The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-09-09
Chapter 19
Routine Questions

ROutIne questions
you just don't understand San.
L dra," Julia said patiently
running comb through her long
bleached bob. "She likes men
different men, lots Of them. Last
night it happened to be Ivan. To-
morrow it might be the chaplain
or Gerald or-or Dad. But Jeff'S
the one she wants to marry, for
the perfectly simple reason that
he's the one she's in love with.
There couldn't be any other rea-
son-he hasn't a dime"
Maybe she is doing it to spite
you"
"She doesn't hate me that well. "
We went down the back stairs,
past the sound OF Cora muttering
in the kitchen and out the service
entrance.
We'll take the coupe; Mimi
won't want it." Julia said, cross
ing the graveled back road to the
double garage. ITS time for
chapel to let out. Well have to
hurry"
But the chapel was closed and
showed no sign of ever having
been open. And when we went on
TO the club the first person we
saw was Felicia BrideWell seated
on the Veranda surrounded by the
Sunday paper, calmly darning.
"My babies are all getting so
big" she simpered. holding up a
mans sock.
Il thought you were at church"
] said, failing for once to appre-
ciate my favorite brand of humor.
mo church. The chaplain fell
afoul of more poison ivy last
night. That poor man." She sighed
piOusly. L believe ne sat IN 1t
this time"
Our continued sobriety drew
from her a shreWd glance which
passed from one to the other OF
us. She became pleasantly matter
of fact.
$50 we came home again. Or at
least | did. But if you're looking
for Sandra | can only say that
she's some distance from here by
now"
with jeff" demanded Julia
with remarkable self-controL.
with JEFF. He met US on the
way home. He was driving and
he had a marriage license. When
he learned the chaplain was non
compos nentiS, or vice versa, as
you might say. they set out for
parts unknown. They asked me
TO go along, but l have Sunday
dinner to supervise. Then they
came here and looked for you,
Kay. and when you were not to
be found they up and decided that
maybe two was all it took to get
married, so off they went
I did not wait for her to finish
her cheerful rafting. Julia was
as white as her hat. ] took her
firmly by the elbow and propelled
her TO my rooms.
The Trap
DON'T know where our minds
i were that we didn't see the
trap that was waiting for US,
didn't make our plans and decide
on our stories. We were agreed
to keep silence on one thing only
cur glimpse of Sandra in Ivan S
arms. That agreement seemed
simple enough to carry out until
Colonel Pennant, smiling at me
across the big mahogany desk IN
the library Of MS quarters, asked
me kindly and with an obvious air
of putting only a routine question
when ! had last seen Ivan alive
Consider that question for a
moment and you will understand
the predicament l was in. To ad-
NIT having seen him on the barge
where he was later found dead
would be TO point TO the very thing
Julia most wanted concealed. The
ensuing questions would be lneV-
liable: Was he alone? No. Sandra
was with him. Did you see anyone
else on or near the barge at that
time2 Yes-Jeff.
Raised eyebrows.
I hesitated. Julia was sitting tC
one side and little behind me
I dared not look around at hel
before | answered. but I could
feel her tension. the silent plea
she was sending me.
I turned to Adam, seated a
one end OF the big desk with /;
notebook and pencil; and, witt
such candor as / could summon
gave my answer in the form Of al
oblique question.
when we walked of down th'
beach they were all together sing
ing. weren't they?"
That's the way ] remembe'
IL" Adam admitted. but he looked
at me for a fraction of secont
longer than was necessary. ant
I could not guess what he wa
thinking. He might have been re
membering that moment on tn
beach: or he might have beel
registering my evasion.
IF they had pressed me furthe
about Ivan I think would hav