Show BLACK iz SOMBRERO 1 CLIFFORD KNIGHT margaret nichols owned some property in joint tenancy with kitty chatfield when kitty died it meant to her she explains the situation to her friend barry in an amateur detective elsa chatfield had been disinherited at her aunt kittys kitrys death but Is glad to be free of the restrictions imposed by her relative huntoon rogers a detective asks what aunt kitty died of and Is told an overdose of morphine although the police hold the opinion that it was suicide barry arranges arrange to go with dwight and margaret nichols on a cruise to madatian Maz maza atlan tian mexico where aunt kittys kitrys brother sam chatfield owns a rancho on the yacht orizaba he meets james chesebro and george rumble CHAPTER IV oh here you are she said an indefinable le note of happiness in her voice hello everybody she paused in the doorway this lady with the almost golden hair and the of gray eyes it was impossible not to contrast this new this mid april elsa with the elsa of the preceding autumn on that memorable night when I 1 had driven her to town in her suit and carrying an over night bag with just pajamas because she had to have something she had been like a high strung nervous colt at the barrier tonight a calm almost philosophic in its aspect had come upon her ho go longer was the race so hot the urge to be off so compelling I 1 realized of course that she experienced a sense of arrival the notoriety of her caricatures ica tures had sobered her now goodbye good bye barry she said holding out her hand and a delightful trip in the orizaba with dwight and margaret goodbye good bye elsa im sorry youre not joining us 1 I am too but there is this work I 1 cant put off please give my love to papa and berta see them at Maz atlan of course huntoon rogers and I 1 walked back together to the yacht dwight and margaret had gone on ahead the last guest had departed and we sailed in half an hour A remarkable girl she rogers said referring to elsa extraordinary I 1 think youve never been able to get anything out of her about the baby and what she knows about the murder of her aunt kitty f noo no o I 1 said hesitantly youre satisfied she was murdered of course and I 1 mean to help you get to the bottom of it 1 we dropped anchor in the harbor at Maz atlan and the crew lowered the launch to the sparkling water of the bay where it floated lightly from the end of its boom awaiting our pleasure anybody going ashore now inquired margaret briskly coming up from her stateroom yes im going responded rogers I 1 decided to join them two ragged boys in the idling crowd pushed forward as w we e started from the wharf up narrow twisting sombreros sombre ros their dark faces in each of which gleamed a row of very white teeth one carried a battered guitar the other a ukulele strumming fingers began resolutely to play when they had finished margarets hand dived swiftly into her purse and she held out a coin to the older boy the latter backed away shaking his head the other thrust his ukulele and his free hand behind him muchas gracias senora said the boy with a sweeping bow pero no dinero we dont take money margaret continued to hold out the coin and the boys backed farther away there was a little expression of wonderment upon her face I 1 think however that of all the unexpected things the things that have taken me most by surprise in mexico none has equaled the sight which confronted us as we came out on the street of the high waves that morning of our first excursion ashore margaret saw it first and stopped abruptly to stare as were seeing a ghost rogers had seen it too and I 1 found my eyes traveling with theirs to a figure standing on the sidewalk it wa was the pink shirt the indecent pink and white check shirt which had the lush color of a ripe watermelon that first claimed our attention I 1 noted the brown slacks the incredible sports coat hung limply over one arm an enormous black sombrero ornamented with silver topped the somewhat stocky figure and loose sandal like gua raches covered his feet barry im seeing things said M margaret argaret aghast she rubbed her eyes do you see it too before I 1 could answer rogers re marked has he but the one shirt or do we see him only when its fresh back from the laundry at that moment the figure turned margaret exclaimed why mr Rum rumble bIel hello folks did elsa come with you 1 I asked rogers sure hunt elsa and chesebro and me in his airplane chesebro piloted us down ye we were setting around over there at Che sebros ranch in san fernando valley night before last when he gets a telegram from down here saying hes needed some sort of business about his mine you know elsa take us with you jimmy she hollered just for the ride sure says jimmy m y but I 1 can see he dont mean me when he says it but you cant see me staying behind when my client en t is going away but I 1 sure dont know where im coming to see I 1 go around to the newspaper office a while ago and heck they aint nobody who speaks english there how am I 1 going to tell em who elsa is when I 1 dont speak spanish we barry im seeing thin things s 11 aint going to get a line in the paper down here not a line wheres elsa now demanded margaret she went somewhere last night with a little old guy she called poppa shed wired him we were coming see but I 1 get dumped off down at a hotel where they aint even got stairways just a minute said margaret breaking in can you tell us where elsas father lives and how we can get out there 1 I dont know mrs nichols