The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-11-11
Chapter AS 4 NEW CLUE

1A ward and leaned on the table. Caroline came an stood by Jim. and as she put hand on his shoul. der, the inspector said.
 Well, sir. think that settles it."
 Caroline began to shake. Why had Jim told tEem all those things They weren't g. g to understand. Jim's hand came up and covered hers. It was strong, and warm, and heavy. He said,
 "Go and sit down, Caroline"
 And then, to the inspector,
 You'd better let me finish. I've only got half way"
 Let him go on," said Major An derson in hard, tired voice. It was 3 good thing old James Randall was dead. Nice woman Mrs. Randall. A good thing she'd gone-a thing like this would have killed her. The fel- low must be mad of course. A damned bad business.
 He watched the inspector pick up the shining heap. It strengthened into a double pearl-strung chain linking the eight square emeralds so lightly that they seemed to hang in the air The inspector let them fall upon piece of plotting paper.
 Major Anderson went back to the fireplace and said curtly,
 GO on, Randall"
 Jim moved his chair back little He wanted to be able to address the Chief Constable without appearing to ignore the inspector.
 Now we're really going to get down to it. snatched the emeralds and made off just about as hard as 1 could go, md all in a flash my memory came back. You know the way a blind goes up with click It was like that. want to tell you what I've remembered.
 "To start with, 1 wasn't Jim Rid dell, and l hadn't married Nesta Williams. My business over here was to try and interest various i'm portant people in a new steel proc ess had invented. Elmer Van Berg was one of them.
 He'd been nibbiing at it in New York, where I'd known him pretty well. Well, he'd cooled off. On the 9th of August had telephone con versation with him. When he heard that certain other people were in terested in my process, he warmed up bit.
 "The upshot of the talk was that he wanted me to go down and see him. Well, I was leaving for Scot land next day and didn't want to put off going, so l went down by train to Hinton and walked over tc Packham."
 What train did you take" said the inspector.
 "The eight-twenty. It got into Hinton at ten-fifteen. I walked over to Packham, and it took me about an hour and half. 1 went round to the library and knocked on the win dow, and Elmer let me in as we had arranged. We talked, and we had drinks, but we didn't come to any agreement"
 Did you quarrer?" said the in. spector.
 Tt depends on what you'd call a quarrel. We didn't agree. If you don't agree with Elmer, he tries to shout you down. There's nothing in it, but it's noisy while it lasts"
 "You parted on bad terms?" said the inspector.
 "Oh no, we didn't-ne blew him. self out and calmed down. We had another drink. He told me about all the shows they were going to, and about the emeralds. He said his wife was going to wear them at the Rackingtons' in a day or two tableaux for some charity-so he'd got them in the house.
 He asked me if I'd like to see them, and l said yes. He took them out of his safe and showed them to me. That was the bit remem. bered-his hand under the light and those eight humping big stones. Then 1 said goodnight and went out the same way I'd come in. l let myself out. He was over by the table swinging the chain on his finger and worshipping it. He's crazy about stones"
 THE inspector spoke again.
 l "You left him like that?
 "I left him like that. No. I haven't finished-not by long chalk. I'd missed the last train handsomely. SC walked into Ledli1gton."
 The inspectors eyebrows twitch- ed.
 You walked into Ledlington?"