10 Miss Norfh's
dressing room. There was . piece
OF business in the third act I
wanted TO speak 70 Der about
Peter on looked again at
Phoebe. After you finished the
table, what did you dor"
Went into the kitchen. ! had
to make tea. We used colored tea
for the wine in the last act you
know"
@And that left the stage empty.
Very conveniently"
"Yes." .Phoe5es eyes few
eagerly to his face. Look, Mr..
Petersonl There were those few
minutes just before Tommy
brought the company down when
40 one was anywhere around.
Couldn't someone have sneaked
IN through the stage door then.
poisoned the glass and left again
without being seen? Amelia and
! in the kitchen wouldn't have
been able to notice"
Sure. that could have hap
pened."
How about Nick?" JEFF asked
Wouldn't Nick have noticed a
stranger coming in between acts?"
-rg I've talked to him. he wasn't
on the door every minute during
the night. He admits someone
might have sneaked In that way."
And there's that door from the
front of the house." Phoebe said
In her excitement she had risen.
anybody In the audience could
have slipped through it during
the intermission and not been no.
ticedI That could have happened
easilyp
Sure, it could have happened. !"
Peterson repeated. only ii didn't.
Nobody came through that door,
nor through the stage door
either"
But why not?"
Missing Star
BECAUSE the person who did
~ this wasn't an outsider"
You mean that someone in the
company poisoned Carol, some
one backstage? Oh, no. Mr.. Peter
sonl" Phoebe was shocked. who
would have done that"
Someone" said Peterson GRIM
ly, who knew the setup. the
stage and the theater. He had to
know his way around, he had to
know when the glasses would be
put on the table, when he could
sneak in and out with the least
chance Of being seen. And he had
to know which glass Carol Blan-
ton was going to drink from.
Doesn't sound much like an OUT
slider, does it,"
Phoebe admitted defeat. mo
=. no, guess not. Then then
that means that someone IN
Green Apples Is a potential MUIR
derer, doesn't it? That's what
you're saying, isn't it," She
stopped, catching her lower LIP in
her teeth. The rest of us stared at
each other and queer little
thrill of horror crinkled through
my spine. ANY one of us back
stage might have slipped onto the
set during those three minutes
and poisoned Carols glass. Any
one of uSl"
Peterson said, eyes. One of you
did" He turned to Bowers. MAY.
be you could tell me, Mr.. Bowers.
why Eve North would leave town
at the crack Of dawn this morn
ing?"
"Evei Leave town" Bowers
eyes filed with incredulity and
his hand reached for the tele-
phone on the desk. II think you
must be wrong"
Don't bother calling, I've been
at her hotel They say that she's
out of town. won't be back until
time for her performance tonight.
And they don't know where she
is"
But Eve would have phoned
me. She wouldn't have. gone, away
/ the aay after an opening night
without first letting me know
That make il all the more IN
usual, doesn't it? Where would
she be, Mr.. Bowers? Long Island
som eplace? Westport?" He
watched Bowers, obviously wait
ing for an answer which he didn't
get "Okay. If she isn't back by
tonight Wen find her."
Miss North will be back TO.
night" Bowers said, smiling.
"And in plenty Of time for the
performance, wherever she is
Peterson moved back to the
window and stood there a mo-
ment, contemplating us in silence
Then he slipped two fingers into
his vest pocket and brought out .
folded slip of yellow paper.
Tell me, Mr.. Bowers, who is
Lee Gray?"
You've asked me that before.
And l told you that I had no
/ idea"
| Peterson looked questioningly
at Phoebe who shook her head
and then turned to me. DO you
known"
I've told you before. too. that
! didn't"
He tapped the paper thought
fully against the palm Of his other
hand. From the way the light fell
could see that there was writing
on il. He looked at JEFF and said
nothing.
why don't you ask my friend
Mr.. Troy?" I said. This Lee GRAY
A.