Show tuan hii i i ii M BLACK BLAC I 1 SOMBRERO era by CLIFFORD KNIGHT wa U elsa chatfield Is disinherited by her aunt kitty who died of an overdose of morphine hunt rogers and barry madison go to mexico to solve what they believe to be aunt kittys kitrys murder on arriving they find that elsas party has preceded them by plane james chesebro Is murdered elsas father sam meets death from the sword of a marlin when his chair breaks toppling him into rumble is murdered the sea and george and thrown into the sea near the dock rogers questions berta sa sams ras wife w ife and on examining the quirt with which elsa had beaten chesebro discovers by twisting the knob that it conceals the knife that killed chesebro now continue CHAPTER in the presence of senor lombardo and realizing the implication in it that you killed chesebro for only a fraction of a second did she hesitate then she answered calmly yes senor otilio lombardo jefe del policia dolicia po licia came up the Ori ladder the next day but one followed by dr miguel cruz on the heels of the doctor came the barefooted ragged mariachis mari achis felipe and pancho 1 I have puzzled much gentlemen remarked lombardo in english after cigarettes had been lighted about the confession of senorita chatfield that she killed senor chesebro I 1 do not understand it and I 1 take no action I 1 had come that evening persuaded that it was better despite your promise that I 1 keep senor barton in jail for the murder of senor rumble but when senorita chatfield speak I 1 am confused senor and do not know what is best to do A faint smile twitched at rogers lips and he looked away across the bay to the shore where the coco palms seemed to shoot like bursting green rockets into the sky there are many confusing things in this affair senor he remarked they have puzzled me too but I 1 believe that I 1 can explain them all now 1 I would be very glad if you would four persons have died S senor enor lombardo katherine chatfield in california james chesebro sam chatfield and george rumble in mexico the explanation must include all four it must be logical and there must be proof t yes of course said rogers sam chatfield and his wife beria arrived in california for their annual visit a year ago go last winter they stopped at a hotel in pasadena and uninvited went to spend the night with his sister katherine elsas aunt kitty that night katherine chatfield was murdered the method used was an overdose of morphine to which drug she was an addict taking it hypodermically A vary very faint odor of chloroform detected the next morning by only one investigator furnishes the single clue to what happened A few drops of chloroform on a handkerchief I 1 believe suddenly held to the unsuspecting victims nose and kept in place during the brief and violent struggle which probably followed and the victim was ancon unconscious there was necessary only to t 0 load the hypodermic with an overdose of morphine and shoot it into the unconscious victim wipe away all fingerprints from the syringe and the supply bottle and press the prints of the victim on these thin things gs either a man or a woman co could uld have done that senor rogers be gan again now consider these facts present in the house besides the servants who do not figure in it j at all was sam chatfield he knew that his sister was the mother of a child he knew that she not only had refused to acknowledge the fact but had permitted his daughter aughter d elsa I 1 to be cruelly slandered also in the house that night was elsa who openly and frankly at all times as you heard the other night has admitted that she hated her aunt besides these two there was senora berta chatfield who ever since she married sam had bad resented the treatment given her by her sister r in law rumble who had done some publicity work for katherine chatfield came to receive his pay which was refused him there was an argument and hot words and rumble left but he remained in the neighborhood uncertain whether or not he should return did he be go back and kul kill her that night also 1 rogers went on evenly reed barton was at katherine Chat fields home to give her a book sent by chesebro reed has been very frank to admit that his fathers death a suicide can be laid at the dead womans comans door A little len leniency e ricy shown in a critical time would have saved his property for him did reed barton kill her james chesebro arrived arri veti parted that night we do not know why the reason for his visit never having been explained before his death did he have some motive to kill the woman next came dwight nichols rogers nodded in Dwigh ts direction the latter merely sat and smoked calmly listening without offering to interrupt dwight nichols profited by some two hundred thousand dollars at the death of katherine chatfield because of some jointly owned property dwight has stated that he was summoned for some reason unknown to him to advise with miss chatfield margaret nichols was jealous of katherine chatfield because she feared her husbands love was being stolen from her she also made a visit that night however mrs nichols says she got only as far as the entrance hall when someone dashed out of the house in in panic someone who she says did not see her concealed behind some drapery that person admittedly r ax and finally there is elsa said rogers thoughtfully was her husband dwight nichols says that he arrived only to find katherine chatfield dead Is he telling the truth Is his wife telling the truth did either or both of them kill the woman rogers halted to sip from his frosty glass it is all very strange senor rogers said lombardo stirring uneasily in his chair how can you discover the truth in so complicated a case