The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-12-17
|E5MADE UP TO IxILLEa
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Chapter 81
More About The Shat
-bs Kelley Roos.

ing display. Across the street fha
doorman at the Fsouador csr,e
out onto the sidewalk and hiar,
has whistle. A cruising taxi rniIaJ
"a. a stop before him. picla5 -.
its passenger and rolled aws,s
There was no sound in nv anar3- :
lments and the night seemed. to
press down on the city outside and
smother its noises to a low rum
bic.
II might have been an hour or
Just q few minutes ago that Steve
had left the room. wasn't aware
Of time or Of people or of any,
thing but the numb feeling tha,
seeped through my body and the
sharp ache in my head.
There was a little icy riase
around the frame Of the window
and I scratched il with nv nail
and il shredded and fell off. Be
hind me, pacing the floor, JEFF
spoke muslngly.
You've learned that trick frorn
Carol. That trick OF draping voIIr-
self In the window. That's how
she was sitting this afternoon be-
fore
JEFF, let's not talk. Not vet"
We lapsed into silence again
and / closed my eyes. / tried. Ia
think things out. to think what
should say 10 Carol, how / would
answer what she said TO me. Nv
mind closed on me and it was use
Haila!~
JefFs voice wasn't musing now.
Il was urgent and excited. I
swung around TO face him. almost
frightened.
Haiia. listen. This afternoon
-. this afternoon at the partv
when that shot came through he
Windowp
Hes2"
Tell me everything that hap
pened after we got here"
But why2"
'Pleasel" His hands were work
Ing nervously together. I'VE GOT
here a little after one. Think,
Haila. try TO remember. What did
we d0g What did we do exactly?"
we talked to Carol for a few
minutes, / said. My mind went
struggling back mechanically over
tie afternoon. "And then Clint
Bowers came with his flowers and
Carol went into the kitchen. Is
that what you mean?"
Yes. Yes. 20 on
Then, in a moment, she came
back with the bottle and some
flssses. You opened the cham
pagne and we drank"
Where were We then, can you
remember. Haila7 Where were we
sitting. you and u And what was
Carol doing and where was Clint
Bowers2"
Suddenly the picture flashed
before me, clearly, like a sharp
NJ bright etching. You and | sat
there On the couch, your feet were
On the coffee table and was busy
knocking them OFF. Clint was in
The big armchair in the far corner
and the champagne was on the Ia
be right beside him. Carol was
here where ! am, in the window
seat / remember thinking how
pretty the light looked IN her
hair
And them" JEFF was a moving
bir, pacing up and down be-
fore me.
Carol told US she was going to
marry Steve. She said il was
wrong Of her. it wasn't fair TO
SteTe. But she was going 20 marry
nm anyway. / thought how brave
and honest she was And then we
congratulated her and said il
I was wonderful And Clint spoke
faen- ! think. He suggested that
We have another drink. He said.
arol. you're first. OF something
Ake that and she went over 10
am She had her glass in her
hand And when she got almost TO
nm. the shot came"
Hysteria
JEFF stopped in front Of me.
y Are you sure. Haila? Is that
4. Are you sure It happened just
Ike that2"
@Yes"
SO am ]" He walked afmfessly
around the room. kicking UP The
corners of the rugs, smoothing
mem down again. He Lit a ciga-
Sette, took one deep drag and
smudged lt out. He wheeled back
at me. Look. Haila- One more
hing. ! want you to think back
again. hard And pretty far. Do
you remember the night Green
Apples opened and ! waited for
YOU outside your dressing room2
Eve North and Philip Ashley
were fighting Remember"
Yes. of course remember.
We could hear them through
the walls. Tel me everything they
said, everything you heard
AOh. JEFF, pleased I'm q fraZzle.
I'm exhausted" s
4 want. you to reconstruct for
me, that's all
My mind won't function any
more. Il won't Reconstruct your
self"
Haila, please
~Oh, ali right Philip accused
Eve Of stealing a scene fra1n hlra-
he was mad because during MS
big speech Eve
@When did that big speech
Gomez"
Listen: IL I'm going 20 recon-
struct. I'm going to reconstruct IN
nay own way. &c.
Go ahead. /"
I'm too tired to change my
style"
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