The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-09-18
lie HIDDEN DOOR

BY FRANZ Z. PACKARD

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ia police record-that's why he didn't
have his calling cards engraved with
Louis Mireau on them. See?"
.oh!" Colin nodded. So that's 1t.
lis it?v
Eyes" said Sergeant Mulvey. and
now listen to what we dug up out
of the files. told you I'd have word
or two to say when my turn came.
The Mireau family originally came
from somewhere down on the Gulf
of st. Lawrence-Which probably,
later on, gave Lazarre the idea of
locating that counterfeit plant there
where It's isolation made it look sure
fire as far as safety went. and the
natural resources made it practical.
He's about forty years old When he
was twenty, and that's twenty years
ago, he was on the vaudeville stage
land, say, what do you think his
turn was? He was one of those
| Iightning-change artists-an imper.
senator"
1.-THE devil he was!" calculated
Colin tensely; and then, with a tight
smile: We'll. that explains lott"
"rll say it does!" Sergeant Mulvey
laughed harshly. "Just about that
time. however. he got caught at a
pretty dirty bit of Matchmaking and
forgery and got two years for it.
When his term was up he disap
peared.
"TT must have been around then
when, he turned himself into
Keppelstein and started in on his
own private theatricals at the Wine
Press. and began &c build up his
mobs, creating a new big shot out
OF himself for each one as it came
along. He was never heard of again
until tonight.
And 1t wasn't until about eight
years ago. as far as we've been able
to, check up yet, that even Joe La
zarre appeared on the scene-by
which time he figured, guess. that
no one would connect him with
Louis Mireau unless he himself went
around asking for it. And nobody
did. either! So. as ! said, when he
wasn't playing around as Heimie
SchWarm and Buck O'Mara and
suchlike, he was Joe Lazarre in.
stead OF Louis Mireau when his
makeup was OFF. That Keppelstein
stunt was a winner.
"He could come and go In any
character the next scene called for.
and make those hops down the Gulf,
obviously inspection trips from
headquarters whenever he liked
though it's open and shut that he
always had to go down there as La.
zarre on account OF It keeping him
so long away from his makeup base.
But / guess you said itaall when you
made that crack about him getting
TO work TO show Satan how 1t was
donei"
Colin was staring moodily at the
hoor. He was silent for a moment:
then abruptly:
fannie was bound to find out the
truth. OF course, and there's no
doubt that's why in the end she was
found in the river-but wonder
where he took her? He certainly
never lived in a place like the Wine
Press. He must have had quarters
somewhere"
Sergeant Mulyey shrugged his
shoulders.
More than one. probably" he
said. "Heimie Schwarm, for in.
stance, no doubt had o swell layout
somewhere. Anyway. wen dig that
ell ont in time. We found some adj
dresses and papers tucked away In
. drawer OF that Evolving bar.
which latter. by the way. according
to the suddenly awakened memory
Of one Of the old-timers down at
headquarters. turns out to be moth
ing but another come-on circus stunt
that was pulled by the. Wine Press
70 amuse the clientele at the time
prohibition was in the air aud every.
BABY was talking about it-only
there. wasn't any wardrobe on the
other side OF II then!
But no matter about that! Be
sides the addresses, we found list
Of the members Of the different
mohs. And"-Sergeant MnIvey grin.
ned snddanIy-"the last name on
Buck o'Mara's list was Clarke
Lunn with an o. K after II. We've
got = dragnet out now--and there
ought to be quite haul by the time
we're through.
kind Of makes the fake ssuff
you've been getting away with In
your books look sick. eh?"
yes" said Colin. "And that's an.
other thing Reddy was right about.
A matter Of fact. I'm working on
. love story at the present moment.
and iwidentaIiy"-Coiin flung q
Quiszical glance ct Sergeant Malvey
- am leaving tomorrow to write
the last ehapters-at Cap 4 Forage"
THE END