Show BLACK c SOMBRERO t t KNIGHT s-n. s W Elsa EIs Chatfield Hollywood artist U L cut cat M ff ft from the will Trill of her ber Aunt Kitty who 1 1 filed led from an overdose of morphine Hunt Bunt Hunti i Boren professional sleuth and Barry i an amateur detective to go to 1 Mexico to solve what they 4 believe to be Kitty eld murder bu arrival they find that Elsas Elsa's party part Lad ll d preceded them by plane Durin During a aF aj j F testa esta at Sam Chatfield's eld ranch Sam Is Elias Elia's tsa's father Rogers Roen questions the guests about the death of Sams Sam's sister Ul Ill have a motive They to go to the court- court and rard and while watching the dancing aria arta announces the death of James The Mexican police arrive arrived d examine the body Death was as the sult of a knife thrust t I II I tt t CHAPTER X Why then did the others other push r ou forward as if 11 you knew somer some- some g If HI I go over the house seeking my pay Ray they do not have the money In Inthe inthe the the kitchen sir It Is for this reason push me forward Ill If So you were wandering about Itte dhe a house then said Lombardo what did you ou see 81 II am walking in a place sir Maria Marla tells me is the passage- passage 1 Iway ay ay that leads to the room where the j gentleman was murdered There I Ilee pee lee a a man enter a door sir which must whist be the door to the room For ForI I have described It well to Maria Marla air j Who was the man Pedro t Ii That I do not know sir Was Was as he wearing a sombrero Yes sir air What kind It at was large and black I I think was of felt The head and shoulders shoulders ders ers ders were in shadows shadow sir air b but t in inthe the lIbe hand band he carried a whip V If I Was he Mexican or American I Pedro LI Sir I 1 do not know II What kind of a whip did he be heave heave ave aveY You said he carried a whip j It was about so long sir and Pedros Pedro's thin brown hands measured k L space pace in air about eighteen inches in a. a a length It 11 It was I think what you ou rou call a quirt sir air J fA A quirt so Lombardo turned p look at Alvarez 1 his s eyebrows arched his lips parted Slightly He turned back to the 1 pulque man Do you see among iu liz ill Pedro such a man as you have Described I warn you to be very these are gentlemen Pedros Pedro's sharp little eyes to my harm were suddenly upon me he heI I Inspected me carefully then shifted jo 9 Sam Chatfield who sat beside Rte e. e Finally he quitted our hosts host's figure and moved to Hun Huntoon to on Rogers He dismissed him with a fiance dance then came back to me as asIf jf If ft some doubt lingered in his mindI mindI mind I I did not see the face sir Pedro reminded Lombardo Huntoon Rogers spoke for the first time It is impossible Senor Lom Lom- bardo rdo Senor Madison was with me when phen Maria came with the news of the murder And all of ot the evening senor I 1 answered the question No said But the remainder of the tIDe Ime I was with either Senor Rum Rum- le or Senorita Chatfield Yes BYes Yes of course said Lombardo edro is wrong He waved the pique pulque IQue man away abruptly saying It Is enough Pedro you ire are mistaken about this man He pointed to me Do not make any nore mistakes Yes sir replied Pedro spring spring- ng up from the chair and vanish vanish- ng rig in the shadows near the door The quirt Lombardo said I Iyo Ip yo not understand Was it the purpose pur par pose lose use to whip the victim and then till ll him 7 The lashes on the face guel were they made so recent- recent 77 he turned to Doctor Cruz They were made much earlier JUlIo Ulio How w did he get them Did the thee theme theme me e who gave them to him return md ad this time kill him with a knife No one answered the questions Is Is there anyone else among the servants ant whom you wish to Inter Inter- inquired our host No sir air I am Interested now in iner er things ifer Come this thus way then said Sam hatfield leading us from the kitchAn kitch r WAn An atmosphere of gloom seemed I iD P o pervade the huge living room then en we entered Margaret and wight H-wight wight Nichols sat with Berta talk- talk ng dg g quietly Elsa and Reed Barton dad lad withdrawn to a shadowy corter cor cor- corI I ter ler George Rumble sat on the I Bench enCh of the grand piano smoking I think began Sam Chatfield I that Senor Lombardo t. t Lis i a few questions to ask I I l Only a very few ladies and gen gen- j i t lemen Lombardo men Lombardo said bowing i I The Senorita and I As its eyes sought out Elsa EIja in the j I I Background l if I may please I I lab h to ask of her a question I Elsa moved forward still wearing ir s e e colorful costume in which she shed shet I d danced with