The Coolidge examiner., 1932-02-05

Ch EAA A'N" win.
"NNas it the truth that Ashley and
Blair were on the same boat?" Stan
ton asked.
YES; that is, l saw Ashley as [
said. [ kept to my cabin, but | saw
Blair with Ashley a few days after
landing"
Not yesterday, then?"
NO, 1t was five or six weeks
ago"
$50. The entire six Of you were
here two weeks before the first of
these killings"
That's true, but now listen, Mr..
Copper. I'm not an assassin. I've
been covering, but it's besn to pro
tect myself. That's all. don't
mind hazard and danger. I've had
them in my day. But l can't stand
being stalked like game. | haven't
got the nerves TO be expecting
shot from the brush or the alley. So
I've been going to pieces in way.
D-n them, if they would shoot it
out I'd take them on, but I'm not
equal to this assassination. That's
all there is to it, Lieutenant. l
can't stand it. I'm not hot enough.
l can't kill first. SO I've got to
: wait for it. | can't do it. You can
say I'm yellow. l guess l am if
this is the game. l could have
killed Ashley and Blair. Theirs
wasn't much chance Of its being
difficult or dangerous. 1 could have
got Ashley any time at night, out
on the deck, even in his room. Who
in hi would have suspected me?
could have got Blair in New York.
What's another murder in New
York? But can't do it. l want to
throw them off me. That's why /
came here. l give up my share.
I'll get along"
"But, Mr.. Roberts," said Lieuten-
ant Stanton, "you can't give up to
their satisfaction. SO long as you
live there is an impediment to the
redistribution Of the estate in the
hands Of the sole surviving bene-
ficiary. And that, | think, is the
object being pursued"
Il think you're right" said Rob
erts. 1--WE tried to think it other
wise, but l can't. l may be yellow,
but / can't go through with it,
"Of course you're yellow" said
the lieutenant.
Roberts turned on him. "No cop
per can tell me that. I've been more
places which asked for CUTS than
any copper ever saw"
Zone of them made Thomas Tur-
ner your enemy" said Stanton.
You might tell us that piece of
yellOwness."
Lieutenant" Mr.. Darling pro-
tested, this has been interesting,
but"
Il know what your objections
would be, Mr.. Darling, but isn't our
pattern defining itself? You may
know why Mr.. Turner made this
will. l can guess. Mr.. Roberts
here knows. Roberts, do you want
to tell us?"
Il presume Turner thought he
had been injured. He was wrong
as to me-"
How were you six associated
with Mr.. Turner?" the lieutenant
asked. And where?"
"Once, for me-" said Roberts. 81
don't know about the others. The
seven of us were in a Peruvian
jungle. Turner was taken desper-
ately i'll. l volunteered to make a
dangerous trip to get a doctor. /
don't know what happened. 1 got
out, but l couldn't get back. / was
too sick myself. / don't know what
the others did"
You were inclined to think that
Mr.. Turner was sincere when he
said his bequest to you was in
gratitude?"
ut was unexpected, but l had no
lCuSOh " lHlnh IL Ndo Ill 6uuIlJy.
"It would seem that he planned a
massacre and evidently not in graft
tude. He must have been pretty
sure of the character of some of
you"
"Well, l want out of it. His
/ money can't compensate me for life
on these terms. tell you I'm not
an assassin, and 1 can't protect my
self"
81 intend to meet and talk to
your two friends" said Stanton. 1T
may add to your sense of security.
Frankly, Mr.. Roberts, I do not
know whether you removed the red
lights or did not. My guess is that
you didn't. My guess is that one of
the other two did. Whoever it was
had a d-nable brutality. He did
not care who went off the road. He
took a chance he would get the man
he wanted. Who's the greater brute
of the two?"
Acton Blair, I'd say. But Ash
ley is trickier. He might be crueler,
although he's physically weaker"
1T must be apparent to all three
Of you" said the lieutenant, that
a fourth death will be highly SuS