ok up as we came down behind him。
Patton took the pint bottle of Mount Vernon off his hip and unscrewed the top and handed it。
〃Drink hearty； Bill。〃 There was a horrible； sickening smell in the air。 Bill Chess didn't seem to notice it； nor Patton nor the doctor。 The man called Andy got a dusty brown blanket out of the car and threw it over the body。 Then without a word he went and vomited under a pine tree。
Bill Chess drank a long drink and sat holding the bottie against his bare bent knee。 He began to talk in a stiff wooden voice； not looking at anybody； not talking to anybody in particular。 He told about the quarrel and what happened after it； but not why it had happened。 He didn't mention Mrs。 Kingsley even in the most casual ways He said that after I left him he had got a rope and stripped and gone down into the water and got the thing out。 He had dragged it ashore and then got it up on his back and carried it out on the pier。 He didn't know why。 He had gone back into the water again then。 He didn't have to tell us why。
Patton put a cut of tobacco into his mouth and chewed on it silently； his calm eyes full of nothing。 Then he shut his teeth tight and leaned down to pull the blanket off the body。 He turned the body over carefully； as if it might e to pieces。 The late afternoon sun winked on the necklace of large green stones that were partly imbedded in the swollen neck。 They were roughly carved and lustreless； like soapstone or false jade。 A gilt chain with an eagle clasp set with small brilliants joined the ends。 Patton straightened his broad back and blew his nose on a tan handkerchief。
〃What you say； Doc？〃
〃About what？〃 the bug…eyed man snarled。
〃Cause and time of death。〃
〃Don't be a damn fool； Jim Patton。〃
〃Can't tell nothing； huh？〃
〃By looking at that？ Good God！〃 Patton sighed。 〃Looks drowned all right；〃 he admitted。 〃But you can't always tell。 There's been cases where a victim would be knifed or poisoned or something； and they would soak him in the water to make things look different。〃
〃You get many like that up here？〃 the doctor enquired nastily。
〃Only honest to God murder I ever had up here；〃 Patton said； watching Bifi Chess out of the corner of his eye； 〃was old Dad Meacham over on the north shore。 He had a shack in Sheedy Canyon； did a little panning in sumrner on an old placer claim he had back in the valley near Belltop。 Folks didn't see him around for a while in' late fall； then e a heavy snow and his roof caved in to one side。 So we was over there trying to prop her up a bit； figuring Dad had gone down the hill for the winter without telling anybody； the way them old prospectors do things。 Well by gum； old Dad never went down the hill at all。 There he was in bed with most of a kindling axe in the back of his head。 We never did find out who done it。 Somebody figured he had a little bag of gold hid away from… the summer's panning。〃 He looked thoughtfully at Andy。 The man in the lion hunter's hat was feeling a tooth in his mouth。 He said： 〃Course we know who done it。 Guy Pope done it。 Only Guy was dead nine days of pneumonia before we found Dad Meacham。〃
〃Eleven days；〃 Patton said。
〃Nine；〃 the man in the lion hunter's hat said。
〃Was all of six years ago； Andy。 Have it your own way； son。 How you figure Guy Pope done it？〃
〃We found about three ounces of small nuggets in Guy's cabin along with some dust。 Never was anything bigger'n sand on Guy's claim。 Dad had nuggets all of a pennyweight； plenty of times。〃
〃Well； ；that's the way it goes；〃 Patton said； and smiled at me in a vague manner。 〃Fellow always forgets something； don't he？ No matter how careful he is。〃
〃Cop stuff；〃 Bill Chess said disgustedly and put his pants on and sat down again to put on his shoes and shirt。 When he had them on he stood up and reached down for the bottle and took a good drink and laid the bottle carefully on the planks。 He thrust his hairy wrists out towards Patton。
〃That's the way you guys feel about it； put the cuffs on and get it over；〃 he said in a savage voice。
Patton ignored him and went over to the railing and looked down。 〃Funny place for a body to be；〃 he said。 〃No current here to mention； but what there is would be towards the dam。〃 Bill Chess lowered his wrists and said quietly： 〃She did it herself； you darn fool。 Muriel was a fine swimmer。 She dived down in and swum under the…boards there and just breathed water in。 Had to。 No other way。〃
〃I wouldn't quite say that； Bill；〃 Patton answered him mildly。 His eyes were as blank as new plates。
