The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-01-01

4, to the table in order to examine
it more closely.
Recognize it. eh?" the officer
asked.
"Of course, I can't be absolutely
certain" Kirk said. "But I don't
know anybody else here who
would be using that initial. I have
| a batch of handkerchiefs just
alike"
1--WE found it on the floor of
Mrs. Benedict's room," Lieu
tenant Gregory announced. por-
tententously!.s9
Kinks face turned a fiery red
and he looked pretty fiustered
for a moment. "WilI you," Lieu
| tenant Gregory asked. KINDLY
explain its presence in the room
with the murdered woman"
Il suppose" Kirk stumbled
over his words, II dropped it
there, though don't remem-
Der having a handkerchief in my
hand at the time"
"At what time was this?" Lieu
tenant Gregory probed inexor-
ably.
Sometime after LUNCH" Kirk
confessed slowly. Il don't re-
member exactly"
'Try to remember as nearly as
you can"
"Well." Kirk replied. ST
smoked a cigarette here in the
library after lunch. Mrs. Stuart
and Miss Dunbar were here at
the time. I believe Bob and
Miss Harper were in the room
across the hall. Anyway. some
one was playing the piano. Then
sometime later Mr.. Marshall came
and asked to speak to Mrs.
Stuart and she left the room with
him. Shortly after this. Miss DIn-
bar said she was going upstairs
and also left. l walked out on the
porch and smoked another cigar
cite. Then I-went upstairs. On
the way to my room stopped to
speak to Mrs. Benedict. I knocked
on her door and she told me to
come in"
"Was Mrs. Benz dict er.
dressed at the timer"
SIS is necessary to 60 into this?"
81 should prefer that you an
swer my question"
Mrs. Benedict said she had
meant to take a nap. But she
found herself-wakeful. I think
she had been reading. Anyway
she was lying on the chaise
lounge and had a book in her
hand"
'Ts it customary for men guests
at house parties to visit the
rooms of ladies who are"--the
officer paused uncertainty, and ]
thought of Bessie's expression,
mot to say dressed; then he
added-"not formally attired?"
More Trails
| KIRK'S jaw frightened. but he
In strove for calmness. Not once
had he glanced in Claire's direc-
ton since the catechism began
and | was glad he missed the look
Of rather sick disgust on her face.
ut was not rendezvous, If that
is what you mean," he told Lieu
tenant Gregory. u simply wanted
to speak to Mrs. Benedict, and
when she called out to me to come
in ! opened the door and stepped
inside"
"You closed the door?"
4 NCay.f atY,1x, 7 J;I .. - ,x,,rt, ~ -.
overheard"
Il gather you wished to discuss
something urgent with Mrs. Ben
edict?"
What I wanted to discuss with
Mrs. Benedict was - personal"
Kirk said.
"You would save yourself and
all of us a lot of time If you
would be frank" he was warned:
Everything that happened i'm
mediately preceding Mrs. Bene-
diets death is important and this
is no time for polite evasions."
81 did not kill Mrs. Benedict"
said Kirk. biting out his words,
and this being the case, I fail to
see where my conversation with
her could have any bearing on
1.-The matter"
! Lieutenant Gregory shifted
himself in his chair. "You are
sure she said nothing whatever
which might shed some light on
the cause of her death?" he asked.
did she seem nervous or in any
way afraid?"
mo- said Kirk positively.
| Eieptenant Gregory focused hts
gaze first upon Alice. who
soaicmed like scared rabbit.
and then on Claire. who might
easily have passed for Lucia iii
Lammermoor in one Of her sleep
walking scenes. will you kindly
tell ME how you happened to be
in the room with Mrs. Benedict?"
he asked Claire.
There was long pause and
still Claire said nothing. Alice
whispered. 81 found her in there"
Found who in there?" Lieu
tenant Gregory asked.
"Claire-Miss Harper"
YeSY' he questioned. us this
true, Miss Harper?"
Claire came out of her trance.
"Yes, oh, yes. But"
| "She had the dart in her hand"
Alice interrupted.
who had the dart in whose
hand?" The fatal question had
been asked at last.
"Claire had IT," Alice went on
nervously. I couldn't bear to look
at Bob or Kirk. Bill squeezed my
hand, "Now, now" he whispered.
What was she doing?" Lieu
tenant Gregory asked. trying to
I N nirn his ,alafr.n sfallfaH casual