The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-12-20
Chapter 81
The Blow


LIE MUST hear nv bresto !
= 4 thought. even though I hs,.,
e the loud roaring motor NJ nv nv
heart II / lifted nv head AZ
l ! q an inch his out
suetched fingers would be in nav
Oh. God, II I could only scream,
AZ the muscles in nv fhrnst
weren't frpzen, IL INV tonas,s
weren't glued to the roof OF INV
mouth. And what if l did screana9
what II my voice reached Alice
wherever she was or a passer- nc
IN the alley outsider Bowers
would get to me first. Why didn,t
the lights come on? Where Was
Nick2 Or JEFF? Oh, Cod wh 7 g
was Jeff7 's
And then I heard a rustic Il
was faint and quite far some
place on the other side az the fha-
alter. 1 raised my head ana nv
eyes fought the darkness for ~ ~,
nre door closest 10 me. I saw II
there, only about six rows down
~ crawling on my hands and
knees, breath lessly. soundlessIv I
could make II.
squirmed down the side aisis
my hands scraping over the floor
and feeling my way for me / ysas
even with the door when I fsr~f
heard the noise. It came from fhe
front Of the house. sonaeythrre
near the stage. | backed into fhe
row Of seats and stopped and
waited, It didn't come again. How
could ne be so quiet? How could
ne move about and not even DENT
mat terrifying silknreg
The fire door was in ffont a.
me, oMshned by thread of light.
Only the length Of one short aisle
70 60. Only a few feet i could
worm my way across the floor I
could throw myself against the
door and be out in the alley with
the daylight all around me and
people passing IN the street.
Crouching under the end seat I
stretched out my hand. 1t brushed
against something soft. It was the
cloth Of his trouser leg that / felt
1 saw his eyes, phosphorescent IN
the darkness, and they were wide
and glazed.
A sharp singing blow dashed
the back Of my neck and for a
moment there was nothing. Then
nights seemed to fash past nv
numbed brain. These, I Thought
duly, are the comets and shoot
ing stars that you read about. But
they weren't.
Bright, prosaic flashlights cut
the darkness, piercing the great
cavern, and above an uproar of
voices heard Jeffs. tense and
pitings somewhere not far away.
Rude Awakening
MY HEAD had almost stunned
Ia hurting, two ryes had helped
considerably TO numb the pair1.
but stil had the feeling Of wal
ing cold and clamrny, from some
horrible nightmare, and knowing
7 was nightmare and still not
beng able to throw Of the dread
and shock Of il.
pressed my forehead against
the cold plate glass that fronted
tne little Forty-fourth Street bar
where Jeif had taken me and told
me 70 wait for him. I dirnIy re-
member seeing Clint Bowers sur
rounded by group Of men. one
q whom was Peterson. and then
Jef led me away.
And l wildly remembered hav-
ing been cracked across the back
Of my neck ! had accepted the
tact that Bowers had poisoned
and murdered, but / wasn't able
yet to believe that he had chased
me all over a dark theater and
then hit me across the back Of
my neck. He was too much a gen.
fleman.
Gentlemen may murder ladies.
but they never strike one. that Is.
without killing her. And in nv
somewhat befuddled mind, Clint
Bowers was still gentleman.
By the time Jeff arrived I had
filed the hollow place in the Dit
OF my stomach with good rye. my
headache was gone, and / was
thiFSking for kroEnleEiNe. | cut ain
short when he started being so-
leitcus r. feel fine. better tfisr
] have Tor a week.
Do you want another high
No. want to hear about it.
Where where IS le?"
Where they always put pro-
ducers who murder their leading
ladies'"
Clint Evel" I shook my
head why, jeff Why and how
and where and when?p
I'm too tired 10 talk, Haila."
ION, you are, are your"
Yeah. I've just finished doing
. mastery piece Of deduction and
detection that would have CON-
pletely exhausted the brain OF an
Elnstein. And, consequently, my
brain Is bit tired