Show blace vo IA SOM SOMBRERO aa ar 13 cCLIFFORD af e A m CLIFFORD t KNIGHT fa sc elsa chatfield Is disinherited by her A aunt out kitty who died of an overdose of morphine hunt rogers and barry madl blaile son lon go to mexico to solve what they believe to be aunt kittys kitrys murder on arriving they find that hat elsas party has preceded them by plane james chesebro Is murdered elsas father sam mee meets ts death from the sword of a martin marlin when his chair breaks toppling him into the sea and george rumble a member of the fishing party Is fished out of the sea near the dock police chief lombardo conducts the invests investigation gation into these deaths reed barton asks what they were doing with his fishing ladle knife and learns that this Is the knife that killed george rumble CHAPTER practically all he said 1 I think if we were to sort them out properly we could go a long way toward a solution perhaps not all the way we can settle upon several pertinent facts clues that point toward the solution what are they rogers was silent for some moments turning over in his mind to question ill 1 the answer my name one thing he began it is is more important than any other the picture of elsa and the baby in in the los angeles paper he did not go on for some moments then he said what chesebro di did d or said to elsa that so enraged her interests me very much too the knife that killed chesebro is a clue id like to discover are those all I 1 asked when he ceased speaking ile he did not reply at once I 1 felt that something had come over him some new thought had struck him barry the black sombrero he said suddenly he speak again for several moments then he said theres an amazing story here incredible I 1 see it only dimly yet inside berta margaret and dwight were attempting a three handed game of bridge killing slow time as it were in the hope that tomorrow would be a brighter day senora began rogers addressing berta abruptly did you not come ashore from the orizaba that evening prior to our fishing trip yes senor she replied after a moments hesitation but only to the the muelle the wharf with arturo yes it is because I 1 have forgotten a promise senor to my husband I 1 should bring his fishing things his harness and his belt and knife and I 1 forgot when I 1 remember it I 1 go ashore to find somebody to send with a note to the rancho for them did you find someone oh yes two boys I 1 send them in a taxi did you wait for their return no senor I 1 go back to the boat and arturo brings the things to me later did you see senor rumble on the wharf senora no senor I 1 see no one what time was it that I 1 do not know senor I 1 do not think it is very late the cards by now were abandoned and the players moved to more comfortable chairs doctor cruz appeared in the doorway and behind him lombardo they came in and we greeted them I 1 wondered what their mission was rogers continued to stand elsa has retired h he e inquired oh no she and reed are around somewhere margaret answered at that moment elsa followed by reed barton appeared at the stud study y door did I 1 hear my name mentioned tio ned she called hunt rogers was worrying about you I 1 said but I 1 rogers roger s objected 1 I merely inquired what had become of you id not seen you since dinner in the brief moments of this conversation rogers had walked a few steps toward elsa the table where her hat lay was close at hand lie he reached out of a sudden and pic picked ked up the quirt which lay partly concealed underneath it and held it up before his eyes as if studying the knob with the carved head elsa continued to walk toward him somehow rogers had managed to center our gaze upon what he was doing I 1 found myself staring slightly at the quirt ive been wondering said rog ers with a faint smi salle ie wh what I 1 might find concealed in this thing 10 ile he twisted at the knob it was the wrong way he reversed the pressure and the knob slipped slightly y like a screw tto my amazement v he pulled bulled the knob loose from the handle ot of the quirt drawing with it from its concealment a long thin bladed bed steel knife of finely tempered I 1 you must have had a very great provocation that morning to murder rogers voice hardened a trifle more than you realize elsa flashed she seemed to stand tauer taller her gray eyes turned full upon rogers if I 1 had to guess what that provocation was began rogers as it he were feeling his way into a dark room and would welcome a light 1 I should hazard that it had something to do with the picture of you and the baby he paused for a fraction of a second as if giving elsa an opportunity to speak then went on the child bore a very strong likeness to jimmy the cheese I 1 assume that he was the father you are correct said elsi elsa with dignity george rumble after the picture of you and the child appeared inthe paper told me something which rather cleared him of any intent of wrongdoing rogers went on he said he first saw that picture of you and the baby at your aunt kittys kitrys Ki ca X barry the black sombrero he asked her about it and your aunt told him that it was your baby I 1 she lied elsa flashed im not the mother of that baby she said fiercely something like a sigh of relief seemed to stir in the room elsa stood firmly defiantly before rogers flanked by reed barton berta fat sat forward in her seat an eagerness in in her manner something trembling on her lips rogers asked who was the mother elsa aunt kitty please may I 1 say something said berta quickly of course senora rogers turned to her there are some