The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-03-11
Chapter Seven
Come Clean

dAHA - say duyLll4lS; ulUE6 =
me, instead he turned to Mrs
4 Evans and asked. loudly. "Wh
was the man who left here mys
teriously?"
"Kincaid," she said irritably
furious probably because the Ser
geant let the matter of the, key
pass without Handwriting me i'm
mediately.
Then he asked Sarah how Ions
kincaid had lived in the house.
We'll, he come. in about thu
first of October"
And when did he leave?"
"Lemme see. about ten day:
ago. I'd say"
Where did he go?"'
Sarah looked at the Sergeant
sullenly. The rapid fire question.
ing confused her. Nobody seems
to know. He moved all, of a, sud-
den like"
Mrs. Evans spoke up in. an of
Tended voice Il did see some mail
on the hall table downstairs for
him." she said. "It disappeared,
SO somebody must. have his ad-
dress to send it to him."
Who'd have done that?"'
Mrs. Evans and Sarah stared al
each other and shook their heads.
With. a. sour look the. Sergeant
made notation in. his book and
then asked Mrs. Evans to tell her
story.
She settled herself more COM
tortably. gave me a. scrutinizing
look, then said. Il went out last
night about 7:30 or quarter to
eight"
See anyone then?"
Joan Kent and that MacDon-
aid boy were leaving the house
just as | was"
And you got back about mid
night" the Sergeant prompted
her.
She nodded. II saw Mr.. Kincaid
60 into Miss Howarth'S room and
there was lot of noise after that.
James. my dog. was restless and
knew something was wrong"
| caught a CLEAN in the Ser
geantS eye as he turned to give
the dog. now sound asleep on the
couch, a long look. us James a
good barometer" he asked dryly
What say?"
The Sergeant skipped it. ANY
thing else?"
We'll. people seemed to be 60
Ing up and down stairs all night
long"
rs that usual?"
She nodded reluctantly. THAT
Kent girl had company at all
hours and she was forever hang
ing around the Macdonald boy,
always running into his apart
ment."
Are you out of the house all
day." the Sergeant asked.
And with that question pecu-
liar change came over the woman.
Eyes. | go to business" Her voice
was guarded.
What do you do?"
A spot of color crept into each
cheek. ITS none of your business
and it has nothing to do. with
this, she snapped. And you
can't make me talk any more. I'm
sick and tired of this. The muir
derer is right here under your
nose. | told you who did it."
She rose and stalked out of the
room with the dog yelping at her
heels and the Sergeant made no
move TO stop her. He told Sarah
she could 90 on with her work.
and after she left he turned to me.
Come clean now. Tell me what
you know about this and tell
quickly"
There was no denying it. The
Sergeant had it firmly fixed in
his head that I'd done something
or other.
II know very little to tell you,
Sergeant" l said, trying to sound
composed. These people here are
all strangers to me-"
Maybe you don't know any,
thing. but that's for me to decide. !"
He got up and walked to the win.
dow. You'd better start with last
evening""
Very Queer
co / started and we got along
- fairly well until | mentioned
having seen Joan Kent. at the
Knife and Fork with man. That
seemed to interest the Sergeant.
what did he look like?"
81 can't tell you very well be-
cause. he had on an overcoat and
muffier and he didn't take them
off" tried to think back. His
hair was light"
"He didn't take of his; over
coat" the Sergeant said. looking
at me as though were half-wit-
ted.
"Not while was there" l said
impatiently. but ] left in a cou-
pie of minutes"
do you think the girl recog-
nized you from seeing you in the
hall?'
/ shook my head.
For some reason he didn't
want TO be identified" the Ser
geant said with a frown. unless
you don't tDant to be able to iden-
tify him"
Il told you ! never saw him be-
fore. Il was bitter cold last night
He probably kept his coat on IN
I'll he got warm"
For that, I got a sharp look. He
apparently didn't want my opin'
ion, so I went on with the story
trying to make a workmanlikC