The Key West citizen., 1940-03-23
Chapter 18
Mr.. Kincaid

( Mr.. Kincaid
RICHARD MCDONALD was
~ coming out of the shop door
@itn heavy coat on but bare
headed He came up to us.
Harry Kincaid is here" he told
Dirck in ierky voice, "and Uncle
Nlck's boy, Ishi, has come back.
Long has them lined up in the
That's fine." Dirck slammed the
door OF the car al hope the Ser
geant will let us sit in on it. Has
anyone heard from Lathrop?"
Richard shook his head. 81 can't
Imagine where he is. He calls Joan
every day and usually drops in
late in the afternoon.
The telephone call this morn
ing was from man." said.
Richard frowned. 'Tf it had been
Tim I'm sure he'd have come
around right away. Well, I'll be
back in minute. | want to get
some papers down at the corner. 4"
We'll go with you. want the
late editions, too"
Dirck took me by the arm and
we walked with Richard to the
corner. While they bought the pa
pers went into small hardware
store for some electric light bulbs.
On the way back Richard said to
Dlrck, Are you going to tell the
Sergeant about Lathrop's wife?"
l stared at them. It was a sur
prise to hear that Tim Lathrop was
married.
Il mentioned it to Long this aft
ernoon after l talked with you,"
Dirck said, steering me carefully
around a snowbank. "It seemed
only right. thought your uncle
should have told him, but he felt
1t would only make more of story
for the papers. But the Sergeant
was bound to find out. Now he's
doubled his efforts to round up
Lathrop. He told me it was one of
those triangle cases, two women
after the same man."
Richard smiled wanly, but didn't
reply.
When we went into the shop Mr..
Klmball was sitting in the rear of
the room at his desk with two men
the Jap, Ishi, and the other
found out was my midnight caller,
MIR. Kincaio. Maybe I was preju-
diced, but l didn't care for his
looks, although he might have been
considered handsome in a florid
way; his features were coarse and
his hair and skin dark. One of his
parents might have been Spanish.
He seemed uneasy, but it wasn't
hard to see that he was naturally
self-confident and aggressive. IShi
jumped to his feet at a word from
the Sergeant and left the room.
We sat down quietly, hoping the
Sergeant wouldn't make US leave.
He looked up. nodded, and then
turned back to Kincaid.
I've been trying to get hold of
you all day." he said. where in
hell have you been?"
The young man looked at him
sullenly. "At the Office"
WndL DO you 90!
"PreSs agent"
The Sergeant was walking back
and forth now, smoking vigorous
ly. There are some things I'd like
to know. First of all, why is there
such mystery in this house about
your present address, and why
doesn't anyone know where you
a lnannI l.
of a chair, staring at Harry Kin
caid.
Threat To Kill
NELL, you got my address,
w didn't you?" Kincaid asked.
"And had hard time doing it.
Miss Wells said that you told her
to keep it to herself"
Mr. Kincaid fidgeted in his chair.
That's right"
"Why?"
That's my business"
$50" The Sergeant raised his
eyebrows.
I was glad l wasn't in Harry
Kincaid's shoes. And he didn't look
as though he was enjoying it par
tlcularly.
"And how did you happen to
break your lease and leave here in
the middle of the year?" the Ser
geant asked in a deceptiyely soft
voice. II found out you'd signed
lease on that apartment until next
October"
There was no reply forthcoming.
We waited.
''Well?" said the Sergeant.
Then with a look at Richard
Macdonald that held more venom
than anything I've ever seen, Mr..
Kincaid got up and shouted,
You'd better ask Mr.. Macdonald
why I left. He threatened. to kill
me-"
I closed my eyes and wondered
vaguely how I'd gone through the
night without being murdered.
He threatened your life?" The
Sergeant's voice was hard.
Then I looked UP just in time to
see Mr.. Kimball jump to his feet,
shaking his fist. IF Richard threat