The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1943-01-25
MRS MUIR 5lsya;
AXES |. .S
by George
Hormon
Coke

ne picked up the guE until he GOT
out of the place and found II in
MS nand. But never mind
that. / say Hardacker had a pretty
good idea who killed Clarke. II
| it was Raeburn what would that
make Hardacker?"
''Raeburn knows Hardacker is
watching Clarke's apartment but
he kills him anyway. huh?" Fen
ner> said dryly.
"And what if Raeburn doesn't
know that Hardacker had hired
the apartment? Suppose ne didn't
actually intend to kill him but
got IN a spot where he nad to?
Afterwards he doesn't know that
Hardacker is wise. And Hardacker
IS not going up to him right off
and say. I know you killed him.
pal. but it's okay with me- No.
Hardacker's going to play it coy
until he finds out what the score
is"
Then what?" Fenner asked.
Bacon started to answer, then
stopped. His face flushed and he
reached over to the ashtray 10
retrieve his stogie. pointed it at
Fenner.
81 should waste my breath on
you" He leaned back, looking at
Murdoch. There's plenty don't
know. It's not pat by long shot
This Losado woman, for instance.
How did Raeburn know so much
about her? That's something Pm
going to ask her when I get time.
And those bonds. Who got 'em?
Raeburn? And that envelope.
We're not even sure whether
that's the important thing or not"
Just In Time
THE telephone rang in the liv-
l. ing room and he stopped until
Loretta said the call was fer
Della. Bacon stood up and leaned
on the back of his chair.
'Hardaeker nust've got i'm touch
with Raeburn-after the killing
or the first thing the next morn
ing-and told him what he knew
or enough of it so that Raeburn
could add it up and find out
where he stood. But Raeburn
couldn't do much about it then
because we pinched him. and
we've had him locked up ever
since. Until last night. Hard
acker knew plenty. all right. but
he was a private dick and he
wouldn't tell u.s." He gave Fen
ner a sour glance. ooh. mol He
had to get in there and pitch for
Hardacker first.
Della came back. THAT was
Uncle Dean," she said. "He
sounded frightfully worried. He's
coming over now"
She paused, frowning. "FIe said
when he couldn't get me last
night he thought l might be out
with Ward" She looked at Bacon.
when was MIR. Allen released?"
Last night"
What timer"
"Oh-about seven-thirty."
Della looked at Joyce and sat
ewn. her eyes troubled. oh
ne said finally. 81 didn't know.
thought he might call me when
90 got out, but guess"
Joyce knew how she felt and
s;arted to say something COM
forting, but Murdoch spoke up.
What time did you let Rae
burn out?"
Just in time" Bacon said.
Around twenty minutes of ten.
Funny thing" He looked at Fen
ner. when you called and told
me what happened and it looked
like there was a tie-up between
Clarke and Hardacker I was all
set to grab Allen and go to town
on him.
"Then when Mrs. Murdoch said
she'd seen Raeburn"-he nodded
to Joyce-"that was okay too.
Raeburn knew what he had to do
and he made a Decline for Har-
dacker's office. We found the
hack that took him. The driver
was cruising by Headquarters
when Raeburn tagged him. The
cabby let him out at the corner
of Morton and Green-that's just
a block from Hardacker's Office
at five of ten."
To be continued