Reed Barton I I t nd ad d stood tood before Lombardo I A A thousand pardons senorIta egan vegan Lombardo yielding to an 01 ob- ob embarrassment that swept jeer ver him I 1 ask the question Have pu Cu worn the costume of the China all aU evening Yes of ol course Elsa replied puzzled I put It on at ak Then you cannot b be the one laid aid Lombardo George Rumble got up from his I seat eat on the piano bench He walked over to Lombardo Elsa Is out of It you cant can't tangle her in this thing And all I want to say is what about a sombrero I J notice mine Is missing from the rack near the front door I dont don't accuse anybody of stealing It you understand understand understand under under- stand but what about a sombrero Lombardo turned to Alvarez and said In Spanish Fetch the sombrero sombre sombre- ro from the room please He turned back to Rumble In a moment moment mo mo- ment meat Senor Rumble I will show you the sombrero I speak of Alvarez returned promptly with the black felt sombrero Do you recognize the sombrero senor Lombardo inquired holding it out to Rumble Sure Its It's my hat A while ago when I was out that way I missed It it Rogers answered We f found und it inthe In Inthe inthe the room where Chesebro was mur mur- dered A curious expression came over Rumbles Rumble's face the dark eyes seemed to grow darker As he stood there before us the chief of police conceived an idea It was first observable In a narrowing of his bb large dark eyes a cocking 7 y fi 4 ft I o But nut what do you know about the death of the gentleman In the big i room of his round head He summoned Alvarez with a lift lilt of his chin and said in Spanish The pulque man who Is called Pedro bring him here at once Luis and he indicated a aspot aspot aspot spot on the floor directly in front of him with a down turned thumb as the place to which he desired the pulque man to be brought Alvarez vanished and the occupants occupants occupants pants of the room relaxed Cigarettes Cigarettes Cigarettes Ciga Ciga- were passed and a nervous attempt at light conversation was made by Berta while we waited for forthe forthe forthe the return of ot the pulque man She was smiling and almost gay although although although al al- al- al though In the depths of her dark eyes there was a look of fear We had not long to wait however for Alvarez soon returned clutching the frightened Pedro by a thin armIt armIt arm It is lucky for you Pedro that you are still here began Lombar Lombar- do I have more questions to ask you I am here sir replied the man because I have not yet received the money for my pulque Lombardo Ignored the frank statement statement statement state state- state state- ment and requested the man to to look about him Here are other persons Pedro he be directed Look closely and nd tell me if any of these others is the man you saw wearing the sombrero and carrying the whip Make no mistakes Pedro did as he was bIdden but shyly and with evident embarrassment embarrass embarrass- ment Dwight Nichols stood up the better to be viewed and he pulled George Rumble by the sleeve to toline toline toline line him up alongside himself and Reed BartonI Barton I I see only the back sir air I do donot donot donot i not see the tho face he repeated I Lombardo was patient He picked up Rumbles Rumble's black sombrero from froma a chair where It rested and held It out to Pedro Is this the sombrero the man wore he asked Pedro put his hands behind him and shook his head hend I saw only the back sir air he repeated monotonous monotonous- ly Lombardo had an idea We will go to the place where you saw the theman theman theman man Pedro he announced The gentlemen In turn will put on the sombrero and carry the whip and you will say which if It an any looks like the man you saw Where Is the whip Theres a whip there on the ta table table table ta- ta ble under my hat bat Elsa remarked casually One Ive I've carried with me riding She Indicated a table against the wall near the door AlI Alvarez Alvarez Al Al- varez went to the table and brought I back a quirt I recognized as the one Elsa had used that morning in her savage attack upon Chesebro Lombardo Lombardo Lombardo Lom Lom- bardo took it Yours he asked gesturing toward toward toward to to- ward ElsaNo ElsaNo Elsa No not mine It belongs here hereon on the rancho I found it when I wanted a whip on the rack outside where re the hats hang Ali Ah so Lombardo turned the quirt about In his hands examining it It interested Lombardo who studied studIed stud- stud led It for tor a moment Finally and without releasing his hold he held it out toward Pedro Is this the whip you saw Pedro The pulque man took one quick fascinated glance then looked away I do