now then rogers said a crispness coming into his voice we come to the death of james chesebro of these five who could possibly wish him to die senora berta chatfield I 1 can think of no reason j I 1 know of no motive in fact on th the other hand reed beed barton and chesebro quarreled with each other over the love of elsa chatfield chesebro br had discharged barton from his employ an excellent motive he commented but dwight nichols had been defrauded by chesebro of fifty thousand dollars in a mining deal that is a lot of money men have been murdered before now for m much uch less senor lombardo and how about margaret nichols the wife again fifty thousand dollars is a lot of money to a woman yes of course much money murmured lombardo absorbed in his own mental processes and finally there is elsa to said rogers thoughtfully hers is a stronger motive than all al the 0 others put together senor A young worn wom ans good name is her most valuable possession you are mexican and can understand the word revenge elsa was willing night before last to permit the inference that she had killed chesebro senor is pedro the pulque seller a lying scoundrel who seeks to protect a woman or does he tell the truth when he says that dwight nichols is the one who killed lombardos face was puzzled he was now hopelessly at sea A frown had gathered on the forehead between the eyes of doctor cruz as he followed the intricacies of the problem as set forth by rogers As for rogers I 1 could not escape the conviction that he was enjoying himself hugely at the expense of lombardo his face however was more solemn than that of a judge lombardo started at rogers question 1 I think senor lombardo said rogers dropping with a smile into spanish you will let pedro out ol of jail when I 1 finish telling you who is the guilty person lombardos only response was an involuntary lifting of the eyebrows however rogers took up again in english in a more serious vein the name of the guilty one must wait a few minutes longer I 1 will come to it at the proper time but now let us look for a moment at the death of sam chatfield his is the most puzzling in the entire series so much seems accident so little may have been the handiwork of a murderer A nut had come unscrewed from the swivel mechanism of the chair in which sam sat in the launch if the chair had not collapsed there is little likelihood that he would have fallen overboard probably none at all did somebody remove the nut and yet I 1 know of no motive upon the part of anyone for the death of sam chatfield of course one never knows between a husband and a wife did senora chatfield have some motive unknown to us and did she learn in some manner which seat her husband would occupy on that fatal excursion in the launch but lets drop sam Chat fields death for the moment and go on to george rumbles I 1 think that in it we will find something of interest perhaps the key we are seeking lombardo shifted in his chair and looked away for a moment to the tall towers of the church doctor cruz crushed out the spark in his cigarette under his heel and for a moment his hands were idle the mariachis mari achis were growing restless understanding nothing that had been said aid in english reed barton sat easily with legs crossed and dwight continued calmly to smoke there are motives recognizable in the death of george rumble rogers began once more for margaret nichols there was no opportunity port unity senora chatfield has admitted she went to the wharf that night to find someone to send for her husbands fishing equipment felipe and pancho went on that errand fo for her she returned to the yacht she asserts however that she did not see rumble who was murdered on the wharf that night there was a motive for the murder of rumble on the part of dwight nichols he and rumble quarreled only a short time before rumble died rumble knew that dwight was the man who rushed in panic out of katherine Chat fields house the night she was murdered he held it over him as it were and dwight believed it was for the purpose of blackmail after the two separated dwight in the presence of barry madison sam chatfield and me made a remark which could be interpreted as a threat he said that he would have to manake manage some way to quiet rumble definitely dwight was unmoved by this recital he tapped the ash from his cigarette and continued to gaze calmly at rogers the latter paused to sip his glass of limeade before he went on another motive not so strong perhaps is one that can be assigned to reed barton george rumble had fallen in love with elsa you knew that you reed 4 yes again senor lombardo said rogers turning back to the chief love is a possible motive ho how w strong how shall it be evaluated vo he paused only briefly however theres a very definite motive and I 1 think the real one to account for rumbles murder rumble knew too much he boasted that he knew who the killer was what in that case will a murderer do he will strike at the first opportunity for he prizes his safety above all else and what happened lombardo stirred uneasily in his chair who senor rogers he asked heard senor rumble boast that he knew the murderer barry madison sam chatfield dwight nichols and I 1 so it reed barton shifted his feet and cleared his throat lightly 41 1 I be left out hunt rumble hinted very broadly to me that he knew who killed chesebro the then closed up like a clam when I 1 asked him about it rogers looked at him shar sharply P I 1 Y as it if to determine whether the h e statement was made in a vein of bravado or because he wished to be helpful for a mom moment ent he was silent and then appeared to shift his approach to the problem of rumbles rumble s mu murder ader TO BE CONTINUED |