The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-06-07
Chapter 20

pEAcEMAKERs
scERGEANF." the Director began
y IL hia booming voice, "Mr. Du-
fresno has Aaked me % see what can
BE- dole 20 expedite this inquiry. OF
course" he continued quickly. -it has
naref been ny policy to interfere ar.
bitrArily. with any man In my De
paftinent. &c ron know. Harper. but
Mr. nufresna IL an old friend Of
mina and want 20 be a. accommo-
dating aa ] can, especially In view
ofMrA Dutresne,s mishap.s
II think Il would b Invaluable to
mora from the scene Of the crime
under present conditions. Harper
rspliea, quietly bpt 6rmly.
@Hut Why. IN .Haaven'a manner"
crieo pufresne. "Am not the one
most concsrnedf There will be no
more threatening latters, no more
shois from hIdins. I don't care who
he was or what be was. Il b enough
to know that be win not trouble ua
again. he was undoubtedly Q homt
cidaimanlae."
what makes ron think sol" Har-
per Challenged
pulresna ataFed in aurpriaa.
what else can We .think? Yon have
svsrI characteristics Of Z violent
homicidal mania.
~Apparently yes. and Of the most
viEulapt typa.9 agreed Harper. sRut
ron forget that We have 10 proof,
whataxsr that the man who vas
killed last night was the same one
who wrote the threatening letters
and shot at yoH yestarday."
Duiresne broke IN excitediy. "Ser.
geant, you are deliberately manu-
featuring difiicnlties. To call such
q train OF events coincidence IL 70
stretch Q remote possibility until It
snaps Of It's own thinness." He
snorted his scorn Of such an idea.
Captain Macklin had been taking
IN this verbal tilt intently. From the
nrst be had sensed some underlying
current OF hostility between Du.
fresne and the detective. Hainjacted
himself smoothly into the converse.
tlon. Harper. have you any direct
evidence that this man was not the
one who wrote the crank letters!"
Captain Macklin. would prefer
TO make my report pEiyately.F
Come. now. SeFgeants conncra
doomed. there's 40 need 20 take
that line. There seems to be q little
friction between yon and Mr.. Dus
fresno. We don't want anything like
thake
A0entlemen,s said DRfresne with
great dignity. my wife nesds peace
and quiet after the ahock she had
last night. She Il the innocent vic
tim OF .bungllng methods"
"Mr. Dufresne." Harper snapped.
his temper rising. you win please
remember that I had nothing to do
with Mrs. Dufresne's mishap."
Il am not blaming you. Harper.
There Was nothing personal In my
complaint. but the fact still re,
mains."
Lets not get side-tracked.- Mack,
In resumed. us there any spch evi.
dence. Harper?s
mot direct evidence. sir.s
"0f courae there ian't." DufFesne
Interrupted again. "Whal happened
IN this room laal Rieht h plain to be
seen. There II no need % lwiss e
into sfill more fantasflc shapes nor
IN fyihg 70 ratlonallae q madman's
actinnas
niREcToR cONN0RS waved hla
Nc. blunt cigar IN the air. sYes.
HarpeE it you've cot anything sub
stantial 70 build on. les's hear about
it,
Harper drew himself un stiGly.
~Very well. Director. have been 70.
laclnnt to part With thls information
tor tear II would hamper my further
wolk In this case. Maniac or not
he answered impresslvely. "thls man
was murdered. not b 0flleer Hamill.
but b. q third person who waa here
In this roomi This samo unknoun
person also killed Hamilll The
scene was dxed. the evidence tam.
pefsd with 90 that Il would look a.
II thetwo men had killed each other.
Az nrst this was only z theory. Z
suspicion Of mine. huf now I posi.
lively know e to - q tact.s
you hare the pfooff~ Captain
Macklia asked with restrained ten
atty.
For reply the detective briefly -
counted the doahts he and carlin
had shared eoaeernlna the wound
In the mnFdarea mana head and
how q haA Id q the recovery of The
orlginal - ballet and The ron al
carpet WITH The lalllale bullet holA
Harper had been keenlnn . VAR
eye op pafreane during bic recital