Continental Op Stories · Character

The Whosis Kid

A sallow young stickup man from Boston, the Whosis Kid moves through San Francisco with a gun and a habit of doubling back on his own trail.

supporting

Also known as the Whosis Kid, The Kid, The Whosis Kid, Kid, the Kid

First appearance: bodies piled up

As a supporting figure in Continental Op Stories, The Whosis Kid is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A dangerous gunman and antagonist who is after a stolen car and works with Mrs.

In the storyThe Whosis KidOpen this moment free

The Kid is a robbery specialist, which makes him worth the Continental's time, and the Op tails him from a fight through lunch rooms and streetcars to a dingy Golden Gate Avenue rooming house. He is cautious, alone, and clearly working toward something, though nobody at the agency has a file on him yet. His careful tradecraft and the coming war between gunmen give the Op a chance to hover on the fringes and profit.

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Character Web

2 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Recurring antagonists and complex suspects
Central suspects and victims
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the ultimate test of the Op's will and control: he mus…

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In the story

The Whosis Kid appears across 21 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

II: “That’s Something!”
Not present in this chapter.
The Whosis Kid
A dangerous gunman and antagonist who is after a stolen car and works with Mrs. Almad, ultimately leading to a violent confrontation in the desert.
I
A young stickup man and gunman with crinkled ears; first seen in Boston in 1917, then spotted again at the Dreamland Rink in San Francisco.
Chapter II
Emerges from his rooming house in the rain, makes a furtive back-door visit to an apartment building, and is ambushed by a black Cadillac, taking cover in a vestibule.
III
Mentioned in the Op's reflections; the Kid was shot at after visiting an apartment building.
IV
Mentioned as the Op's initial target; believed to be eating at the Venetian Café.
V
Mentioned as having imprisoned the dog earlier; possibly watching from across the street.
VII
Mentioned as a possible assailant in the earlier attack on Billie and the woman.
VIII
Appears in the doorway with two revolvers, interrupting the confrontation.
IX
Arrives with guns drawn, reveals Inés's betrayal, and forms an alliance with Maurois to find the stolen goods.
The Whosis Kid's Brutal Search
Brutally frisks Inés and stabs Billie to death with a spring-knife.
XI
Forces a division of the jewels at gunpoint, double-crossing his partners.
XII
Kills Big Chin in the sitting room, then enters the bedroom where he is shot dead by the Op.
XIII
Killed; also known as Carey or Cory; insisted on killing Binder and was part of the scheme.
Corkscrew
A mysterious figure involved in the town's underworld.
Chapter X
Referred to as 'Milk River' throughout the chapter; accompanies the Op and comments on his fighting.
III
Referred to as Dummy Uhl; the Op's stool-pigeon who shoots him with a blank cartridge.
V
Identified as Flippo, a parolee the Op had previously sent to San Quentin; captured and locked in a lumber-room.
III
Mentioned as participating in the robbery.
IV
The young Armenian boy delivering messages across the city, shadowed by the Op and Jack.
IX
Referred to as 'Holy Joe,' the man McCloor killed for poisoning Sue Hambleton.

Chapter companion notes

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See The Whosis Kid in bodies piled up

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