The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-11-20
Chapter IL
ELSA'S NEW IDEA

EISAS NE" IDEA
"DASSETT is hiding him." said
Lawson. cit shouldn't be diff
ficult to find out where. Bassett
doesn't amount to much. l can sug-
gest a couple Of easy ways OF find
ing out where Mahony is. Either
send some Of your men to pretend
to join Bassett's crowd, and pass on
any information they can get hold
Of, or capture one of Bassett's men
and knock hell out of him till be tells
you where Mahony is. Now get on
with it. AS an encouragement to you
to put your backs into it. I'm offer
ing thousand pounds for the proofs
Of Mahony's death"
He rose from his seat, nodded curt
ly to the men sitting round the table,
and left the room. satisfied with
the impression he had created.
He re-entered his waiting car and
drove back to his house. There he
was told that Elsa Little wished to
see him. =
She was waiting for him In his
study. and her face looked pale and
worried. He smiled at her.
Its nice of you to come and see
me-" he said. Inspector Kennedy
told me about your interview with
Mallory last night. That was
clever idea. and it seems to have
had the desired effect. 1t can only be
a matter of days. or even hours, be-
fore the police catch him"
Eyes. / know" said Elsa rather
family. "That-that's what I've
come to see you about. You see
don't want them to catch him."
"You don't want them to catch
him." echoed Lawson in a voice of
genuine establishment. But
why. what's happened. Only yester-
day you were dead keen on bringing
him to book for your uncle's muir
der"
Eyes, l l know" said Elsa. 81
thought he had killed my uncle then.
don't think so now"
'I'm afraid l don't understand at
ALL" he said.
| Its rather difficult to explain"
answered Elsa. 81 know laid a trap
for him last night. and he fell into
it-in a way. That talk Terence Ma
hony had with me last night has
convinced Inspector Kennedy that
he killed my uncle. But IL has con-
WINGED me that he didn't kill him."
isn't that enough for you?" asked
Lawson.
CHE shook her head.
~ mo You see. was in the room
with him. watching his face. motto
Ing his expression. I'd never had
the chance of really talking to him
before. I'm certain he was telling
the truth when he said he didn't
kill my uncle"
81 see." said Lawson.
He walked to and fro for a few
seconds. frowning thOughtfully, This
change Of mind on Elsa's part was
quite unexpected. But he could not
see that it mattered much.
81 don't see that you can do very
much about it," he stated.
8 81 must do something about it: ]
can't let them hang him." said Elsa
spassionately.
> She hesitated.
81 was wondering if couldn't
help him to get out of the country
for a time-to go somewhere where
the English law can't touch him."
she went on. Then. while he was
away. 1 could get private detectives
and people to work to prove him in
nocent."
= Lawson was on the point Of telling
her that her idea was quite imprac-
sticable. but suddenly checked him.
self. The glimmerings of an idea
had suddenly occurred to him.
81 don't care how much spend"
went on Elsa. Surely there could
be some way of arranging it,"
> at might be possible" admitted
Lawson cautiously. But it would be
very difficult. To start with. how
would you get into touch with Ma
shony?"
81 don't know" said Elsa in
hopeless tone. That's the trouble. /
Jdon't see how I can get into touch
with him"
Personally. it has never occurred
to me to doubt Mahony's guilt" he
stated. But then. il he's innocent, I
don't want him to hang"
( He shrugged his shoulders slight
lily and smiled.