The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-03-21
Chapter Is
Charles Whitefeld

Charles Wh1teneI0'
FORTUNATELY for me someone
L knocked at the door. The Ser
geant crossed the room and adj
mitted a man I hadn't seen before.
AS he came in he said gravely,
"Mr. Kimball tells me I'm wanted
by the police"
whats your name?" The Ser
geant regarded him coldly.
The man drew off his heavy
gloves and rubbed his hands to-
gether briskly. "It's damn cold
out" he said easily. Then, looking
at the Sergeant, he said, 'The name
is Charles Whitefield. l live in the
third floor front apartment" There
was faint smile at the corners of
his mouth. "I'm an artist, thirty
three years old and" he added
piously, I'm not married, shank
Heaven"
His smile was obvious now and
his tone held too much levity for
the Sergeant to digest in comfort.
l was finding Mr.. Whitefield inter-
esting. He was short, thin fellow
in blue chinchilla overcoat that
covered him from neck to heels.
Except for the coat, there wasn't
anything to distinguish him from
a hundred other men.
what do you know about this?"
the Sergeant asked.
Charles Whitefeld waved a
newspaper under the Sergeant's
nose and said, "Only the little that
the papers had to offer. but enough
to learn that you must be the Ser
geant Long of the Homicide
Squad"
He bowed politely, but the Ser
geant, seeing the twinkle in his
eye, flushed. Personally l found
the man more refreshing than the
other inmates, but the Sergeant
looked at him with an accusing
eye.
Where were you last night?'
he asked.
And then l wondered if I were
mistaken in thinking that behind
Mr.. Whitefeld's nonchalant look
there was a warineSS. But he an
swered without hesitation, "In my
apartment"
"All EVENING""
Right. I got in about seven and
didn't stir out again until this
morning" He bent down to brush
the snow from his shoes.
did you hear anything unusual
during the evening, or particularly
between eleven and one?"
The man-seemed suddenly bored
with the questioning. mo-" he said
and lighted a cigarette, looking at
Dirck and me with mild interest.
The Sergeant shot out the next
question. "Who was. with your"
If the artist hesitated, it was
only for an instant, "a girl"
"Who?"
He smiled. II prefer not to say.
A nice girl, though. She didn't muir
der anyone"
I'm the one to decide that"
By this time l had scant SYM
pathy for the Sergeant. He got very
little out of people because he
made them angry right away. Mr..
Whitefield faced him now with a
stubborn look, apparently deter
mined to say nothing.
With an irritated gesture Ser
geant Long walked to the window,
gnawing on his cigar. Dirck fun
bled in his pockets for his cigar
cites, lighted one and then said in
a casual voice: Il can understand
how you feel about giving the
lady's name, but since she obvi-
ously had nothing to do with the
murder, you would be doing no
harm in telling it. Besides, we've
accounted fairly we'll for the COM
ings and goings of everyone in the
house and it might be some help to
the Sergeant" He leaned forward
earnestly. you see, she might
have seen someone and we could
do little verifying of time.f s@
WhiStling In The Dark?
THE Sergeant turned away from
L the window. "What time did
she leave your apartment"
The artist answered him sui
lenly. 81 really forget, possibly q
little after midnight"
1T must have been later than
that" Dirck said quietly. "Her
roommate got home at twenty
past twelve and she hadn't come
in yet"
Charles Whitef1eld's jaw tensed
and he looked at Dirck swiftly,
For a minute I didn't quite grasp
what he meant, and I think the
Sergeant was dumbfounded, too
Then 1t dawned on me that
Adfianne Wells had been up in
his apartment. | wondered how
Dirck knew about it, or whether
he was whiStling in the dark.
Il guess she did leave a little
later" Whitefield admitted. "You
see. was giving her drawing les
son and the time passed very
quickly"
Have you been seeing much Of
Miss WellS?" the Sergeant in.
.quired.
ooh, a couple of evenings q
week." he said careleSsly.
"And did you know Joan Kent?'
He shook his head. "Only by
sight"
"And you have no information
you can give me about last night?'
mVIATAun wAv~Nvwwy