The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-12-08

Housebrcakers

-A1@1GoKcAAcFs
JEFF smiled fetehingly ss the
= woman. a0h. " he said, 7 didn'.
Know Mr. Ashley had a wife"
didn't either" said the wo.
Are you hts sister. then7s
~heH, mol I ainff related. ]
Eq1ldn't bel ny names Bauuner,
! You muSfve rang the wrong bell :
Jen snapped his fingers in dis
gust Yeah. ! must have. Whas
THAT'S okay. Ashley lives On
the top lcor.n She inspected ne
over JETS shoulder.
] knew Philips door when !
saw II There was knocker on
i shaped ike q tiny black cat,
JEFF marched right past II and
started climbing another fight OF
steps, steep and narrow. Painting
4 followed him. He pushed omen
door at the top Of the stairs and
pulled me through IL after him.
We stood in the shadow Of a chinl-
ney on the gravel roof.
Je1F wheezed What are
we doing here7S
He moved TO the edge OF the
roof and looked down. Were
using the fire escape. That would
be Il and that would be Ashleyss
window. Cmon."
JEFF, you can't You get ten
years for thatl''
Not If you catch Z MURDERER
'But somebody win call the
polieel Or take a shot at usss
Whog" We looked around over
the adjoining roofs. there was no
one IN sight but a little boy with
big unhappy blue eyes. He was
leaning on the parapet across the
shaftway. In his hands vas an
enormous homemade kite. He was
waiting fer some wind. Hey.
Kid JEFF said. pointing to the fire
escape. IS this the way to Perry
Streef7n
4 don't know the little boy
Hen ten his mother on Us.
JEFF. and
Ny mother isn't home.@
See, Haila. Let's GO
] didn't feel quite like II. HJeff.
the window won't be OPEN
Il would be if you hadn't said
that"
] eased myself down the iron
steps gingerly after JEFF. until we
stood on the balcony outside Ash
ley's window. JEFF put his hands
against the pane and turned his
head to me. Gross all your fin
gers. Haila." / did. JEFF pressed
upward: nothing happened.
Damnl" JEFF said.
The little boy said heIpfullv,
The next one to il is open" We
looked and he was right. but il
wasn't on the FIRE escape. The sill
was a good three feet from the
rail OF the fire escape.
No, jeff" ! said. You'll kin
YOURSELF"
Dent be sissy" the little
boy shouted.
JEFF grinned at me "see, / got
He managed it very easily.
That made me the sissy. JEFF
opened the window on the ERE eS-
cape and helped me in.
Ashley's apartment was a large
sized edition of his dressing room.
as scrupulouSly clean and aston
ishingly neat, considering the
amount of knickknacks he had
anassed and assiduously arranged.
Every square inch of fat surface
was buried under tiny figurines in
terra Gotta and ivory. china. ami
mails. Elostly cats. little snow
scenes In crystal balls. cactus
plants in hand-painted pots and
an assortment of ash trays and
cigarette boxes that ran the
gamut.
"SnOoping Again"
7 STOOD there staring about me
i helplAsslv. looked at jeff; he
was smiling and shaking his head.
THE government should plow this
room under"
lind what you want and lets
get nut OF here. JEFF I'm nervous.
as a cat2"
PLEASE. aJeffir ] went to the
window and locked down Perry
Street. JEFF started opening draw
ers ! thought I might as well CO.
operate. opened a door: 1t was
closet kitchenette went into the
bathroom. q tiny almost iDff4iieSi-
NAL room. with dubonnet and
white monogrammed towels hung
fidily over the tub. Between it
and lile laVat0ry Was wedgcd a
red bathroom scale
In the medicine cabinet. nesting
behind q bottle of Listerine, |
found three white tablets. the size
of aspirin. Jeff" ! called. When
he stuck his head in the door. |
held out a tablet to him. Look
"Yeah?"
They're the same as found in
his dressing roomi'
II don't want them He was
examining some kind of electric
vibrating contraption with avid
interest.
aDon't be stupid, JEFF, wen
have them analysed They may be
morphineF"
JEFF went back into the living
room. I followed him. We both
stopped. There was the sound OF
steps on the stairs. They came
briskly down the haIl and halted
before the door. / looked fran
tically at JEFF.
The door swung open and Ash
ley closed it and slipped his keys
into his pocket before he saw rs,
His expression changed from star
tied surprise 70 indignation. then
TO fury. 20
Hello" JEFF said.
Ashley looked at me. Shopping
again. His lips were compressed
into thin r,rfegv lire This &