The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-12-18

Chapter 81
Who?


noon. Jeff went on. God If
only I'd been awake. It's 50 sim
pie. She stood in the window.
Haila, she stood there for ten min
utes. And then. after she moved
away 49,. after she moved awsE.
the shot came through. she
draped herself in the window. a
perfect target for the Eseuador
Hotel and nothing happened. But
after she moved away :. not tn
then, was the shot fred. Don't
you see what it means. Haila7
That bullet wasn't meant to XIII
Carol.s
Wasn't meant to
That shot was fred through
the window TO keep US thinking
that Carol was the intended VIC
tim"
@But if it wasn't Carol. then
who was the murderer trying to
HIl?"
Eve. I've North was the victim
all along And the murderer made
his mistake the first night. not the
second HIS mistake was when he
poisoned Carol, not when he
stabbed Eve"
Eve North" I shook my head.
L was too much for ne.
II was Eve who was SUPPOSED
TO have been killed And she was
Carols safe. And you're safe. So
60 TO bed. I'll call you IN the
morning"
He left me in the doorway and
I could hear him taking the STEPS
three e a time. ! glanced al the
closed bedroom door and then al
my watch Il was twenty minutes
70 three
I got sheets and blankets out Of
the hail closet, stuffed one OF the
big sofa pillows into a case and
made up my bed on the studio
couch.
l didn't think I would disturb
Carol
Theater at Three
THE monotonous drumming Of
n rain at ths window awakened
me and I sat Up wondering why
] felt gliuu and sour and hang
overish- Then I remem bered-
Carol was IN my room and she
and had few things 10 straight
en- out ana there was M Use put
ting It OF longer. / went quietly
70 the bedroom and opened the
door.
The room was empty and the
bed had either been made or not
slept IN at all There was a little
gap between my row of dresses
IN the closet where Carols
clothes had hung ard q vacant
space on the shelf where ! had
stuck her suitcase. 4 sprinkiing
of powder and a few blond hair
pins wedged into ire cracks OF
the dresser drawer were all that
remained Of Carols belongings.
I breathed a sign OF relief and
experienced my frst kindly feel
ings toward her since JEFF had
exploded his bombsheH the night
before. was sincerely grateful
for her quiet exodus, for / had
dreaded the chat that was sched-
uled more than ! cared 20 admit.
Wen, that was that And the
next time I befriended a gal she
would be a Golden Eagle Scout
or a certified Sunday School
teacher.
/ bathed and dressed and with
a cup Of strong black coffee at my
elbow and the long neglected
Though Heavens Fail on my lap,
] calmly settled myself 10 wait
for JETS call
On page four gave I'D. Every
character was saying Carol was
never meant 70 be killed No
body tried to kill Carol -. Il was
Eve all along, Eve who was the
victim she sat IN TIE window
ten minutes -. a perfect target
-. and then she moved away.
Carols safe -. a dI1somaniac
q thief she biaclzmails peopie
but 10 one tried to kill
I saQt Though Heavens Fall in
disgust ana fiung i Al the tele-
phone. Twelve thirty and JEFF
hadn't called. Keep ne informed,
would he7 Call ne IN the morn
ing, keep IN constant touch with
ne, was that what he had seiaz
] diaied his number and there
was no answer. ! called IL every
five minutes until one O'Clock and
then ] decided 10 do some Sleuth-
ing On my own.
I called Steve Browns hotel
and the desk clerk said there was
no answer. Tommy Nelson wasn't
in his roam Philip Ashley told
me IN hrief. unpleasant terms
that he didn't give a damn about
Mr.. JEFF TEoy's whereabouts.
dialed the Rehearsal Club num-
Der and succeeded IN getting
Alice McDonald away from an
important script
This IS Haila.7 I said. alice.
have You seen anything OF Jelf2H
I've been locked Up in my
room al mpruing with an impor-
fanf script that
Il know. Thanks. I thought
maybe JEFF had called you. So
sHailal Wait = seeondle
SYes?"
"Why would JEFF can me7y
mo special reason, I just
thought maybe he had"
sHaila, | saw Carol Blanton
walking down Fifty-taird Street
alone this morning Isn't thai 49,.
dangercus?@