Show CHILD OF EVIL 0 octavus S ROY COHEN COHEM B by of v OCTAVUS ROY CONN COHEN CHAPTER IX continued 10 mr forrest ans answered wired kays ken question he said almost apologetically we were just driving by and then went on to explain that he had been compelled to make a trip to some tiny crossroads cross roads hamlet to straighten out the family tree of a deceased gentleman who had left considerable property like all these swamp angels smiled mr forrest ruefully they never seem to remember all their relatives andy drove me out this afternoon and ive been talking to uncles tingles and aunts and cousins tor for hours she conversed nervously she wanted them to go to go quickly she was afraid all over again afraid that kirk might come while they were with her Actu actually illy they remained at the house less than 20 minutes but it seemed like that many bozis hours and wh when enthey they told her good night and walked off toward the parking place under the live oaks some yards back of the house kay dropped onto a chair and sat staring she was trembling with nervous reaction margaret came downstairs first she crossed the room and put her hand on kays shoulder she said youve got to pull yourself together kay yes I 1 know but I 1 was so afraid that kirk might walk in on them but he and now im going to say my last word on this im pretty fond of you and im older I 1 think youre making a mis take you dont understand no the voice of the sum slim blonde girl was gentle 1 I wonder if you do yes then youve got to play it as you see it I 1 just wanted you to remember that we all want to help 1 I know you do and any time let us in on th the a secret mrs hamilton joined them the three women tried to talk time dragged then the front door opened and barney came in his fact face was white and stern and he said eaid you still her here e kirk shown up 1 I see and you changed your mind no barney he fidgeted uncomfortably think ill run along upstairs kay noticed that he walked heavily she was dreadfully sorry for him she was glad when jim owenby returned at least there were two men in the house now jim settled his big figure on the arm of margarets chair and margaret whispered to him that they had bad heard nothing from kirk jims dark face was grave he said held hed have phoned it if hed changed his mind you think so 67 sure I 1 know that lad kays nerves were jumpy she fought against a crazy impulse to laugh not mirthfully but with hysteria anything she felt would be better than this this sitting around waiting for a ghastly inevitability at 11 kay felt that she could stand it no longer she said kirks had time to get here a dozen times over im going to phone the hotel she went to the telephone on the landing halfe halfway ay between the first and second floor she called the white star hotel and asked for mr reynolds room A mans voice at the other end said hello she said id like to speak a k to mr reynolds who is it wants him this is kay forrest ohl oh the tone changed im dan creedon I 1 work work for him yes I 1 know kirk aint here do you know where he is nom he said held hed be back before 10 at the latest shall I 1 tell him to call you yes please again they settled into the awkward tedium of waiting conversation lagged even lor for persons like these it was not easy to simulate infer interest estin in ordinary things eleven thirty midnight with the ancient grandfathers clock tolling the hour with nerve racking slowness they were exhausted with the strain of it at one margaret marcaret said he avi evidently dently changed 1 his mind dont you think hed have phoned me maybe not at one thirty mrs hamilton suggested that they all go to bed hes certainly not coming tonight kay The theres theresio no sense waiting any longer ei but suppose he fie does then you can dress and go with him himic if you still think you must muk s jim owenby remain remained e d inthe in the liv ing room with margaret kay and mrs ha hamilton m liton walked upstairs at the door of the girls room mrs hamilton put her hands on kays i boulders shoulders she looked ten years younger young tr than her age confident competent band and even beautiful she said you poor child kay blinked back the tears lears she said ohl oh mrs hamilton I 1 dout dont know what to do and you still feel eel that you cant trust even me 1 I know I 1 cant it would mean danger to everyone kodad to dad and to barney mrs hamilton smiled gently barneys barneis Bar a pretty lucky boy to have you caring for or him that way kay tried to shake oft off the horrible oppression thanks mrs hamilton and anyway it seems as though ive got another night to think it over yes dear but you must try to sleep not until four did she r sleep leep and then her slumber was mocked by evil dreams at seven thirty flagrant the overly buxom cook rapped on the bedroom door and then entered bearing a breakfast tray crisp waffles and butter I 1 and maple syrup poached eggs and bacon orange juice and a pot of steaming coffee goodness gosh ness miss agnes exclaimed flagrant as she deposited the tray on an the bed belyou you sho looks peaked this lawnin miss kay 11 1 I 1 I sleep very well when I 1 was yo age sleeping slee pin is the most thing I 1 always done good