Lafferty, he uttered a quick "Howdy," with a jerk of the head, and
lapsed into a mute regard of tobacco smoke and brandy bottle, which he
maintained while Bagley and Larcher went more fully into the Davenport
case than they had before gone together. Larcher felt that he was being
sounded, but he saw no reason to withhold anything except what related
to Miss Kenby. It was now that he mentioned possible suicide.
"Suicide? Not much," said Bagley. "A man _would_ be a chump to turn on
the gas with all that money about him. No, sir; it wasn't suicide. We
know that much."
"You _know_ it?" exclaimed Larcher.
"Yes, we know it. A man don't make the preparations he did, when he's
got suicide on his mind. I guess we might as well put Mr. Larcher on,
Lafferty, do you think?"
"Jess' you say," replied Mr. Lafferty, briefly.
"You see," continued Bagley to Larcher, "I sent for you, so's I could
pump you in front of Lafferty here. I'm satisfied you've told all you
know, and though that's absolutely nothing at all--ain't that so,
Lafferty?"
"Yep,--nothin' 'tall."
"Though it's nothing at all, a fair exchange is no robbery, and I'm
willing for you to know as much as I do. The knowledge won't do you any
good--it hasn't done me any good--but it'll give you an insight into your
friend Davenport. Then you and his other friends, if he's got any, won't
roast me because I claim that he flew the coop and not that somebody did
him for the money. See?"
"Not exactly.
Pages:
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118