The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-04-03
e0Dl2C 81 900
By Ann DemareSt

sure of Dirck's hand on my arm,
steadying me.
I closed my eyes. I wanted to
shut out what / had seen, to erase
it from my mind - that head
etched so sharply in the snow
the policeman keeping watch over
that poor, shattered body.
And yet it chung to my mind in
clear detail as though it had been
painted there.
Minutes must have passed be-
fore / could swallow the lump in
my throat and force a word
through my lips. They felt stiff,
frozen.
"Richard?" I choked. ooh, Dirck,
is it Richard?"
He nodded.
When" I cried jerkily. "Dirck
him?" "l-' u" ~" -''0
"a few minutes ago." His voice
seemed to come from far away.
He closed the window and
turned back to put his arms
around me. I buried my head
against his shoulder.
Never mind, Chris. Never
mind"
shivered in his arms. what
time is it?"
Seven o'clock. Chris, listen to
me. l have to leave you for a
few minutes. Will you be all
right? You see, l must tell Mr..
Kimball."
drew away from him.
Il got hold of a policeman" he
said jerkily, land the detective in
the shop called the Sergeant from
Richards apartment. Long is
coming right away" He bent over
me anxiously. "Are you sure
you'll be all right? I'll be back
in a couple of minutes. Don't be
afraid. Nothing can happen to you
now"
And Dirck walked quickly out
of the room, closing the door be-
hind him, leaving me alone, my
hands clenched in the pockets of
my bathrobe, too weak to move
away from that window.
1t was a dark morning. The
sky was a Sullen gray in strange
contrast with the pure white of
the snow in the yard, except for
that dark blotch where Richard
lay.
Almost UnbearabIe
IT WAS almost unbearabIe, be-
L ing alone. Finally I made my
self walk away from the window,
cross the room and turn on the
lights. And then l knelt in front of
the fireplace and crumpled news
papers for fire. My fingers were
clumsy and stiff. It was cold and
damp even with the windows
closed and there was stale scent
of tobacco smoke. Most of the
kindling had been used and there
was only one small log left, but
enough for a small fire.
Then, Shivering, crept into. the
wing chair to wait. And for five
or ten minutes l sat there without
moving.
Chris" 1t was Dirck in the
doorway.
I looked up and told him to
come in. He came over to the
stool and held his hands before
the fire. 1t was the first time had
ever noticed his hands, they were
strong, and his fingers were long
and tapering. And then I Won
dered why l KEEP thinking about
them when Richard was dead,
when there had been another
murder.
His face was drawn. and when
he finally spoke again his voice
was sharp and tired.
81 told Mr.. Kimball," he said.
81 think he'll go mad. His eyes
were terrible"
Does anyone else in the house
know"
After a long moment he said,
''They have not been told" There
was strange, frightening express
sion on his face.
A curious thing to say, I
thought. "They have not been
told"
Did Dirck mean that someone
in the house knew what had hap
pened without being told? Was
there someone in the four floors
of this old brownStone house who
knew Richard was lying dead
there in the snow?
Dirck buried his face in his
hands. tits my fault" he said
slowly. "Somehow-in some way
II should have stopped it."
"Dirck-no-don't worry So" I
got up and went over to sit on the
stool beside him.
His head was bent forward so
that I couldn't see his face. and
his arms hung Imply at his sides
now.
"How did it happen that you
found him-or don't you want to
TALK"
There was an odd light in his
eyes as Dirck raised his head and
looked at me. 81 woke up" he
he said, land I thought I heard a
noise in his room. so | tiptoed out
and went upstairs. Richard wasn't
there. The window was open, so
I looked out" He buried his face
the house was quiet, of course
in his hands again. 81 don't know
you were asleep. You are the only
person, though, know couldn't
have done it." And then he added
irrelevantly, 'You looked so
pretty asleep there in the chair"
He jumped to his feet. well,
you'd better dress now. I'll 60
down to see Mr.. Kimball again.
Poor old IShi'S scared out Of his