kay heard sounds from the parking place tourists arriving she heard them calling to one another heard them pass the house on the way to the lagoon where the little boats nuzzled against the bank it seemed so normal so gay so bright the sun was so clear and warm the e tourists were early this morning lots of them there was a thin little man and his angular wife mrs parkes was insisting loudly that the gardens were divine e exquisite qui site superb mr and mrs parkes went to the edge of the lagoon and seated themselves in a tiny craft which was propelled by a very black negro who announced that his bis name was wai joshua he followed the regular sightseeing sight seeing route and the stupendous beauty of the place eventually silenced even the loquacious mrs parkes only occasionally did she feel called upon to voice her approval of nature only occasionally did she remember to chide her nervous husband for his inarticulateness and then suddenly the morning air was split by i a shriek from the throat of joshua he screamed ohl my gandl mr parkes jumped and almost overturned the bateau mrs parkes who was made ot of sterner stuff swung on joshua the boutmans boat mans face was ashen his craft had ceased to move and he be was sitting in rigid horror mouth agape eyes popping one palsied finger was pointing downward into the shallow water 0 0 dooh bawd bawd 1 the passengers followed the direction of his eyes they saw something which made them ill they saw just below the ebony surface of the water the body of a man it was kirk reynolds it pretty that scene at the edge of the lagoon after they had dragged kirk reynolds body from the black shallow water and stretched it out on the grass near the wisteria covered log cabin where the negro boatmen lounged during their hours of unemployment the white boatmen stood and stared tourists crowded around in fascinated horror they said that it was terrible and that they going through the gardens any more that day but they return to beverly either not immediately they were too impressed by this sight eight of stark tragedy against a setting so unbelievably beautiful as though a generous nature had provided the flowers for kirk reynolds passing and so he lay alone on the grass and barney looked down at him and spoke to the tourists and tried to comfort mrs parkes who had helped discover the body and was indulging g in violent hysterics and mr parkes who was silent and frightened and bewildered barneys barneis Bar tace face was pallid and he tried to keep himself under control but it easy he insisted on escorting mrs parkes and her husband to the house where he bestowed them in the living room mrs hamilton produced smelling salts and aromatic spirits of ammonia and then joined the group on the veranda barney and kay and margaret she said 1 I just telephoned sheriff griffin 1 hes coming right out did you tell him what happened no I 1 said there had been an accident hes corning coming alone kay forrest had been standing rigidly staring at the group which hovered over the body of kirk reynolds she was trying to think then w words 0 adi came through dry lips how could he have drowned in that shallow water margaret glanced swiftly at her brother and hastened to answer she said he drown he had been stabbed back of the house a car whirled into info the parking place and jim owenby got out ut he moved toward the lagoon and met zero the houseman zeros face was livid he I 1 said bollal jim I 1 sho to Is glad to see you jim frowned wrong plenty wrong jim they aist found kirk reynolds ly in dald in the lagoon drowned drowned an stabbed stob bed stabbed right thoo the neck wheres miss margaret on the front suh aist stand ln there lookin 11 jim circled the house and approached pro ached the group on the veranda margaret saw him coming and moved forward to meet him she put her hand on his arm what a are re you doing here jim 1 I was worried fear was in her eyes Fe fear arland and doubt she spoke in a whisper kirk reynolds Is dead 1 I know how do you know just met zero he told me you she had started to ask you know before but she bit the words back she said what were you worried about kay I 1 wondered what happened after I 1 left last night what made you think anything h happened ened he answered carefully 1 I telephoned the hotel this morning and day A A ohl oh my gandl bawd asked for kirk got that fellow creedon on the phone he said kirk showed up why you phone here 1 I thought id better come she looked up into his eyes they were black and grim his lips were gr grim im too margaret like his expression it frightened her frightened her more than the mere tact fact of kirks death there were a hundred ask a hundred doubts she desired to voice jim owenby nodded to the others and walked down to the lagoon they made way for him and he looked down upon the body of the man who had murdered his best friend it a pleasant sight but jims face gave no hint of his inner feelings he did not touch the body simply looked he saw the narrow deep gash in the throat he saw a cut under the right eye A cut and a bruise as though it had been caused by the impact of a list unimportant that bruise the knife wound in the throat had caused kirks death jim owenby