The Key West citizen., 1940-03-22

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arrests during the evening.
DO you mind ii have dinner
first?" / asked. Il didn't have
any lunch"
He looked at Dirck. "You going
too?"
He nodded. "Yes. Sergeant. And
I'll have her back here by nine
o'clock at the latest. l promise
you. - .-.--.--v r-a.s--.- .--s
s He.made me feel like a convict.
! The Sergeant said OK. reluc-
tantly, and the three of us went
downstairs together.
"It's quite responsibility, TAX
ing you out, Miss Howarth," I"
Dirck said as he helped me into
his yellow roadster. "Little did I
dream when I showered and
shaved this morning that by
nightfall you'd have me en-
broiled in a murder"
"And little did I reck," I re-
torted. "that after years of pure
living I'd be taken for the Grim
inal type"
Don't be cross" he said
soothingly. You'll have your
dinner soon."
1T better be, soon." l said dark
ly;
That was the wrong thing to
say, and he drove like one pos
sessed. But it didn't last long. We
were parked in front of the res
taurant at one jump.
"a thick steak for two, medium
rare," Dirck said to the waiter
when we finally got settled at a
small table.
lighted a cigarette. The Ger
man band was playing a drink
ing song. "This is grand" l said.
ITS the first time I've felt hu.
man since / moved"
Nuisance And Nitwit
IT was a wonderful dinner. For
half an hour l concentrated on
the steak and we didn't mention
the George Street goings-on until
we were having coffee. Then
Dirck said:
Much as it hurts my pride,
Miss Howarth, the Sergeant is
forcing me to conclude that I'm
not only nuisance but nitWit."
leaned back in the chair and
looked at him critically. "Dirck,"
| said, "you must admit that the
Sergeant, for all his faults, is a
perspicacious man."
He paid no attention to me.
I'm not really trying to inter-
fere with his investigation" he
said, "and he is only letting me
stay around because l know a
higher-upper in the Police De.
partment." Then he added with
a grin, "if it weren't for keep
ing you out of Jail I'd take my
bow and depart"
"That's white of you, my
friend" l said. "But I'm willing
to bet ten dollars that you're
more interested in finding the
murderer than in saving me from
the gallows."
He considered that seriously.
There are a couple of drawing
cards." he admitted. 'Red-headS
have always distracted me, and
| might add when the red-head
has brown eyes it's fatal"
"Hip, hip, hurrah." l swal-
lowed hard. So he had liked Mary
Ann.
"You aren't, by any chance,
mocking me, are you?"
I looked up at him wide-eyed.
Its this way" / explained. "Men
are so consistent it's depressing.
Wave red-hair in front of their
noses and they fold up like deck
chairs"
ut can never be said of Dirck
Kolff that he travelled with the
pack. I'll have to look around for
blonde, | think"
Have you ever tried advertis-
ing?" l asked lazily.
There are times, Miss How
arth. when a beating would do
wonders for you"
He ordered more coffee. When
the waiter left he asked abruptly
whether I liked Richard Mac
Donald.
yes, pretty WELL" said. "He
isn't my idea of a strong char
acter, though"
You're probably rigat. He's
awfully upset over this, because
he was devoted to his sister,"
"She was keen looking"
$50 gathered, and very popu-
lar, too. But for l. the last few
months she's been seeing mostly
one man. That Lathrpp chap. They
were much in love-"
"And Mr.. Lathrop is still in
hiding"
Dirck nodded. "That gets me.
/ can't see where he's keeping
himself. It's in all the afternoon
papers and he should have turned
up by this time.
After Lathrop got his affairs
Strengthened out he was going to
marry Joan," Dirck went on.
Il think he murdered her for
her diamonds" l said.
Did you happen to meet Mr..
Kimbalps cook. valet and amanu-
enSiS, Ishi. when you went to
look at the apartment"
mo, he wasn't there. Isn't he
i'll? It seems to me that Mr.. Kim
ball said when / moved in last
night that both of his assistants
were ILL.,"
Hes away, upstate for a week,
because his father is dying. Kim
ball hopes he'll be back soon.
He's very fond of IShi and he's
helpless when he's away"
ltHe reached for a cigarette.
We'll. finish your coffee and we'll
skip along. It's almost nine"
) We skipped all right. That yell
low car Skidded on every piece of
ina hatuyaat, EotYrtnnvSfl. CR~n14