New Britain herald., 1927-05-05

saSStn aimed at tho heart Dut struck lower than he aimed. You see the tumbling water would di- vert any aim"
 He may have aimed several times - mean aimed futilely. without striking his victim at all. at first"
 "Yes, that is possible-probable even. But in any case. he did hit him finally and with a swift deadly aim that hit true and sure."
 "Where's the weapon?" asked Jepson.
 ''The murderer carried it off with him." Potter said. promptly. He never let go of 1t. Stabbed and then drew it out and nobody knew a thing about it."
 Some nerve!" commented Dixon.
 Well. mo-" Inspector Babcock put in. "lf 1t had been on land. it would have required nerve. But in the water, the weapon hidden. the deed done out of sight, there \ was little or no danger of being seen or noticed by the busy crowd of bathers."
 That's the secret of 1t all." Jep- son declared. Whoever the mur- derer was, he was mighty cute. He knew he had cinch. if he kept his head and drove his blow straight. But we've got our job to pick him out from hundred others. It could have been anybody in that part of the ocean, and I confess l don't know which way to look"
 Hold on. Jep." said the inspec- tor. Ut must have been some- body near the victim, to start with. He could have hurried away afterward, and mingled with a group on some other rope. or he might have gone right out of the water and started for him. But before the fatal jab that man had to be near the victim and must have been seen by somebody"
 "All very well. inspector. but a needle in haystack is good hunt ing compared to finding your man out of a bunch of bathers in the Atlantic Ocean,"
 Then begin at the other end. Seek a motive and possible enemy and all that. But those things will keep and If you're going to get evidence from people who stood near the scene you'd better get at 1t at once. For after twenty-four hours, innocent peo- pie will have forgotten the circum- stances and guilty people will have cooked up an alibi."
 That's all true, chief" Jepson said, with a long drawn sigh. We don't have murder case often down here at Ocean Town. but now that we have. I wish 1t had happened in the town instead of in the ocean,"
 Tt would have been easier to solve In some ways" Babcock ad- mitted. but in other ways. I think the scene of the crime will be helpful"
 "Wish I could see how"
 Well for one thing. you know that most of the people who stood near the victim of the attack were guests of this hotel"
 "Oh. my land!" groaned Dixon. then you're going to pull on that string! That's just what Mr. Pel- ham doesn't want"
 Sorry" and Babcock almost smiled, but we can't consider the wishes of a hotel keeper when a murder case is on. Now, Doctor Potter. suppose you're for get ting the body off to the morgue and making arrangements for an autopsy"
 "Yes. It must be done, but 1t will show no further details that will interest you than you already know. Just go ahead, knowing that the death was caused by a stab wound received while bathing in the ocean and causing instant death by internal hemorrhage. That's all. If anything should ap- pear during the post-mortem to add to that report I'll let you, know at once. But think you want to get busy collecting wit nesses and arranging an in- quest"
 Don't have the inquest here" begged Dixon. knowing how this would distress the manager.
 No" the inspector assured him. "the inquest won't be here. but we may have to call a lot of your guests to testify. There's long case ahead of us. I'm thinking That is, unless some stroke of fate or some bit of good luck sends us an unexpected flash of fortune. l mean if somebody confesses, or if some- body else was an eyewitness to the crime"
 There's always hope of some- thing Of that sort" Jepson said. But it's not very likely. The probabilities are we'll have to dig and scratch for evidence and get very little. And as to clues-well. we can't expect to find those in the Atlantic Ocean,"
 Most unsatisfactory outlook" and Babcock shrugged his big shoulders. But our duty Is plain. Go to 1t. Jepson. Question every body who knew the dead man, even slightly, and get from them hintAof others who knew him and won't tell"
 "Yes. sir" Jepson said. obedi- ently. "I'll so to it."
 Gro Be Continued)
 In the next chapter Tolsom's ec. centric sister, Anastasia. arrives.