The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-03-16
Chapter IL
ALWAYS Worrying

WE SAT there, all six of us,
w watching the Sergeant and
waiting to see what he would do
or say next. Outside could hear
the harsh scraping of snow SHOW
ell as it struck the ice, and Norton's
voice as he called to someone.
When the Sergeant finally spoke
and the tension lessened, / looked
at Dirck. His eyes were resting
thoughtfully on the book-shelveS
on the far side of the room.
'Then you knew nothing about
your sister Joan's death until you
came here today" Sergeant Long
was saying.
Nothing"
The Sergeant, thought, seemed
to be having trouble finding any
one with a Water-tight alibi. He'd
soon have to arrest all of us on
suspicion.
He looked at his notebook.
"Your sister left a letter on her
desk, and among other things she
mentioned in it that she was Wor-
ried about you. What's the reason
for that?"
A strained expression crept over
his face. Il can't think of any,
thing" he said. Except that Joan
well. Joan was always worry
ing" He glanced about uneasily.
THAT seems a little far-fetched
to me. Always worrying" the Ser
geant grunted.
Richard drew out his handker-
chief again and mopped his fore
head. He was very pale, and l
thought he looked almost i'll.
What | mean in this" he said with
some hesitation. "She worried
about my work my future" he
added lamely.
The Sergeant regarded him for
a moment, thoughtfully, then
brought a small package out of his
pocket, unWrapped it and drew
out a string of metal beads. do
you recognize this necklace?"
Macdonald looked at it with a
puzzled expression, reached a thin
hand forward to take it, and then
drew back.
ITS all right to handle it."
mo, I've never seen them be-
FORE" he said after he took the
string of beads from the Sergeant
and looked at them closely.
If your sister had worn them,
would you remember it, or do you
think you wouldn't have noticed?"
the Sergeant persisted.
I'D remember it. Joan rarely
wore jewelry, except for rings, and
this carved metal is odd. I'm sure
/ would have noticed it,"
The Sergeant leaned forward.
They were around her neck when
we found her. so someone must
have given them to her last eve
ming. Would you have any idea
who might have done that? Was
anyone in the habit of giving her
jewelry?"
II don't know" Richard MUIR
INJURED. Il mean =. it would only
be a guess and it might implicate
somebody who had nothing to do
with this"
Il see how you feel" the Ser
geant said, and his voice was lit
tie more kindly than usual. "But
this is important. We must find out
who gave her the necklace. 1t
doesn't mean necessarily that who
ever gave it to her was the person
who strangled her"
The girls brother WINGED.
wished that the Sergeant would
take it easy. The boy looked ready
to collapse.
"The only person | can think of
would be Tim-Tim Lathrop," he
said slowly. HE has given her one
or two rings and bracelet"
Perfectly Happy
II ATHROP," The Sergeant muir
Il INJURED to himself, and then
turned to Nicholas Kimball. Hes
the man who dropped into the shop
last night? The note that Miss Kent
wrote was addressed to him?"
Eyes" MIR Kimball agreed with
some reluctance. Last evening he
came to see Joan. He stopped in
the shop first"
''But he did go up to see her?"
Eyes. | sent some ice-cream up
with him that I'd just bought for
Joan. Since he was going up gave
il to him to take to her, but he
came back with it. He looked ter
ribly worried, and when asked
him why she hadn't taken it he
looked at me in a dazed way and
said that she hadn't wished to be
disturbed. He didn't see her at all,
just stood in the hall, | imagine,
and called to her. He forgot he had
the ice-cream until he came back
to the shop"
Tim Lathrop is the one person
you can't accuse" Richard broke
in fiercely. He was crazy about
joan"
The Sergeant disregarded the
interruption. What time was
that?" he asked Mr.. Kimball.
about ten o'clock, believe"
Rather late to call on a girl,
wasn't it?"
Dirck nudged me and even Mr..
Kimball smiled family when he
said. You're not very Sophisticat-
ed, are you, Sergeant? However,
as il happens. Joan worked in the
shop every day from three In the