not know sir there was a whip in the hand Come the gentlemen please the ladies no Follow me Lombardo Lombardo Lombardo Lom Lom- bardo spoke quickly He led the way I toward the somber room where the I body of ot Chesebro still lay In its huge mound wi within hIn the dim pool of can can- I I I Where were you when you saw I Ithe the man enter the room Lombardo Lombardo Lombardo Lom Lom- LomI I bardo demanded I I I am here sir he answered answered pointing with a trembling finger to toa toa I Ia a tall piece of furniture against the wall I hear the man coming and andI I feel I have trespassed where I should not go So I conceal myself myself my my- self sell there and wait walt for him to pass Very well Pedro you stand there thE now and one of ot the gentlemen will put on the sombrero and carry the whip and walk past you I did not see the face sir I see only the back the pulque man reminded reminded reminded re re- minded him as he took his station Now which of ot you will be the first Lombardo asked Ignoring the mans man's remark Reed Barton stepped forward still dressed in the costume of the Charro Char- Char ro except for his own sombrero which he had left among the others on the rack near the front door Ah Ali so Thank you sir Lombardo Lombardo Lombardo Lom Lom- bardo gave him Rumbles Rumble's hat which Reed set atop his head greatly increasing In Increasing increasing in- in creasing the height of his tall figure Now the whip said Lombardo and that was given him And now Pedro the gentleman comes from this direction and walks to the door opens It and enters Is It not so Yes sir sir- Reed withdrew and began a slow but stead steady walk down the dim passageway passageway passageway pas pas- to the door behind which lay the body of the murdered man I drew back against the wall beside Rogers whose body was crowded close against mine I felt a tenseness tenseness tenseness tense tense- ness in his muscles and realized with what extraordinary alertness his eyes followed the tall figure of 01 Reed Barton as he re-enacted re the dread prologue to the death of 01 Chesebro Slowly Inevitably he approached approached approached ap ap- the door to the room Rogers Rog ers had become so intent upon this re-enactment re that he was drawn a afew afew afew few steps after him studying the figure his every action and move ment mente As Reed touched the doorknob doorknob doorknob door door- knob when we all were intent upon this last act before we should turn to demand of the pulque man his verdict there was a sudden rustling I sound behind us It was followed by a rapid shuffle of feet In loose and before our astonished astonished astonished aston aston- gaze as we turned Pedro the pulque man was running away as fast as his thin legs could carry him Nor did we find him later that night after atter the police had bad taken their departure their questions exhausted exhaust ed their plan of re enactment reenactment of the murder scene abruptly ended by the departure of ot Pedro although directed direct direct- ed by Sam Chatfield we searched diligently There was an old moon The others at last had scattered Only Huntoon Rogers and I lingered in the patio What do you make of it it Hunt I Inquired meaning the nights night's tragic trag trag- tragic ic happening and the comic opera exit of the star witness He was slow to reply At last he said Did you see the whip at Dt any anytime anytime anytime time during Reeds Reed's walk down the dim passageway He carried it In his hand you know I saw him take the whip But did you see lee it In his hand handas as he walked No Does Docs that not strike you as Interesting interesting Inter inter- esting It means much I think It explains explains ex plains plain what has happened In the kitchen when Pedro described the appearance of Chesebro's murderer II he put the whip In his hand Pedro I took his stand at the spot where he says he observed the death march I so 80 to speak But the whip is not visible carried quietly at the side I Therefore Barry It Is simple to reason that Pedro either lied when he said the man carried a whip or he saw him elsewhere in the house at ata ata ata a time and place where the whip was plainly visible We sat together in hi the patio turning turn i ing over the possibilities that lay close to the fact the corollaries that might flow from it Did Pedro therefore also hold the secret of 01 that other murder far to the north of 01 ofus ofus us in California and distant now in time by more than a year Finally I said what was in my thoughts Reed Barton Huntoon Rogers did not reply at once He leaned forward on the bench his hands upon his knees staring Into the shadows at our feet I TO BE CONTINUED I |