The Key West citizen., 1938-12-10
anr Chapter 10
In Official Charge

In Official Charge
EOR moment l thought Mrs.
Flower had something to show
me. But instead she began to chat
ter again.
"Ycu know what keeps running
through my head! It must be an
old song, or something. about the
shooting of Anne Carewe. Isn't
that funny? But you know I'm
hind of psychic that way. | seem
to knotU things. But the oldest
thing - it keeps running through
my mind. About how the lady who
shot her and pinched her poke was
the lady whose name was Lou.
Where do you suppose could get
a thing like that. unless it was a
sort of spiritual revelation? After
what we were saying awhile ago,
too. -"
! felt ,dazed, "What do you
mean?" } ~
"Oh, don't you know? Well, |
forget, Xealpex not. very well ac-
Quainted Here, are you? / mean,
her name is Louella, of course, but
nobody calls her that. 1t wouldn't
IT, somehow. Everybody Just calls
who are you talking about?"
demanded.
why, Lou Orpington. of course.
Who else?"
! caught sight of Adam entering
the club and | felt like giddy
passenger when the merry 60
round begins to slow up. Things
began to look more sane, my equi-
hbriunn was restored.
He came straight across to where
we were standing. acknowledged
MRS. Flowers presence, said quick
ly to me: "Pm questioning every
one before they 90 home-I'll take
you first" and stood aside to let
me precede him.
In the reading room. behind
closed doors, he lowered his voice
commercially. -
what | really wanted was to
ask ii you would take notes. Do
3 you know shorthand?"
Enough to get by. But look.
Adam :" and / launched into an
account OF Charles disappear
ance. !. - 80
He stopped me midway.
II took him back to quarters and
put him to bed. He'll keep for a
while. But before you say any.
thing more | should warn you that
am in official charge of the in
: vestigation. One of the things I've
been doing was to put a call
through to Corps Area HeadqraT-
ters for instructions. You see. in
the absence of Colonel Wright,
Anne's father, Major Carewe, is in
command. | am next in rank.
II broke the news to Maj0f Ca
rewe." He looked slightly sick at
: the memory, but continued evenly.
: f'Naturnlly he's too broken up to
take charge. So the honors are
mine. ~ Now was there anything
you wanted to tell me?"
I related faithfully all that had
occurred since we separated. ex-
-cept for my disposal of Charles
gun and my unwarranted intru-
.sion into Elizabeth's affairs.
He listened intently. his small
bright eyes the intense blue of
a Bunsen burner flame between
their short white lashes. while l
repeated Mrs. Flowers maunder-
-inRs about Lou Orpingto i.
1T seemed quite clear that she
wanted il In the record that Mrs.
Orpington was alone on the YER
anda at the time the shot was fired.
And this afternoon at the polo
game she more than hinted that
Barney has btesl seen around the
rOrpinEton qH4flefs entirely too
much. with Cabtain Orpington
away In camp. AT least that was
the way it sounded to me. She may
mot have meant thing by it--she
says the most awful things so in
snocently that You wonder IL she
knows what it's all about"
II know. Amazing woman.
Sometimes | think her wits are
dim. Other times I'm not so sure.
Her husband PLAYS remarkably
fine game Of bridge. but half the
time she doesn't bother 10 follow
suit. Insists on PLAYING too. Don't
see how he puts up with it.
Mistaken?
e0H, and when you came in she
= " was reriting some nonsense
about a psychic huneh--a song she
,said kept running through her
head about the lady whose name
was Lou. -" l repeated a. much
IS ] could remember Of it.
Adams strong white teeth
showed for en- instant in a grin.
"sThe Shooting of Dan Nc
Grew" he said. That's like her"
Then The grin faded. The Shoot
ing Of Anne Carewe." he said soft
~ and stared at.me with puzzled
eyes. ~
SYou know. Kay. that's damn
tunny. -. Ard the lady that's
1nown as Lou. She is keen to put