The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-05-22
Fn Chapter 9
 GRAINGER'S EYES SHOULDER

h Chapter g
 GRAINGER'S EYES SHOULDER
 I admired Caroline's refusal to sentimentalize her connection with Parados' death, and here eyes were unsmiling as she looked at me.
 It had won my respect. this oth- CT side of her, but it was the Caroline of the teasing mouth and eyes that I wanted inst then.
 "All right" conceded, grinning. "You win on points. But can't we talk of something else?"
 Caroline was instantly her ador- able self again.
 sThat was nice of you" she said, twinkling at me. "But-I'm afraid we can't. You see, it's quite vital to me"
 Well, all right. Let's review the affair. If you had done it, you wouldn't have used gun equipped with a silencer. Where would you get a silencer, I'd like to
 
 know?"
 fThat'ss true" Caroline admitted, but it hasn't been proved that a silencer was used"
 "A silencer must have been used,' I said. If Celia heard that tele- phone ring some of us would have heard the shot, if 1t had not been silenced. That's settled. But there is so much else that does not touch you at all to be considered. That advertisement in the Marseilles newspapers, for instance. We know that Lum We stole and broke and returned the phoenix but we don't know who advertised to the world in general, and to le Balafre and Ciceron Bee in particular, that the phoenix was on San Lucan, un- less it was you" I added gravely.
 "It wasn't" Caroline assured me solemnly.
 ,sThe assumption is" continued, athat Parados. was. Jules Lacote, who sent his accomplices to Devils Island for million francs"
 "Of coursel" and Caroline gave me one of those teasing smiles. But Parados may have been La cote and he may not. If he wasn't, your lovely theory goes bang" F
 T admit that too A belief that Parados was Lacote is as far as am prepared to go. Lum We stole the phoenix. Mrs. Parados hated her husband, Annersley must have dropped the yellow petal inside the safe and smashed open the drawer to get those Fleetwood documents, Grainger was slashed across the cheek by Parados, Johns hated Parados because he threatened to destroy the fort, Celia detested him because of his treatment of An nersley-but none of these motives proves that any one of these per- sons killed Parados. haven't said anything about the alibis."
 Don't forget to include my name" Caroline reminded me. Celia and I are the only two who haven't an alibi."
 Its a gorgeous paradox from be- ginning to end,' I continued. And then there's the biggest paradox of them all"
 Caroline nodded slowly. "Yes, that price ticket in his hand Do you suppose a woman-?' She stopped, shivering. had thought of that, too. "It does look more like woman's touch than a mans. But 35 cents! It doesn't make sense"
 "Sense!" Caroline echoed None | of it makes sense." She put her hands to her head.
 Its pretty awful" I said gently, but won't you try to forget it for a little while?" T can't!" Her voice throbbed with horror. The look in her eyes touched me. You mustn't let it get hold oi you that way" begged.
 I'm afraid!" she whispered. ] sThere's more coming. I can feel it hanging. You-you don't think I killed him, do you?" Great guns, mol" l exploded, seizing both of her hands. Caro- line, you mustn't talk like that! You've nothing to be afraid of. You hear me?" She began to weep then, and drew her against my shoulder and held her hard Something inside of me was going around at terrific rate. Caroline drew away from me. and shook the tears out of her eyes, "Forgive me for making such an idiot of myself" she begged. I'm all right now. Who are in those launches, do you suppose" She