The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1943-01-04
Chapter IL
Ultimatum

THE hot tub soon absorbed the
l. WEAKNESS from Delia's legs,
but as she lay there soaking, the
sense of bodily contentment was
gra dual1y counteracted by a
growing anxiety.
It was after six now. and until
five thirty she had been tramping
the streets in search of that elu-
sive hat which was to match
Joyce's brown suit. In the end
they had found one at Lucille's,
and Joyce had been dropped at
her apartment with the promise
that Della would be back at seven
for dinner. During that time she
had not thought much about the
murder of Perry Clarke; now
those neglected fears again were
on the prowl.
She was, she told herself, being
silly. Actually it was nothing but
her imagination that bothered
her. and this was not very flatter-
ing to Ward. He had gone to see
Clarke, to be sure; he had wanted
those clippings, had argued about
them at Hestor's and had gone
there last night to get them. He
had been the one who had
knocked at the door. It must have
been his voice she heard while
she was taking the envelope from
the bedroom.
She sat up. slapping hard at the
water in anger and evaporation
at herself for thinking about it
The splash rained against the
wall and spread upon the f1ool
and she stood up and reached
for the towel as she stepped tc
the bath mat.
Why must she torture herself
this way? Why couldn't she trust
him when she knew nothing at al
except the fact that he had beer
in Clarke's apartment? She knew
of course, the answer to this too
She was afraid. She had the vino
up and couldn't do anything
about it. Never in all her life
could she remember happines.
like that of the last six months
and the thought of losing it was
terrifying.
The knocking on the door cut
sharply across her thoughts anc
she realized that, except for the
towel in her hand, she was quite
naked. She smiled at herself anc
reached for her robe, a spark Of
quick excitement touching off he,
hopes.
Ward? It must be. No one
ever called on her, and although
he usually telephoned before
he came he probably had JUS
stopped off on his way home. q
The Little Man
CHE took off the rubber car ano
- shook out her hair, stepped into
her mules and frightened the robe
about her Passing through the
bedroom she heard the knocking
again, but stopped at the vanity
to slap on some powder and in.
spect herself. $50
The knocking was now insis-
tent and she called: Just a MIN
ute" as she scuffed across the
living room. She pulled the door
open tentative crack and peered
out. e.
The man stood very close tc
that small opening, not Ward, but
someone she had never seen be-
fore: a short. solid looking man
with nondescript clothes and 8
sweatstained gray hat pushed
back from his forehead.
"Heno,p he said. s5
), t'Hbwg do you do,s Della said
thinking fabout the chain stop
Ward Allen had insisted she in
stall and wishing she had fas-
tened it. f!:l9
Talk to you a minute?"
what is it you want?"
II want to talk to you. About
last night"
Something frightened up in
Della and her hand was cold on
the doorknob.
who are your" she asked.
"The name doesn't matter" the
man said. 'It's what I've got to
say that counts"
"But / don't understand. II you
could tell me what"
''Not from out here talking
through crack in the door,"
Couldn't you come back some
other timer"
mo"