The Washington times., 1931-10-08
CHAPTER 19

taxi to headquarters.
had visions of being
''booked," and Of fingerprints
and all sorts of things, but
we were taken to a sort OF
office and there sat Fanny
Dutton!
I was feeling decidedly fright
ened by this time, despite the
fact that I believed I could
clear myself easy enough. The
man who had been talking
with Fanny Dutton came in,
after a few minutes. I ex-
pected him to start out with
q third degree such as often
read about. Instead Of that
he sat at the desk and looked
rather pleasantly at me.
I'VE have to question you,
Miss Mason, about this Nal
Vern murder"
"I want to get a lawyer" I
said.
Certainly, but I want to ask
O few questions. You were with
Malvern last night and you
can help US"
81 did not see Forrest Nal.
vern last night, and that is
all I shall say until talk
with my lawyer"
Perhaps, Miss Mason, he
will surprise you by advising
you to admit that you did see
him"
shook my head.
You didn't get in until after
2. Where were you?"
Please" I protested, I'm
not going to talk yet. I will
have plenty to say when the
time comes"
In q Trap
He was still pleasant. If this
was a third degree then it
wasn't like anything I have
read about. He reached into
O drawer and brought out a
pretty red, green and gold
leather case. He pushed it
across the table. or table-desk,
toward NE. I looked at it
curiously and then I thought
I'd Jump right out Of my skin!
Stamped across the lid in a
space left for that purpose
was:
KATHERINE MASON.
'That is your name, isn't it?"
I nodded. No use to deny
that.
Naturally you were so ex-
cited that you forgot to take
your jewels along with YOU"
"I-I-Oh, can't talk. Let
me get a lawyer, please" I
pleaded.
He leaned nearer to me and
smiled.
"It would be so much better
all around, especially for you,
If you just made a clean breast
of it-this man probably at
tackled you-that's it., isn't it?"
wanted to remain silent but
I wanted to scream at the top
Of my lungs.
"And you fought him off-it
was self f-defenSe. Now, why not
have /; over with. No one blames
q girl for fighting, for killing,
under such circumstances"
: II would admit if it were
,true-and I won't talk now.
Look here, If you were in my
place would you talk?"
'"Then you consider yourself
In a pretty bad mess"
zone Of us is wrong, Mister
Officer" I said. I was feeling
braver all of a sudden. I re-
allied that when I got a law
yer / would tell him the truth
and there would be my perfect
alibi.
He asked me question after
question. He was always pleas
ant. Finally another officer
canae in. I caught glance be-
tween them. The man who had
been questioning me shook his
head slightly. He meant by
that that hadn't confessed"
An Ancient Trick
"You might as well come
across-your chum got panicky
and spilled the whole works
told how you confessed the
whole thing" this second officer
shouted at me.
OF course it was a trick, an
ancient and silly trick. Viola
believed me guilty, but she'd die
before she said so. It didn't
worry me in the least.
Bring her in and let me hear
her tell it all over again." I
said.
"All right. I will" the man
shouted at me, scowling. He
went out. '''
"He isn't so nice and pleas
ant as you are. Now, when may
I telephone for a lawyer?"
'This is a holiday-offices
closed. You'll have to stay in
q cell ,tonight-that is, unless
YOU want to talk to me and
answer my questions"
Lawyers have homes. I can
get in touch with one all right.
And If you refuse to let me get
q lawyer there's going to be a
lot of investigations made when
/ do get one. Why not let me
telephone?"
He pushed the desk telephone
over to me. I asked for book
and got it. The only lawyer I
had in mind was Mr.. Sanders.
who had secured Thad Parsons
divorce for him. I had no diff