The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1943-01-19
Chapter 80
To The Rescue

THE question died before the
L impact of a new and terrifying
thought For that one instant she
could not move, she could not
even think; then something snap
ped inside her and she was claw
ing at the door and somehow find
ing herself in the street and run
ming towards that darkened door
way. '5'''-
How could she possibly have
thought that Raeburn's presence
here offered solution? He was
not the man who had first come to
Della demanding the envelope
and threatening exposure. Della
knew Raeburn. She. had not
known the man who had called!
Joyce was ON the sidewalk now
and once through the doorway
she saw the light at the back of
the hall and found the interior
less dark. She went up the stairs
without pausing, the loud clatter
of her steps re-echoing from the
narrow walls. At the landing she
saw the light from the door panel.
She ran towards it, but even in
her frenzied haste she could not
discipline her thought nor stay
her mounting panic.
"Deliai"
She was at the door now, tug
ging at it and finding it locked
before she saw the number on the
panel and realized her mistake.
She turned back to room twenty
four and called again, feeling no
sense of personal danger, but only
of fear at what she nigh: find. Z
"Deliai" " r
She opened the door and IFS
tened and there was no sound but
her labored breathing. The impli-
cation of this silence was stark
and terrible in her mind and she
called again, finding her voice
suddenly hushed and inadequate.
She forced herself to close the
door, to face the prospect of NOV
ing towards the rectangle of light
that streamed from the adjoining
room.
Vaguely aware that she was
standing in some outer office, she
started for the doorway. finding
each step tremendous muscular
problem. One, two, three
she could see a good part of the
room now, a leather chair, the
corner of desk-four, five
The Closet
THE room was empty, amazing
Il ly and completely empty.
There was the desk and an over
turned chair and a desk lamp
which made strange shadows in
the corners; there was a leather
chair, cracked and worn. A book
case, well-filled and Uttered on
top with papers and magazines
extended along one wall; there
were two doors, one leading to
the hall. the other opening from
a squarish projection in the cor
ner.
She took time to see all this
before she tried to do anything
else; then she took another step
and incredulity began to fade as
something icy slid along her spine.
She looked back into the dark
ened anteroom, not moving her
feet. She started to call out again
and found she could not without
clearing her throat.
'Delia!" she cried. "Delia!"
There was no answer; it SEEM
ed almost as though she had ex-
pected none, and in the end, she
made herself inspect the room.
She walked past the desk, noting
as she did SO that telephone
book lay open, and scratch pad,
on which something had been
written. She went to the window
and looked out and found nothing
but a shaftlike space from which
a vacant window stared darkly.
She turned slightly and found her
eyes focusing on the door which
formed one wall of the corner
projection.
Some frightful premonition
seized her and she stood there
stiff and breathleSs. her gaze
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