Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1937-10-02
CHAPTER 16

1T WAS ALL very well admin
istering arsenic to a person, rea-
soried Tim as he planned his MUIR
der of Esther; then trusting the
family doctor, either through lack
of experience or timOrOusneSS, to
certify the cause of death as gas
troenteritis or some other intesti-
nal complaint. 1t was true that
such a method gave reasonable
chance of security.
But there was too much OF a
gamble about lit was like back
ing an odds-on favOrite in a race;
q conservative, even cautious bet
when a few pounds were at issue,
madly reckless when the stakes
were life and death. You could
not rely on your doctor giving a
certificate in so accommodating a
fashion, and even if he did there
were other potential sources OF
danger: nurses, servants, relatives,
gossips, busybodies, all capable OF
bringing about the final most
dreadful threat of all-exhuma-
ton. It had happened so often.
And then, since the primary con-
cealment had been made, your
case was nearly hopeless. You
had no second line Of withdrawal,
you had knocked the ladder from
under your own feet.
No-the ideal method required
the complete absence of conceal
ment, save only for the one vital
factor. The necessity of lying,
with all the hazards, cOntradic-
tons, and inconsistencies that
elaborate falsehood is liable to in
volve, must be cut down to a min
imum. Esther must die death
whose nature must be clear and
aboveboard from the beginning.
There must be no medical doubts,
no period of suspense made dread
full by the fear of discovery. The
immediate cause of death must be
admitted boldly and the events
leading to it made so painfully
clear by collateral evidence as to
put out of court the fear that
anyone would think it needful to
investigate further.
And the medium must be poison.
Firstly, because it was the most
natural means for the circum-
stances he was devising; second
ly, because the nature of his pro-
fession removed the risks of sur
reptitious purchase, for which no
legitimate ground could be argued.
He had only to choose wisely from
the store of drugs Of which he
was in perfectly lawful possession
OR better still, to use drugs that
DR.. Arkwright had prescribed for
his niece.
His plan, as finally worked out,
was simplicity itself. But it had
one prerequisite, the removal of
all supervision over Esther's per-
sonal life, save only his own. The
nurse would have to go. And
now, in the most natural way,
without an active step from him
self, the excuse for dismissing her
had been provided. He was not
sending her away of his own will;
in letting her go he was surren-
dering to pressure from others,
against his own judgment.
A few days after his conversa-
ton with Harold Arkwright he
slept again with Esther. AS he
lay for long hours awake, while
she turned in her restless, dream
haunted sleep, his purpose hard
ened.
A few brief conversations,
spread over the following fort
night, will serve to Indicate how
Tim set about preparing, the
ground, and planting the seed.
=. The West Shilston cricket
field, where the Kennedys had
been accustomed to spend a rest
full hour or two on Saturday after
moor. when there was nothing spe-
cial doing in their set. The local
club had been given a long day