The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-09-11


deceive me. In my growing dislike
for the man. / felt that 1t would not
be beyond the range of probability for
Wick to have been standing guard at
| the door while a confederate rifled the
apartment.
I'm no detective" he answered non
committally. "All / know is that he
has gone. He certainly amt here in
the apartment"
1t was on the tip of my tongue to
suggest that we look in the secret
passageway / felt that the shock 1t
would be to Wick to learn that l knew
about this might lead him to open his
lips. l felt certain that 1t was by way
Of similar passageway to the one l
had discovered in my room that the
murderer had escaped. But before l
could make up my mind to speak the
doctor arrived.
He made hasty inspection and then
said tersely:
There's nothing here for me to do.
This woman has been dead for some
time"
"How lOng?" / asked.
'It is impossible for me to Judge
maybe twenty minutes, perhaps an
hour. should say that death was
practically instantaneous. She was
killed by bullet penetrating the heart.
Who shot herr"
He looked sharply from me to Mr.,
Wick, as if suspecting that it might
have been one Of US.
"a burglar got her just a few min
utes ago." Mr.. Wick explained. Mr..
Nelson and me heard a scream and q
shot. We let ourselves in here with
my pass key and found her here. It
must have been burglar that she sur
prised when she entered the apart
ment."
at looks like It," assented the ply
stefan. "There are marks on her
4 throat where he tried to strange her
screams. Have you notified the po-
lice%
eyes" said Mr.. Wick.
"There's nothing more that can do,
then said the doctor, making his
preparations to depart.
"Would you not wait until the po-
lice comeg suggested the superintend.
ent. They'll be here any minute and
probably they'll want statement from
you"
very we'll" said the doctor, "I'll
wait"
AS we waited the three of US chat
ted about the crime and about the
dead actress. From the conversation
I learned that at the height Of her me
teoric career on Broadway Daisy Lutan
had become the wife of the young son
of a very rich family. His parents In
sisted that she had trapped him Into
matrimony and after long legal wran-
Cling she had been divorced about 9
year ago. She had received large
sum In settlement, and this with hel
earnings as an actress enabled her to
live in luxury,
Hadn't she a sweetheart now|
asked.
Better make 1t plural" sneered the
doctor. women of her type always
! have lot of men friends
mo men eFer came to see her here
I'm positive of that" said Mr.. Wick.
| "Of course not said the rector sar
castically. 1.-THE reputation of the
| Granddeck apartments must be pro
tected at all costs"
! AS we talked two detectives In plair
clothes arrived. They viewed the body
and proceeded to question the doctor
Glow was this woman killed|
''By a revolver shot right through
the heart"
'Who Is ghe?"
"Daisy Lutan. the actress"
'WhO did it?"
''It must have been burglar" IN
ferjected Mr.. Wick. 'My theory Il
that she came in Unexpectedly ant
found him at work"
'Who found herr"
"These gentlemen said the doctor
including both Mr.. Wick and me witt
wave of his hand.
The detectives turned to Mr.. Wicl
first.
"Tell us about IT." one of them di
rected.
my name is James Wick" he begaI