american tragedy

Chapter 108 (2)
Chapter 37 (2)
Then, after a while, he stood with her on the golf course.Although he was inexperienced and his heart was in a mess, with her help and guidance, he was able to play fairly well.And because she was so happy that she could kiss and hug him in a hidden place on the court by herself now, she began to tell him about going camping.In this case, she, Frank Harriet, Winant Fant, Burt, Taylor, her brother Stuart, Grant, Cranston, Bettina and Harry, Baggot, Pele Moon Adams, Jayle Double and Ollette Taylor have been planning for a week.Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to go thirty miles by car to the other end of the lake, and then another forty miles east to a lake called Bear Lake.They took tents and equipment with them.They would also be canoeing along the lake to some lake or scenic spot that only Harry and Frank knew about.I plan to play in different bays every day.The lads can hunt squirrels and catch fish for food.They also planned to go to a hotel on a moonlit night, and they said they could go by boat.Each family sent one or two or three servants to accompany them, and one or two older female companions.But, the trails in the woods, the chances of romance, the canoeing on the lake, at least a couple of hours a week to be together for hours on end!

Although those things in the past made him hesitate, he still thought: no matter what the situation, wouldn’t it be the best place to go there? How wonderful it is that she loves him so much! Besides, what can he do here? ?That way, he can get out of here, can't he? Get away from that place, where it happened.And, for example, in case anyone was looking for someone who looked like him, well, he wasn't here in person, he couldn't be seen, he wouldn't be talked about.Those three people...

However, it immediately occurred to him that in any case, before setting out here, he must make sure that no one was under suspicion.So, when he arrived at Casino, alone for the time being, he asked at the newsstand, and he knew that before seven o'clock or 07:30, the newspapers in Albany, the newspapers in Utiga, and any local afternoon edition There are still no newspapers.He'll have to wait until then to know for sure.

After breakfast, and swimming and dancing, and Harry Baggett and Bettina went back to Cranston's, and Sondra was going to Pine Cove, and had an appointment with him to have dinner at Harriet's, but he Always wanted to find those newspapers as soon as possible.But he knew, too, that unless he found a paper, or all the papers, at a bend on the way from the Cranstons to the Harriets, he would have to start for Bear Lake tomorrow. Previously, managed to get to Casino once in the morning first.He had to find the papers, he had to find out what had been said or what had been done so far about the drowning of both.

However, on the way to Harriet's house, he did not buy a newspaper.The papers haven't come yet.He was the first to arrive at Harriet's house, which had not a single newspaper.But half an hour later, as he was sitting on the porch talking to somebody else, thinking about those things, Sandra came up and said, "Oh, listen to me, folks! I have a piece of news for you. Today In the morning, maybe yesterday, two people drowned in Great Berton. It was Blanche, Locke told me on the phone just now. She just happened to be in Langley Bay today, she said, and the girl's body was found, but The man's body has not been found. According to her, they drowned somewhere south of the lake."

Clyde immediately sat up straight, his face was pale, his lips had no trace of blood, his eyes were straight and blankly staring ahead, at the tall pine tree far away from the accident site in Big Burton, which drowned Rowe. The dark waters of Burta's lake.So her body was found.Now, would people believe that his body was down there, as he had planned? But listen! Although he was faint, he must listen.

"Oh, too bad!" said Burt Taylor. "Not some of our acquaintances."

"She said she hadn't heard of it"

"I never liked that lake," put in Frank Harriet. "It's wild. Papa and I fished there with Mr. Rendal last summer, but we didn't last long. It's so spooky."

"We were there three weeks ago, remember, Sandra," went on Harry Baggot. "You don't like it there."

"Yeah, I remember," Sandra replied. "It's a terribly desolate place. I never imagined that anyone would do anything there."

"Ah, I hope it's not someone we know," Burt went on thoughtfully. "However, in the short term, it inevitably puts a damper on the fun here."

Clyde couldn't help moistening his dry lips with his tongue, swallowed, and moistened his parched throat.

"I think today's newspapers haven't had time to carry the news. Has anyone read the newspapers?" asked Vernant Fenter, who hadn't heard Sandra's opening words.

"The papers haven't come yet," Bert Taylor commented, "and probably not in time. Didn't Sandra say that she heard what Blanche Locke told her on the phone just now? Live nearby."

"Ah, so, that's right."

But will there be anything in Sharon's afternoon paper? As long as he can see it tonight!

But there was another thought! God, he was only now thinking of it.His footprints, are there any footprints in the mud on the shore? He climbed up in such a hurry that he didn't even stop to take a look.Besides, isn't it possible? Then people will know and follow him, the man the three met? Clifford Golden! Came here this morning by boat! The Cranstons' car to their house! And the wet suit in the Cranstons' room! Did anyone go to his room while he was gone, check, maybe even his suitcase Open! A police officer? My God! Clothes are in his suitcase.But, now that it's over, why is it still in his suitcase or wherever he has it? Why didn't he hide it before then, or else tie a stone and throw it in the lake? to the bottom of the lake.God! What was he thinking about in such an emergency, like he still had to put that suit to use.

