The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-11-27
made UP TO KILLS

1EdSs
JEFF ripped the paper from INV
hand. l pointed to the item and
ne read Il aloud as II he expected
the name. if 1t had been there al
al, TO be gone by now. Nor
gan Thousand. Marge Flint and
Lee Gray. Haila. who Is Vincent
rarEer. Does be have an Office?
Where is it,"
Its in Radio City. I know him"
Cmon. JEFF said. let's get
moving"
Just a second" Ashley put his
hand on Jefrs arm Are you
are you going TO Parkerss Office
now2 immediately"
Sooner than that. Cmon, Ash
ley, walk up with u"
NO. thanks. / wouldn't be seen
In Parker's Office. couldn't afford
TO. Besides, I've a terribly impor-
tant appointment downtown
Wall Street. no doubt" ! said
maliciously.
AS a matter of fact. it is Wall
Street. Taxils
Ashley stepped into his cab and
! had to run to catch up with JEFF
who was halfway across Broad
way by that time.
On Sixth Avenue he didn't even
stop, as he usually did. to make
sure the khaki colored men dig
glng the new subway were getting
along all right. Breathless. ]
grabbed his arm and pulled N.Y.
self abreast of him. 'Jeff :"
JEFF snorted and two middle
aged women gaped at me. Auto
matically, still raised my voice
to a shrek on Sixth Avenue to
combat the roar OF the FL trains
that were no longer extant.
! tried again. in a softer tone,
JEFF, shouldn't Peterson know
about this?"
He probably does. Save your
air. We should've taken a cab"
Mr.. Parker
"A T RADIO CITY we took one
n Of those rocket ships they call
express elevators and I answered
the operators questioning look.
ASixty-two.b He punched the but
ton with flip of his knuckle and
leaned back against the wall.
waiting for the car to fill When
he had become convinced that no
one would ride in the same ele-
vator with JEFF and me, he took
of for the sixty second floor.
The doors slid open and we
stepped out JEFF started to say
something, then stopped. ! glanced
in the direction he was staring.
Backing slowly into the next car.
while the crowd settled in the
rear. was Philip Ashley. The
doors closed. Il was impossible for
Ashley not TO have seen US, but
his eyes gave no flicker of rec
ignition. His face was dead pan.
Well" / said. $50 this is Wall
Street.
YEAH rs
.But why should he do that?"
Maybe he wanted to find out
about Lee Gray before we did.
Wen see"
Parker's secretary announced
me over the telephone without
first asking my name. That made
me feel fine and SNUG. That girl
and her colleagues had almost
nipped my theatrical career in the
bud until one day had managed
to slip past her. and Vincent
Parker had given me my first
part in New York.
Mr.. Parker would see me in a
few minutes. In answer to JefPs
question, the secretary told him
that Philip Ashley had not been
m to see Parker within the last
few minutes or. as far as she
knew. ever. JEFF sat down beside
me.
'Haila." he said, '1et me do the
talking about L. G.
Vincent Parker opened his door
and beekoned to me. He looked
like five and a half feet of rain
bow with his dark-blue shirt. vel
low knitted tie, brown tweed suit
and very conservative battlesh5p
gray spats. His face split in grin
that shook his ears. When JEFF
followed me into the Office he
fiattered me by looking disap-
pointed that wasn't alone 81
She's my girl" JEFF explained.
i never leave aer alone with
strange men."
"If you think Pm strange YOU
oughta see my brothers. Parker
said. When he had stopped
laughing ] introduced JEFF to hin
and we seated ourselves, Parker
behind his huge, streamlined
desk, Jed and / on a luxurious
divan that Vincent must have
bought secondhand from some IN
solvent Caliph.
Nicely appointed chamber
JEFF said. He had nearly broken
my neck to get Us I'D hare and
now he was being Me suaVe.
casual Philo Vance type. Who
decorated your Officer Billy
Rose?"
Billy Rose?' Nav. Great little
fellow. though. I knew Billy when
he was shorthand champion of the
world. Billy thinks lot Of me and
I've always admired him. toe"
Il understand you're going to
do = play. Mr.. Parker. / said,
trying 10 get JEFF to the point.
when you call me Mr.. Parker,
HaiIa, I don't know to who you
are referring. The first name IS
Vincent. Il amt as if We were
mere acqualntances. ] give YOU
your start on Broadway. Tell me
il I'm wrong