The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-04-02
Chapter 26
Richard Talks

DERHAPS, if I'd never seen Joan
L Richard might have struck me
as being handsome, but, as it was
he looked so much like her, yet he
lacked the strong features that
made her so attractive.
''The little we know of his
DEATH" Richard went on, "Mother
told us when we were old enough
to understand, but there was moth
ing definite that she could tell us
o The police were never able to make
any Roadway with the case and
the verdict was suicide. Perhaps
he'd gotten in a mess and couldn't
see any way out. Women can be
devils" he added savagely.
l looked up at him with a smile.
But his eyes were on the fireplace
and, looking at his profile, | could
see his mouth drawn in a tight line
and his jaw was set at an ugly
angle. / wondered what he'd got
ten into that made him so violent
about women. He was too young to
have known many. He couldn't
have been more than twenty.
Dirck got up and pushed has
sock In front of his chair and sal
down again, stretching his long
legs before him. He was tired,
could tell, but his eyes were alert
and bright. 81 wish you'd tell us
what you know about his DEATH
he said.
Richard dragged his stool away
from the fireplace and closer to
our chairs, looking around again
nervouSly. Il suppose no one can
hear u.s." he murmured. 81 swear
I've got the filters in this house.
His uneaSinesS didn't add to my
peace of mind, but l felt much
safer with Dirck there close beside
me and all of the lights burning.
Warner Kent was a brilliant
lawyer, | guess" Richard said.
ale was" Dirck looked up. His
name is still mentioned in connec-
ton with some of the important
cases he handled"
Richard nodded. "He had an
enormous practice and he was
very wealthy. He built the house
out at Williamson where we still
live and it cost a fortune. Of course,
though, with such a large practice
he met up with all sorts of people.
There were plenty of women fond
OF him, but there seems to have
been one in particular who fell
desperately in love with him.
Mother knew about it, though, be-
cause he was always very frank
with her. The girl was young, not
much more than debutante age,
guess, and from what | gather she
made life pretty miserable for him.
But it didn't worry Mother be-
cause he didn't see the girl unless
she came to his Office, and he was
q devoted husband"
He got up suddenly and walked
70 the window. THAT damned fire
escape" he said. Il keep thinking
! hear something out there"
"It's just the wind. l guess,
Dirck said.
Richard came back and stood in
front of the fireplace. THE after
noon he was shot," he went on in
a tight voice, "the girl had been
with him in his private Office for
q long time and no one in the out
er office seemed to agree about the
time Of her leaving. Everyone told
a different story. The police inves-
tigated it thoroughly, but nothing
came of it."
He paused and Dirck, after a
moments silence, asked, DO you
know the name of the woman?"
Anxiety Or Fear?
1T SEEMED a long while before
i Richard answered.
The room was quiet except for
the staccato of sleet against the
window and realized with a start
that it was storming again. That
must have been what Richard
heard.
He was pacing back and forth
now, his face pale and mask-like
"Yes," he said finally. Il know
who it was. That's the trouble"
He stood before us, his head
flung back, and for the first time l
noticed his eyes, dark and heavy
lidded with a strange look back
Of them. Was it anxiety or fear? l
wondered.
Its been worrying me like the
very devil all day." Richard said,
drawing a deep breath. You see
the girls name was Louise Stowe
80. now Louise Lathrop."
sim Lathrop'S wife?" ! almost
shouted.
Dirck jumped to his feet. "You
are sure Of that?"
Richard paced the length of the
room and once more took up his
stand by the fireplace. "Yes, I'm
sure"
did Joan know it,"
''Yes, Joan knew it, too. When
we heard it first we thought it was
just gossip, so Joan asked Tim. He
knew the whole story of course,
but he hadn't connected Joan with
Warner Kent. He never dreamed
that he was her father. You can
imagine how he felt when he
heard it. He wouldn't come around
here for days. And although his
wife's name had been fairly we'll
cleared at the time I believe Tim
began to think that perhaps she
had been responsible for Joan's
fathers death"