The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-04-04

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hassock over by the door to squat
on. And Whitefeld, arriving late
and looking more nondescript
than ever in a dun-colored bath
robe, took the large chair by the
window. The Sergeant, sitting
close to the desk, cleared his
throat and, after an impressive
pause. started to speak. -.
Richard Macdonald is dead"
Heads jerked up and eyes flew
to the Sergeant, but the room was
quiet except for Mary AIMS quick
gasp. Strangely enough, Charles
Whitefield, who up to this time
had said nothing and acknowl-
edged no ones presence, cried:
Good heavens, Sergeant! How?
Right here in the house? When
did it happen?"
The Sergeant motioned him to
be quiet and the man sank back
in the chair, moistening his lips
nervously.
'No-no-I don't believe it
not Richard" 1t was Mary AIMS
high pitched voice. Crouched in
the wing chair she looked up at
the Sergeant. There were tears
streaming down her face.
why, Miss Rogers" the Ser
geant said.
mot Richard" she repeated
wildly. ct couldn't be. Why, last
night" She stopped short.
What about last night?" The
Sergeant'S voice was soft, but it
didn't veil the significance of his
words.
q just talked with him last
night" she said sullenly.
"Oh!" The Sergeant's eyes were
leveled on her. Sc you talked
with him last night. I'm glad to
hear that. Now perhaps you'll tell
me how long you talked with him
the night before, the night his sis
ter was murdered. You were sup
posed to be at your aunt's and he
said he was on the Long Island
train. You both lied"
"No-no," she whispered.
The Last One
ID ICHARD MACDONALD didn't
IN take the train at ten o'clock.
He took train much later" His
voice was hard.
Il was at my aunt's."
The Sergeant nodded. eyes, you
were there for dinner, but you left
about nine o'clock. The doorman
saw you leave"
Mary Ann Shrank back in the
chair, staring at him. Il can't-it
doesn't"
The Sergeant shrugged his
shoulders aud turned away from
her. And his voice was detached
when he said each one of us had
to give an accounting of his move
during the evening and early
morning.
If the Sergeant expected any
startling revelations he must have
been disappointed.
For myself, l sat there none too
easily, expecting at any moment
to hear him ask Dirck where he
had been. But he seemed to forget
Dirck and concentrated on the
others. Everyone had stayed in
their respective apartments, and
Mrs. Evans, deaf as lamp post,
was the only oneuWho had heard
any noise of a suspicious char
acter, as she put it. And that noise
she had heard came from Rich
ards room, shortly before the
Sergeant called to her. It could
have been Richard, of course, but
it might have been Dirck.
1t was Mr.. Kimball who volun-
teered some information. He said
that he hadn't been able to sleep,
and sometime before daylight he
thought he heard someone talk
ing. He felt very uneasy so he
Weakened the detective in the shop
and got him to search the house
with him. There was nothing they
could find, but Richards light was
still on, he said, so he stopped in
to talk to him for a couple of min
utes. He had tried to persuade the
boy to go to bed.
The Sergeant drew a cigar out
of his breast pocket. you always
seem to be the last one on the
scene" he said quietly.
Mr.. Kimball raised his eyes, to
the Sergeant. yes" he said, "unT
fortunately that is true" eaH IS
Biting off the end of his cigar I
the Sergeant said, 'Tll talk to you
later" S
1t seemed strange that the Ser
geant was so easily convinced that
everyone was in the house and in
bed all night. He seemed almost
dlSintereSted in the inquiry and
paid scant attention to the per-
functory replies to his questions.
And when Sarah poked her head
in the door, her pale eyes popping,
he told her to get on with her
work.
''The rest of you may leave" he
said. And, Miss Rogers, you stay
in your room. I want to talk to
you"
When he and Dirck and I were
alone, he sat down and pulled on
his cigar with a satisfied air.
Well, it's pretty clear now,
Kolff," he said.
"Yes?" Dirck's voice was skep-
teal.
Suicide" the Sergeant said
tersely.
Suicide" I echoed, amazed. It
hadn't occurred to me, and from
the expression on Dirck'S face it
was new idea to him, too.
Then he murdered Joan?" !
gaSped.
The Sergeant nodded.
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