things I 1 should tell she began in her precise english elsa does not know I 1 know these facts my husband did not know I 1 had so much knowledge but my cousin maria mendez who is a nurse at the hospital told me aunt kittys kitrys child was born in the hospital here at Maz atlan she came secretly here wanting to be near her brother and yet for some strange reason not telling him she was even in the town until after the c hild child was born bora later on a steamer day she sent word pretending that she had come ashore for the few hours the steamer stopped she explained the child by saying its mother had died at sea and she expected to adopt it sam went to see her berta went on rapidly a deep fire in her eyes she would not come to the rancho because of me she would not even permit him to tell me anything about her being here at the time t ime only after maria had told me later something of what had happened did I 1 learn about it from sam bui but he made me promise never to talk of it things of course cour seP she gestured vehemently with her sn small aall ivory tinted hands are diff different er ent now it is time to talk you are right senora chatfield said rogers it is time to talk he turned to elsa a questioning lock look in his mild blue eyes and seemed to wait for some word from her elsa had listened to berta without a change of expression she now a looked at roeena steadily dilT hr heir ivl gray eyes fixed upon his the lines had smoothed out of her face her voice when next she spoke was quite calm perhaps youre right both of you she said having kept still so long however it really makes little difference with me now she continued to stand before rogers as it if answering to him ignoring the others who sat silently in their chairs 1 I ran away from school in the east I 1 went to new york because id decided to be an artist father knew what id done and approved it I 1 tell aunt kitty and she know where I 1 was after id been there nearly a year father one day telegraphed me that aunt kitty needed me that was the first mistake she never needed anybody but just the same I 1 flew to san francisco I 1 was seventeen and I 1 have any sense rogers interrupted her wont you sit down jelsa elsa she smiled at him no thank you she answered continuing to staid stand easily before us 1 I met aunt kitty when she got off the boat with the baby father had written me at san francisco telling me what he believed was the truth id had only the telegram of course I 1 was sort of stunned nothing like this had ever happened to our family I 1 was very frank to say so she had it coming to her after the L way shed brought me up aunt kitty turned on me so fiercely I 1 thought she she was going to strike me she denied it was her child she said father had lied to me it was a baby she was going to adopt but I 1 stuck to the point like the little fool I 1 was I 1 threatened to kidnap the child and go home with it and announce it as my own just to shame her that was the second mistake I 1 carry out my threat but it was only because I 1 get the child away from her you returned home together then you and your aunt rogers suggested yes id used up all my money in going to san francisco and father th e r send re me any more at that time tim e aunt kitty would not give me any to go back to new york shed buy me anything I 1 wanted though in the way of clothing shed never been really generous I 1 understand it now I 1 thought before this that id hated her but we were really only beginning to hate each other then one day I 1 woke up to what had happened to me odd how you can be the center of gossip and never hear a whisper of it its like m the center of a hurricane everything is so quiet months had passed before the maid one day said something to me about my baby I 1 was furious I 1 went to aunt kitty she laughed the whole town thinks its yours she said she laughed again and its going to be yours you cant prove its not you ran away from school so the school authorities cant help you deny it it comes down to your word and mine mine an and d mine will be believed before yours so what there I 1 was said elsa simply what could I 1 do she had me and I 1 knew it so all I 1 could do was to go on hating her more and more when the baby died it make any difference I 1 could only go on as I 1 had been going hating her with every breath I 1 drew and hoping to live it down some day tell me now about chesebro and what happened the other day instructed ted rogers matter of factly elsa laughed shortly but there was no mirth in her voice elsa the brilliant caricaturist she said sarcastically never saw that tha t resemblance in the child to jimmy the cheese she had to be told by jimmy himself in one of his several fantastic proposals of marriage there was a tinge of acom in her voice hed made addan advances ces to me in his elephantine way ever since aunt kittys kitrys death he di ant seem to mean it until a short time ago I 1 detested him and I 1 told him so then came that picture in the paper he was very contrite that day we went for a ride he begged a thousand pardons he groveled before me literally finally he startled me with the statement that he was the father of the child and before he was through gabbling babbling gab bling he ha admitted that it was his idea originally and not aunt kittys kitrys that the gossip be started at home that the child was mine elsas voice ceased for a moment and then took up again in a quiet dead level tone you make that statement of your own free will do you elsa asked I 1 rogers I 1 why of 1 yes course TO ito ES |