The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-03-25
Chapter 10
q Loved Her


Loved Her.
LOOKED around. The room
L made a queer confused picture;
Richard, so pale and thin and tall,
standing beside his uncle at the
desk, and Mr.. Kimball himself,
very white, his bewildered blue
eyes on the slumped figure of Har-
nv Kincaid. Ishi, who had come in
from a room in the back of the
house, was leaning against the
door casing. There was something
disturbing in his gaze and the faint
smile that curved the corners OF
his mouth.
Before them stood the Sergeant,
silent and motionlesS. His eyes
were on the floor. He seemed to be
rejecting.
you'll have to prove it," he said
finally in a tired voice. you're the
only person so far who has refused
to account for his actions"
The Sergeant, l thought, was
stretching point, but undoubted-
ly he had his own system.
Harry Kincaid raised his head.
81 tUdS here last night" he said.
and the color crept back into his
pale face. I'll admit that, but I
didn't murder Joan. I didn't even
see her."
The Sergeant pulled his chair to
the window and sat down. What
were you doing here, them"
"I'd been to a show with & fell
low and on my way home stopped
off here and thought I'd try to see
Joan for a minute" He looked at
the Sergeant almost apologetical-
ly. "She worked until ten, so she
usually stayed up pretty late. |
came upstairs and then | thought
] heard someone coming in the
street door. | thought it was him."
He indicated Richard with an ugly
look in his eyes. There was no use
getting in fight. | thought, so |
ducked into my old apartment.
Didn't know it had been rented.
Then she let out a screech." He
glanced at me.
well" the man went on, II had
to go out in the hall again, but
there was no one around. / knocked
at Joan's door. She didn't answer.
/ stopped down and looked under
the crack. There wasn't any light
and the window was open. l could
feel the draft coming from under
the door. thought she was in bed.
] left then. | tell you, | had nothing
to do with her murder"
The Sergeant's gaze swept the
room, then he turned back to Kin
caid. did you see anyone while
you were in the house?"
81 didn't see who it was that
came upstairs"
when you left?"
He nodded. Il thought / passed
the Rogers girl, but l couldn't
swear to it. Anyway, it was wo-
man. She was coming in the
house"
"Was there light in the second
floor hall while you were there?"
mo, only on the third floor" He
scratched his head. Il don't see
how anyone could have seen me
when | went into her roon." He
looked at me again.
The Sergeant rubbed his chin
thoughtfully. Mrs. Evans must be
psychic" he said.
Dirck raised his eyebrows and
looked at me with such an amused
expression that l couldn't help
smiling. Had Mrs. Evans husband
told her, wondered, or could she
see in the dark?
Devoted To My Work
" a ND you saw no one else?"
"A when l passed the shop l
saw Mr.. Kimball looking over
some books in the front window"
He pointed to the shelves.
The Sergeant swung around to
Mr.. Kimball. do you usually dec
crate your windows after mid
night?"
The older mans face lighted. 81
stay in the shop almost every night
until twelve or after. am devoted
to my work"
81 see," the Sergeant said short
ly.
But ! thought he didn't under
stand. Mr.. Kimball'S scholarly re-
gard for his books and his possess
SionS would never penetrate the
Sergeant'S consciousness.
He turned back to Harry Kin
caid. did you drop the cigarette
lighter when you ran into Miss
Howarth'S apartment"
Kincaid flushed and admitted
that he must have dropped it some
where in the house because when
he got home he couldn't find it.
"Did you come back and take it
from her room today?" The Ser
geant went on tirelessly.
mo"
did you call Joan Kent this
morning?"
The man stared at him without
speaking.
Answer met"
He nodded duly.
Inc SergeantS eyes narrowed.
sand why didn't you tell Miss
Howarth who was calling?"
A defiant look crept over Harry
Kincaid's face. l imagined by this
time he was getting pretty tired of
hearing my name.
"Not because I was afraid to tell
her. / wasn't trying to keep my
name a secret. You don't believe
That, I guess, but it was an awful