turned away abruptly he rejoined the others and with them greeted sheriff griffin the sheriff was short and broad and stocky he had keen gray eyes and spoke with a pronounced drawl he talked with them tor for a minute ai and id then went to view the body plumb dald he announced calmly somebody hit him an then stabbed him with a knife anybody found the knife yet they said no they heard of finding the kni knife fe griffins bright eyes scrutinized their faces how come him to be heah last iao night kay said he came tor for me fo you what you mean by that miss kay he telephoned me about half past eight said I 1 had to go to town with him he paused long enough to rub his hands on a large red handkerchief he asked what happened when reynolds at got here i e last night mrs hamilton answered we never saw him none of you no sheriff griffin was not stupid he asked was all ot of you in the house ill all the time barney spoke 1 I was in the gardens for an hour or so doin what son just walking around why barneys barneis Bar lace face was white 1 I knew fexas he was coming out here and I 1 want to meet him any special reason yes but I 1 think you know the answer mm I 1 reckon breckon I 1 do i the sheriff paused briefly t hap pen to torun run across him did you N no 0 1 I see anybody else leave the house I 1 did I 1 1 said aid jim owenby twice once c e to make a trip through the gardens and the second time to go home what times was them trips jim the first about nine thirty I 1 go home until after one thirty see reynolds nowhere did you no the sheriff blinked anybody else drop in durin the evenin friends or anybody they looked at kay her face was chalky but she answered firmly dad was here with andy so bout what time miss kay around half past nine maybe ten I 1 m not sure did you tell them about kirk tel lei ephonia ep honin no why not because well because kind of fraid eh well not exactly sho you was and I 1 dont blame you now les see kirk could have got heah any time after nine he I 1 suppose so and there was four men here who gasn wasn t very fond of him and this lawnin hes daid sheriff griffin gestured ime me I 1 still say its it s good riddance barney spoke tensely what are you going to do about it sheriff me shuh son I 1 aint fixin to do bothin not now anyway H he e chuckled I 1 dont hardly re reckon c k n you all are flain to run off he moved toward the lagoon kay touched barneys barneis Bar hand I 1 want to talk to you she said alone right they moved off together he her r deep hazel eyes were wide with fear she said tell me the truth barney did you meet kirk in the gardens lost last night his gaze was level he said no if you had met him if there had been trouble wouldn t you be saying just what youre saying now I 1 dont know but you might lie to me t you its possible her voice was choky she said oh barney why bont d ont you tell me the truth I 1 am telling the truth but if you t kiu kill him who did I 1 dont don t know it could have been jim or dad or andy he said im I 1 m getting pretty cold blooded honey id I 1 d say something if you d promise not to think it was rotten she sighed I 1 dont believe words matter what is it if isaid I 1 said I 1 was sorry about this thing you d know I 1 was lying so w why by pretend somehow I 1 can only seem to think of one tiling thing what ive I 1 ve been thinking and I 1 cant can t help it ive been thinking now kay is tree free CHAPTER X the coroner came a cheerful smiling cherubic person who was addicted to telling jokes in the car with him were two deputy sheriffs whose trip to the gardens had been suggested by their chief the sheriff had waved the crowd back and was looking down at the sardonic face of kirk reynolds he said whoever killed him took a punch at him first see that cut under his eye sho I 1 see JL it I 1 also see that s tab stab wound in his throat georgie laughed lightly he kilt by no woman floyd noo no o he killed by a woman n coroner battles rubbed pink palms together and he no loss to beauregard county neither maybe not but its always kind of tough getting murdered been too all fired many killins around heah recently georgie asked got any ideas floyd araps I raps deanin Me anin you dont aim to talk right now deanin Me anin just exactly that georgie hmm you always was tight lipped he gazed appreciatively down a corridor arched by cypress branches real out heah aint it yeah right nice wheres the famay at up to the house I 1 reckon they were sitting around the liv ing room making a heroic effort to hide the tear fear which oppressed all of them barney perched on the th e arm of the big easy chair in which kays slender figure was almost lost he rose to answer a knock at the door and kay heard his voice good morning mr forrest cumi coma in you too andy kays father and brother entered the broad shouldered figure of the latter almost hiding mr forresta For rests reits slender height they said good morning to the others and came straight across to kay andrew forresta For rests gentle voice was cairn alm c and reassuring though his tired eyes eye weri were disturbed he said george battles told tod everybody in beverly why he nad been called out sicre we came c i a rrie right away away 11 TO HE BE CONTIN VEDi |