He got up and stood there. To be honest, he felt cold physically and mentally. For a while, his eyes seemed to be in a daze.He must get out of here, he must go back there at once, and dispose of the suit, throw it in the lake, and hide it in the woods outside the house! But he must not do it at once, and he must not talk about it After the two drowned, they left immediately, what does it look like.

He immediately thought that he couldn't do this, he had to be calm, if he could do it, he shouldn't show a little nervous look, he had to look cold, he could always do it, and talk about things that didn't matter.

Now mustering up what little courage he had, he went up to Sandra and said, "That's too bad, eh?" His voice was almost trembling, though he managed to do it as usual.The same goes for his knees and hands.

"Yeah, of course," Sandra replied, turning to face him. "It's the kind of thing I hate to hear, don't you? Stuart's always playing on the lake like this. Mom's so scared."

"Yeah, I know," he mumbled.He could barely speak, choked up, choked up.His lips were tightly shut in a thin line, older than ever.His face also became paler.

"What's the matter, what's the matter, Clyde?" Sandra asked suddenly, studying him more carefully. "You're so pale! And your eyes. What's the matter? Are you sick tonight, or is it the light here?"

In order to make it clear, she turned around, looked at some other people first, and then looked back at him. He felt that it should not be like what she said, so he cheered up and said, "Oh, no, I think it must be It’s about the lighting. It’s the lighting, it must be. Yesterday, I was tired...for a day, that’s all. I don’t think I should have come today.” Then, he smiled strangely and reluctantly.Sandra, who stared at him very sympathetically, said: "Is he so tired? He worked all day yesterday, my Clyde, my little baby. Why didn't my little baby tell me this morning, but played again today?" Want me to tell Frank to take you back to the Cranstons now? Or lie down in his room? He doesn't care, I know. Shall I tell him?"

She turned her head as if to speak to Frank, and Clyde, petrified at the idea, and trying to find an excuse to get out of here, cried earnestly, but tremblingly, "No." , no, dear, I... I beg you not to do this. I'll just stay. If I really want to, I'll go up later, or go back sooner, if you wait later, but don't Right now. I'm a little sick, but it's going to be fine."

Because he was unnatural, and she sounded a bit complaining at this moment, she didn't say anything, just said: "Yes, dear, yes. But if you are not well, you'd better let me greet Frank." Take you back, or upstairs. He doesn't care. Then, wait a minute, around ten o'clock, I'll take my leave, and you can come with me to your place. I'll see you off or something before I go home Familiar people go back. My little baby, can we just do this?"

Clyde said: "Well, I think I'll go up and drink some water first." Then he walked into a spacious room in Harriet's house, closed the door, sat down, and thought over and over again... Roberta's body was found There may be some scars, there may be his footprints in the mud and sand by the lake, his suit at the Cranston house, the people in the woods, Roberta's suitcase, hat and coat, left. His unbranded hat on the water...and wondering what to do next.What to do! How to say! Now go downstairs to find Sandra and persuade her to go first together, or stay and suffer? What will be in the paper tomorrow? What? What? If there is any news in the newspaper, it will be enough to explain Finally came to get him, or he had something to do with it anyway, so would it be better to go on a camping trip tomorrow, or run away from here? He's got some money now, and he could go to New York, Boston, or New Orleans, la Teller was there, but, oh, no, no place with acquaintances.

Oh, my God! How foolish all his plans for this matter were before today! It was full of loopholes, had he planned carefully from the beginning? Did it ever occur to him that in such deep water Roberta's Will the body still be found? But, the truth is, it was found so quickly, on this day, it was really against him! Although he registered it in the registration book over there, it was because of the three people and the girl on the boat , wouldn't it be possible to track him down now? He had to think, think! And, with that suit, he had to get out of here as soon as possible, before something happened.

He became more and more guilty and worried, so he decided to go downstairs to Sandra and told her that he was really unwell and wanted to go back with her first.So, at 10:30, despite hours of entertainment, Sandra told Bert that she was not feeling well, and could he ask him to drop her and Clyde, and Jell, at her house; Regarding the matter of the lake, she will definitely meet with them tomorrow morning.

Clyde was silently pondering whether he had made a mistake in coming early this time.At last he boarded the speedboat, and soon arrived at the Cranstons' house.Once there, he said good-bye to Bert and Sandra as calmly and apologetically as possible, and hurried into his room to find that the suit was still there, with no sign that no one had been in it.But all the same, flustered and suspicious, he tied up the suit, sat for a while, listened, and, when no one was watching, slipped out of the house behind the lake, about four minutes from the house. A mile away, I found a heavy stone, tied it to my clothes, and threw it as far as I could into the middle of the lake, and then turned back, as silently as when he went out, Dull and flustered, and silently thinking over and over again, what will be revealed tomorrow? If someone came to ask him, what should he say?

(End of this chapter)