Andy shook his head。 Patton looked at him with a sly grin。 〃Crabbin' again； Andy？〃
〃Was nine days； I tell you。 I just counted back；〃 the man in the lion hunter's hat said morosely。
The doctor threw his arms up and walked away； with one hand to his head。 He coughed into his handkerchief again and again looked into the handkerchief with passionate attention。
Patton winked at me and spat over the railing。 〃Let's get on to this one； Andy。〃
〃You ever try to drag a body six feet under water？〃
〃Nope； can't say I ever did； Andy。 Any reason it couldn't be done with a rope？〃 Andy shrugged。 〃If a rope was used； it will show on the corpse。 If you got to give yourself away like that； why bother to cover up at all？〃
〃Question of time；〃 Patton said。 〃Fellow has his arrangements to make。〃 Bill Chess snarled at them and reached down for the whiskey。 Looking at their solemn mountain faces I couldn't tell what they were really thinking。
Patton said absently： 〃Something was said about a note。〃 Bill Chess rummaged in his wallet and drew the folded piece of ruled paper loose。 Patton took it and read it slowly。
〃Don't seem to have any date；〃 he observed。
Bill Chess shook his head somberly。 〃No。 She left a month ago； June 12th。〃
〃Left you once before； didn't she？〃
〃Yeah。〃 Bill Chess stared at him fixedly。 〃I got drunk and stayed with a chippy。 Just before the first snow last December。 She was gone a week and came back all prettied up。 Said she just had to get away for a while and had been staying with a girl she used to work with in L。A。〃
〃What was the name of this party？〃 Patton asked。
〃Never told me and I never asked her。 What Muriel did was all silk with me。〃
〃Sure。 Note left that time； Bill？〃 Patton asked smoothly。
〃No。〃
〃This note here looks middling old；〃 Patton said； hold ing it up。
〃I carried it a month；〃 Bill Chess growled。 〃Who told you she left me before？〃
〃I forget；〃 Patton said。 〃You know how it is in a place like this。 Not much folks don't notice。 Except maybe in summer time where there's a lot of strangers about。〃 Nobody said anything for a while and then Patton said absently： 〃June 12th you say she left？ Or you thought she left？ Did you say the folks across the lake were up here then？〃 Bifi Chess looked at me and his face darkened again。 〃Ask this snoopy guy…if he didn't already spill his guts to you。〃 Patton didn't look at me at all。 He looked at the line of mountains far beyond the lake。 He said gently： 〃Mr。 Mar。 lowe here didn't tell me anything at all； Bill； except how the body e up out of the water and who it was。 And that Muriel went away； as you thought； and left a note you showed him。 I don't guess there's anything wrong in that； is there？〃 There was another silence and Bifi Chess stared down at the blanket…covered corpse a few feet away from him He clenched his hands and a thick tear ran down his cheek。
〃Mrs。 Kingsley was here；〃 he said。 〃She went down the hill that same day。 Nobody was in the other cabins。 Per rys and Farquars ain't been up at all this year。〃 Patton nodded and was silent。 A kind of charged emptiness hung in the air； as if something that had not been said was plain to all of them and didn't need saying。
Then Bill Chess said wildly： 〃Take me in； you sons of bitches！ Sure I did it！ I drowned her。 She was my girl and I loved her。 I'm a heel； always was a heel； always will be a heel； but just the same I loved her。 Maybe you guys wouldn't understand that。 Just don't bother to try。 Take me in； damn you！〃 Nobody said anything at all。
Bill Chess looked down at his hard brown fist。 He swung it up viciously and hit himself in the face with all his strength。
〃You rotten son of a bitch；〃 he breathed in a harsh whisper。
His nose began to bleed slowly。 He stood and the blood ran down his lip； down the side of his mouth； to the point of his chin。 A drop fell sluggishly to his shirt。
Patton said quietly： 〃Got to take you down the hill for questioning； Bill。 You know that。 We ain't accusing you of anything； but the folks down there have got to talk to you。〃 Bill Chess said heavily： 〃Can I change my clothes？〃
〃Sure。 You go with him； Andy。 And see what you can find to kind of wrap up what we got here。〃 They went off along the path at the edge of the lake。 The doctor cleared his throat and looked out over the water and sighed。
〃You'll want to send the corpse down in my ambulance； Jim； won't you？〃 Patton shook his head。 〃Nope。 This is a poor county； Doe。 I figure the lady can ride cheaper than what you get for that ambulance。〃 The doctor walked away from him angrily； sa