Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-10-08
CHAPTER v

AS PoiiSS aohSo dueSllOIlS. "lldI IL
they heard through the servants that
we had stayed the night there? That
Berta had been very angry with
Kitty? Could have my beloved Ber-
ia the target of police question
ing? You see?"
Very clearly" said Rogers. SIN
order to set your mind at rest, Mr..
Chatfield-if you are still troubled
I've read the police files dealing with
your sisters death. There is no
mention of your presence in the
house that night. Or even in town
at the hotel. How did you manage
it?"
ELSA managed it. She was there,
OF course. l never asked her how
she did it. I'm relieved to know
that Berta and have no official con-
nection with what happened that
night. We were happy to get safely
home to Mazatlan, and we have not
ventured back to California, except
for our brief visit some weeks ago."
Were you aware that Katherine
Chatfield was morphine addict"
he inquired of our host.
mot until after she died. More
over, don't think that Elsa knew
it, either, living as she was in the
same house with her, until after Kit
TVS DEATH"
Am I being too personal, Mr..
Chatfield?"
mot at all, Mr.. Rogers. 1 am
only too glad to tell you what I
know"
Eyes"
'Did you detect any unusual odor
in the room?"
mo. The room was closed-had
been closed all night, 1 suppose. But
I'm a poor person to be asked that
question; my sense of smell is not
ACUTE
mo odor of chloroform, Mr.. Chat
field?"
mo, don't recall it."
He poured from the bottle and
reached for the siphon, his arm
hating midway in its reach. but
why this talk of murder?" he asked.
why not let it rest as it undoubt-
eddy WaS-as a suicide?"
1.-The district attorney has never
been satisfied with the investigation
that was made at the time, Mr..
Chatfeld," l remarked. Hes a
close friend of mine; he's never
been willing to call it suicide"
but have you anything to 60
on uhicb Indicated fbot
81 haven't" I admitted.
Sam Chatfield's gray eyes in his
deeply tanned face turned to Rog-
ers inquiringly.
''There is an investigator on the
Pasadena police force with an ex-
traordinary sense of smell. He says
there was an odor of chloroform in
the room that morning"
"Well?" Sam Chatfield sat for
ward in his chair.
"Why chloroform if it was suicide?
If your sister was a morphine ad-
dict, and had source of supply, as
she must have had, why chloroform
when she knew that an overdose of
morphine was all she required"
"And that fact-I'm not disput-
ing the evidence of the mans nose
has swayed you to the opinion that
my sister was murdered?"
eyes"
"Do you have any more questions,
Mr.. Rogers?" inquired Sam Chat
field.
"There's one more thing" Rogers
began Slowly. Il hesitate to bring it
upon your sensibilities. And yet it
is vital"
"Yes?" Sam Chatfeld's voice was
clipped, unfriendly almost.
"There was a child some five
years or so ago. And, of course, Cos
sip. Ugly gossip. The truth never
came out, even among close friends
of your family"
Sam Chatfield's eyes suddenly
were blazing with anger.
'Ive nothing to say, Mr.. Rogers,
about that child. It's dead. The
whole incident is dead, so far as we
Chatfields are concerned"
"1'm sorry" replied Rogers. I'm
very sorry"
We fished that next day. All day
long in the launch we piled the
blue waters off Mazatlan until we'll
into the afternoon. Margaret, who
had started with us, remained in the
launch only couple of hours. Elsa
had promised to come out, bringing
Berta with her. So we picked them
up at the wharf and put the three
of them on board the Orizaba and
continued fishing from the launch.
However, there was no sign of
swordfish that day, but a run of
albacore in the afternoon provided