The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1933-08-17
Copyright by Octavus Roy Cohen.

II eyes, SIR"
slave you ever paid either Pa
Thayer or Mike Carmicino the tw,
hundred dollars that the liquor wa
| supposed to cost?"
"No, sir. I still have the money
It was never paid to either O
them" $50. ~ ~ 49,.
i There was just the faintest him
Of iron In Jim's voice. -..s..- ,......
.'You lied about that, Carmicino 7
he accused. Sand want to know
why I" $780, =. r ...~..f j --f
! All eyes were bent now upon the
| figure of Mike Carmicino. 1t was
obvious to even the most inexperi
enced that he was desperately
| seeking to escape from a net which
he felt was being frightened about
him. -@..s.s- - IL ...... ~
! 81 told you lie about Meester
Thayer," he suggested suavely, "be
cause he was good friend Of mine
Meester Thayer he always pay me
as soon he gets the money when
the fellers they have parties. This
time he has not got the money
when he Is killed and SO 1 think II
is not nice that / should tell about
how he owed me the money when
he is dead. was only protect my
friend, you see. Meester Harvey"
"Good for you, Mike. Mighty fine
of you" Harvey thought for a
moment and then: "But isn't It
true that Thayer announced he
wasn't going to pay you at all and
would turn you over to the police
for bootlegging II you dared
squawk? Isn't it true that you and
he were partners In the criminal
occupation of obtaining and selling
liquor and that when he threatened
to turn you over to the police you
very rightly considered that he was
embarrassing your"
"That is entirely not true, Mees-
ter Harvey"
Maybe you're right about that,
Mike. But how about the knife
with which Thayer was killed."
Carmfcino's smile was dissipated
for a moment, and when 1t reap
peared, seemed rather forced.
"What about 1T" Carmicino asked
softly.
"Just this" said Harvey in
calmly conversational tone. ''Thay-
er double-crossed you. He didn't
have the money then but he told
you fatty that he intended to keep
it, and you could go whistler
else. You were sore as a goat and
you said he couldn't get away with
any such. Stuff. Harvey was now
making statements rather than ask
ing questions. You saw him go to
his room on May first and you de-
cided to have it out with him. But
you knew you were dealing with a
larger man than yourself and one
who evidently wouldn't scare worth
soup. So you remembered the col
lection Of weapons in Max Vernon's
room and borrowed the likeliest
one-which happened to be that
Sicilian dagger.
"YOu saw Miss Peyton 60 to
Thayer's room and waited until she
had left the house. Then you went
in. You had a quarrel and finally
a fight. You killed Thayer because
he threatened to sQueal and also,
perhaps, because he attacked you.
You had sense enough not to make
your discovery Of the body until
some one else entered the room
Larry WEIGH found the body. AS
soon as he left you let out howl
It was real slick Of you, Mike, be-
cause no one ever thought that the
man who found the body was the
murderer.
Later on" continued Harvey
smoothly, "when the whole fra
ternity house was buzzing with
comment about the murder, you
heard the name Of Max Vernon
frequently mentioned. You also
knew that he had disappeared. You
thought of the knife. Mr.. Reagan.
yonder, had already searched that
room thoroughly. And after his
search you planted the knife In Yer.
mons clothes closet, knowing that
it would be a mighty strong piece
Of evidence against him. So you
see, I've got you kind Of hog-tfed,
Mike"
Carmicino's face was stony.
you can't prove none Of that,
Meester Harvey"
Jim smiled triumphantly.
"Oh, yes, can"
"How?"
Because" announced Harvey
quietly. '.your ingerprints are on
the handle of the knife"
Carmicino leaped to his feet.
THAT is a liel" he shouted. 'There
were not any fingerprints on that
knife!''
And now the Gargantuan detec-
tive became positively friendly.
His words dripped honey.
"How did you know that, Mixer