The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-12-30
Chapter -Four
Nickel In Her Hand

Nickel In Her Hand
FEMME, hold that candelabra
- thing high, an hold it
straight, an don't sob sol This IS
the strangest business / ever
SITS terrible, Asey," Jennie
said. Look. there's a stain on
the back Of her coat, see it?
Somebody shot her, Aseyl"
'Uh-huh, I know it. Shot her
in the back. An. someone's trod
on her glasses. The rims all bent
But. Jennie, ! still
There a nickel in her right
hand!s Jennie interrupted. She
was goin' to phone. an someone
come IN here an killed her.
That's why there isn't anybody
herel Everyone's run away
The furrow between Asey's
eyes deepened-
Jennie, put that candle thing
on the table, an bring the rast
Of the candles over here. This IS
Just plain strange Did, EoeI see
that little sedan 81. ! where
when We Gomez + donsr Tefnem-
Der il"
My mind wasn't on cars when
we come here, Jennie returned
Ny mind was on clans. /
wouldn't have noticed a dozen
cars. I s'pose hers IS parked
around toward the back some
where's. 1t must be.
Asey turned around and stood
framed IN the closet doorway as
Jennie brought over a third can
delabrum and set it on the table.
Know what l think?" he said.
81 think this must be that
Woman's twin / don't think this
is the same woman we seen. I'm
almost positive sure il can't be
her. Jennie"
That so?" Jennie said. We'll.
you take look at the initials
on that bag. DEB. The woman
al the red lights had initials on
her pocketbook with the white
stitchin, an they was OF. g., tool
/ near twisted my neck out of
joint tryin 70 see what they was
without gettia' rained on.
thought Of twins right away
when / opened that closet door.
BIZ when I seen them initials on
that bag. ] knew it was the same
one"
Asey leaned against the door
janb ant.. looked again at the
slumped Igure in the closet. and
tried to conjure up q mental pic
tIre Of the slight figure under
the umbrella. He could remem-
Der her voice. Il was a little
GREATNESS. but low and firm ana
as determined as JeHnie'S had
been
He remembered what she said
70 the soldier with the red Ian
tern when she urged him 70 let
her pass the four corners inter
section. It was a condensed, logi-
cal appeal with no touch of
emotionaliSm like Jennie's fren-
zied exhortations about the i'm
perative need for delivering her
husbands clans
And Asey could remember the
rain pouring off her umbrella in
a series of little jetting streams.
and her quick impulsive gesture
as she extended her umbrella
toward Jennie.
Vaguely, he remembered her
tweed coat. But other than the
fact that she seemed adequately
clad. ASey could recall nothing
personal about her at all.
But women noticed things. per-
sonal things. about sother women,
and Jennie's power Of observing
Insignificant detail was nothing
short of phenomenal Jennie
could tell unerringly what dress
q member of the Sewing Circle
wore to a 1eeting the week be
fore Christmas. She could re-
member, item by item, the menus
of dinners she had eaten twenty
years ago, just how everything
was cooked. and just what the
pattern was of the plates they
had been served in. She remem-
bered how furniture was placed.
and what flowers grew in what
spot in peoples gardens.
And when she was confronted
by strange woman, Jennie's
observational Pc wers reached
heights.
In short. Jennie was probably
not mistaken.
Except" Asey said, there's
one thing. Her shoes, Jennie
That's the rub. She's dryl Her
shoes an Stockin's an ALI"
Nylon stockin,s,n Jennie said
promptly. They dry in two
shakes. An when said to her
that we'd probably both catch cur
death OF cold from wet feet. she
said she was lucky enough 10
have a dry pair Of shoes II her
car. Said she'd picked 'em I'D from
the cobbler's this afternoon. An
: ne tweed IN her coats most like
y been waterproofed By that
process they have. Like sSyI'S
Macklnaw. Il never even gets
damp. ! tell you, Asey. its her
an no mistake about IT, It's herl
] know"
The Chase
CHE broke of suddenly, and
- when she spoke again Asey
could barely hear her. husky
whisper.
Asey, you hear that noisegs
Noise7 hear rain, an gut
tiers gurRlins.s Asey said.