The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1947-04-15
AShOrt Story
Here's Proof!
By John Okada

Jim sneered consistently at his
friend and emptied the beer glass.
More beer he hollered without
, removing his eyes nor his sheer
from the three others who occu-
pied the booth in the tavern.
You're too dogmatic. Jim. and,
as usual, you're wrong in saying
impossible" Hal was bit flus-
tered from the beer, but his words
were clearly spoken and he glanced
hurriedly at Mac and Stanley 10
see how they would consider the
, problem.
Mac shook his big head in silent
affirmation and smiled family at
Hal as if to tell him that he too
felt similarly. Stanley was staring
= I'm not wrong, and nothing
you say is going to make me
change my mind" Jim leaned a
gainst the back of the booth and
added defiance to his still iinger-
ing sneer.
Hal thought for a moment. Look
here, Jim, you've got to admit that
plenty of murders have been COM
mitted and the murderers never
found. All you have to do is look in
any detective magazine. You find
accounts of murders that took place
twenty, thirty years ago and the
police have almost given up hope of
ever finding the guy that did it,
Sure, but the cops are still look
ing and as long as the cops are on
the job, there's chance that the
guys going to be found. Justice is
a wonderful thing and it doesn't al
low perfect murders"
Mac wagged his head again
and this time smiled affably at
Jim.
Damn you, Mac" said Hal in
disgust, whose side of this argu-
ment are you taking, anyway"
Neither, or I mean BOTH" splut-
tered Mac defensively. I don't feel
like talking, about killing people"
well, what do you want to talk
about?"
About danes, like we always
do" retorted Mac very innocently.
Good idea" said Jim and re-
moved the sneer which he as
sumed only for the purpose of
these frequent arguments.
Danes it is" said Hal approx
ingly and raised his glass with a
mockingly gracious flourish, added
with unconvincing sarcasm, toast
to woman hood. If it weren't for
them, God knows we wouldn't have
anything to talk about"
Jim, Hal and Mac burst into
laughter, loud, careless, unrestrained
laughter which indicated that they
had all consumed enough beer to
have been lifted into a state of
good natured insobriety. They might
have continued to laugh for some
time had not noticed Stanley. Stan
ley wasn't laughing. He wasn't even
smiling. He was still looking into
the foam of is untouched beer with
a look of grim thoughtfulness which
heavily contrasted the prevailing
mood of the happy group.
'Boo!" said Mac fondly, but
securing no response, looked at
the others somewhat bewildered.
Hal shrugged his shoulders with
equal incertitude and reaching
over the table shook Stanley as he
would have done a sleeping man
wake up, fella. You're beers get
ting warm"
HERE'S PROOF
Stanley ignored Hal also, but he
! lifted his face and turned to Jim
with gravity of expression that
compelled the others to be even
more perplexed. Jim, you're
wrong" said Stanley.
"Wrong?"
"a perfect murder is very pos
sible."
oh" replied Jim, 4 thought we
didn't want to talk about 1t any,
more"
I'VE don't" cried Mac, "We're
going to discuss DANES"
That's what I thought" added
Hal
Shut up you two. This is be-
tween Jim and me- Stanleys face
showed definite anger. The others
were completely astonished, for
Stanley seldom lost his temper and
this talk about murder certainly
hadn't offended anyone. They lis
tened without saying a word, being
totally incapable of conceiving
what melted this sudden, unexpect-
ed fury in their mild companion.
Stanley continued to look at
Jim. "YOu say that perfect
murder is impossible, but that's
because bodies aren't found when
really perfect murders are COM