I 1 am aint I 1 t seen the place either As we stood talking a dispirited horse drawing one of those two wheeled carriages they call aranas drew near it was shabby the fringe that edged the top hung in shreds the rubber tires were worn almost I 1 to 0 the rims th the e wheels babbled wab bled an and d the harness was partly of rope the driver lolled in his seat indifferent to his passenger who when she saw us came suddenly to life she reached across the driver to a small bulb hom on the whip socket an and d squeezed the thing emitted a faint peep she stirred it into frantic announcement of her arrival and when the quaint equipage halted at our side there was elsa elsa as blonde and lovely and fresh and level gray of eye as ever she smiled engagingly buenos dias senora y se nores she greeted us dont do that sweetheart chided mr rumble 1 I dont savvy mexican lingo hello elsa smiling broadly there was amusement in her eyes as she gazed at george rumbles remarkable costume then she leaped out and flung her arms around margaret she had a kiss for me and a warm handshake for rogers im so glad she said and now margaret and the rest of you too papa and berta are expecting you all out to dinner tonight at the rancho jimmy and reed are coming too I 1 think if they get back from the mine in time at eight thirty that night the huge studded doors of the old ranch house at the edge of town swung back to let huntoon rogers and me inside the house was a relic of other more spacious days before time and revolution had reduced the acreage of the rancho the others of the party had preceded us and we found them all gathered in a huge room filled with ancient black walnut furniture marvelously carved sam chatfield and berta whom we had met that february evening at the beach club greeted us with enthusiasm that night in california berta had been restrained confined by strange conventions vent ions unresponsive this evening she was free of those at home in her native land and in the house where her family for several generations before her had lived most welcome se nores 00 she said with a marvelous smile and a small soft hand extended impulsively 1 I am happy to have you with 7 us later that evening sam chatfield said hollywood yes I 1 enjoyed it the last time I 1 was there but I 1 like this better berta is a child in some things the same loves and hates of a child the quick resentments presentments resent ments of injury whether fancied or real he was speaking to huntoon rogers and me in the seclusion of a small book lined study which opened off the living room berta was entertaining the others in the huge high living room you were in california at the time your sister died were you not at the funeral I 1 meana mean asked rogers casually A remarkable change came over sam Chat fields face his whole manner was transformed from a serene quiet spoken man of middle years who talked calmly of the mexican life that surrounded him he went to extremes of loquacity leaning forward in his chair points of light glowing in the depths of his gray eyes the same eyes that elsa had yes yes we were there berta and I 1 we were there before the funeral before kitty died in fact we were at the house that night slept there and next morning she was found dead rogers shook his head slowly it must have been a shock to you sir he remarked shock of course it was very awkward also we were not supposed to be stopping with my sister we were registered at a hotel in pasadena you say awkward yes mr rogers my sister would not recognize ber berta ta my wife imagine that my sister with ideas like that and berta you see around you gentlemen what berta is used to from childhood she was educated in paris she i is s not an inferior as my sister stubbornly chose to believe it was that fact which made for the awkwardness I 1 kept it from her as long as I 1 could kittys kitrys attitude toward her on our yearly trips to los angeles since berta and I 1 were first married kitty would send word that she was away or that she was ill and could not see anyone berta was puzzled she did not understand but this last time I 1 mean the time kitty died I 1 could no longer pretend to berta and so I 1 telephoned from the hotel after dinner I 1 said that we would be over to see her to make a call but after I 1 hung up berta said no we take tak e our luggage we stay at least one night with your sister you see she realized the situation in spite of my effort to keep it from her she was determined to force the issue sam chatfield ceased talking and sat back in his chair after more than a year the subject still agitated him his face was flushed under its tan what happened rogers prodded gently for a moment sam chatfield held his silence you see gentlemen elsa has told me about you your interest in my sisters death I 1 am being very frank with you I 1 hope I 1 am helpful im sure you would be said rogers why I 1 say it was very awkward for me and berta T hats why I 1 hurried back to Maz atlan after the funeral that last night of her life there was a very disgraceful scene my sister insulted berta and me you go back to your hotel no berta he smiled now with amusement at the recollection berta can be very stubborn most attractively stubborn she puts her little foot down and she said no sam we stay one night as her guest but no more she was angry youve not seen how angry a mexican can get especially berta her brother now dead killed a man maii for less than what my sister said that night to berta TO BE CONTINUED CONTI NUr D |