The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-12-04

80 @t1AlllELGO. he looked
from me to JEFF and then ia Bow
ers, no one spoke. Steve said
Cn, nelll and then picked IN
MS nat. The door clicked behind
nm before any Of us opened oIIr
N o u tn 5. Then I said: Steve
brcWnl The boy used 70 point
OUT as the SWEETEST fellah in ali
Stoves all right" Clint said
put there was disappointment ia
his voice. -
sure. Stoves all right echoed
Jen, st1ll looking out the window.
1 remembered then what had
prought US here. JEFF, was il
Tommy who
Jef1 walked across the room and
sank into the big chair that Steve
mad vacated a moment before.
No. II wasn't Tom"
l. Ielt ten years slip from me.
i knew il couldn't have beer"
Tom Nelson and / walked
nome together Sunday night"
Clint said. At least we walked as
far as Seventy-dfth Street to-
getner. When we parted il was
nearly half past twelve and JEFF
tells me this man
Yes. II was Just after twelve
that he was at our place. II
couldn't have been Tommy"
II Jeh Is right. if the man at
your house was the murderer.
that eliminates a few people. The
main point Is that il eliminates all
the women. And Tom Nelson.
And old Benjamin Kerry. No one
N his right mind could mistake
Ben for JEFF. Not that anyone had
any very serious suspicious Of
him. Of course"
JEFF dug his hands deep into the
leather sides of the chair and
scowled. Il guess Pm glad il
wasn't Tom" he admitted. But
It would have been so easy"
Not for Tom" / said.
But JEFF was already of on
new tack. Leaning back in the
big leather chair he turned frown-
ingly toward Clint.
The Key
HERE'S one little thing Pm
Il curious about, Clint. ard /
might as well get it Strengthened
out while I'm here. It's about
Alice Mcdonald
Bowers merely raised his eye
brOws and waited.
Had you promised her the part
that Carol played IN Green APP
ples?D
Promised her the part?" He
seemed surprised. NO, not prom
ised It to her by any means. Alice
read for me and I rather liked
her. She's not really a good ac-
tress but she seemed to have a
surprising grasp of that part and
l was at wits end to find the per-
son for it. / had practically de-
cided to give her a contract that
day that Carol first read for me.
don't think Alice ever knew il
though. Naturally. / never told
her"
She knows. And she's pretty
bitter about it"
I'm sorry. I know. Of course,
that she expected the part. ex-
pected to give il to her. But after
! heard Carol read she didn't
have a chance. I knew in thirty
seconds that Carol was the girl 70
play Dina and that was all there
was to II In fact,
Cliht's words were left hanging
IN mid-air. A startled grunt had
burst from JEFF. He pulled himself
up from the depths of the chair
and stared unbelievingly at some
thing that lay in the palm Of his
hand When / craned my neck to
see. he closed il in his fist.
Hailal" He was almost whis-
pering IN his excitement. @Haila.
what does that KEY of Carols look
hke2"
Just like mine. of course.
You've seen it."
is this 1T"
! frowned at the key he dan
gled in front of me. ~Yes. Yes. /
think So"
Make sure you have yours.
You might have dropped this"
Mine was in my purse and the
two keys proved to be identical.
Il was in this chair" JEFF said
SLOWLY And Steve was sitting
here. So unless Clint has any
one connected with the play been
in this room since Sunday night?"
No"
JEFF put on his hat. where does
Steve Brown live2"
at the St Moritz." Bowers
said I'm going with you"
he, too" ! slipped into my
I was thinking that I could
make my escape at Fifty-ninth
Street and walk the rest Of the
way home when JEFF leaped I'D
from his seat He pounded furi-
ousiy at the window that sep
ara.ed US from the driver.
'Driverl Go 70 two forty-three
East Fifty-fourth Street and 20
like hell" His voice was like his
face too. tense and white.
JEFF. what is it? Why are we
going 70 my placer"
He said. looking straight ahead.
IF Crowley did leave Carol alone,
IL nobody was sent to take his
place He erouched forward.
talking TO the driver in low tones.
jeff You mean that Steve
went there, that Steve knew
she was alonel JEFF. you don't
Il think that II this cab doesn't
break all speed records. we may
be too late"
I sank back and closed my