the cup of coffee she handed to him.
"I think I've got it!" he said. "See this?" He pushed the newspaper towards her, pointing to the headlines.
Still dazed, Meg stared at the paper, then at Anson.
"I don't understand!"
Impatiently, Anson pointed to the headlines.
Maniac Kills Youth: Girl Companion Assaulted.
"A nut like that always strikes again," Anson said. "We're going to make use of him. He's going to kill Barlowe and attack you! Even Maddox will have to accept a situation like that!"
Meg stared at him as if she thought he had gone out of his mind.
"What are you saying ... attack me?"
Anson finished his coffee and set down the cup.
"It says here the police are warning all courting couples that this man might strike again. This means the police expect him to strike again! Can't you see this is just the set-up we are looking for?" He threw the paper aside. "The girl has given the
police a description of the man. She says he is short with a fat face and staring eyes. He was wearing a black top coat and a black slouch hat. When she was struggling with him, his hat fell off: he was as bald as an egg. What a description!
This is the man who is going to murder Barlowe! You will give the police his description! They are waiting for him to kill and rape again! They'll accept what you say without question! This is the foolproof way to get rid of your husband and get the money!"
Meg remained motionless, her mind slowly grasping what he was saying.
"Didn't you say your wedding anniversary was coming up towards the end of the month?" Anson asked. "When is it exactly?"
Bewildered, Meg said, "Next Friday... what has that to do with it?"
"Four days' time! It's exactly right! It has everything to do with it! You must persuade Barlowe to take you out to dinner, then after dinner, you must persuade him to drive out to some lonely spot ... Jason's Glen would do fine. I'll be there ... waiting."
Meg's eyes opened wide.
"And then ...?"
Anson pointed to the paper.
"That happens again."
Meg flinched.
"You mean ... you'll shoot Phil?"
"That's what I mean ... and attack you. Look, Meg, you can't expect to pick up fifty thousand dollars for nothing. You'll have to be found in such a state the police, and more important, Maddox, will have no doubt you were attacked by this maniac. You'll give them a description of the man who attacked you ... they won't suspect you ... they can't suspect me ... it's the perfect set-up !"
"But John..."
"Don't argue about it!" Anson said impatiently. "This is the foolproof way we can do it in the time we have left. I'm certain Maddox won't be suspicious but if I tried some other way to get rid of Barlowe, Maddox would be suspicious. The trick with this set-up is the police expecting it to happen again!
We have four days in which to work this out. Well..."
"John!" Meg's voice rose a note. "You must listen to me! I see it's a good idea, but you haven't thought enough about it.
Suppose it rains? Phil wouldn't go out to Jason's Glen if it was pouring with rain." v Anson, impressed, nodded.
"You're right. We must hope it doesn't rain, but if it does, then I'll have to do it here. Your story will be you heard someone prowling around the house: Barlowe went to see who it was: you heard a shot: then this maniac came in and attacked you. It's better if we do it up at Jason's Glen, but if we can't, then we'll do it here."
"But suppose this man is arrested before Friday night? Suppose we don't know he has been arrested?" Meg said. "I'd look a fool giving the police a description of a man who is already in jail, wouldn't I?"
Anson stared at her for a long moment, then he nodded. "You're using your head," he said. "I missed out on that one, and it's important. I have yet to work out the details. This is just the outline of the plan. We can get over that snag. You will be in such a state of shock after you've been attacked, you won't be able to be questioned for two or three days. In the meantime
"I think I've got it!" he said. "See this?" He pushed the newspaper towards her, pointing to the headlines.
Still dazed, Meg stared at the paper, then at Anson.
"I don't understand!"
Impatiently, Anson pointed to the headlines.
Maniac Kills Youth: Girl Companion Assaulted.
"A nut like that always strikes again," Anson said. "We're going to make use of him. He's going to kill Barlowe and attack you! Even Maddox will have to accept a situation like that!"
Meg stared at him as if she thought he had gone out of his mind.
"What are you saying ... attack me?"
Anson finished his coffee and set down the cup.
"It says here the police are warning all courting couples that this man might strike again. This means the police expect him to strike again! Can't you see this is just the set-up we are looking for?" He threw the paper aside. "The girl has given the
police a description of the man. She says he is short with a fat face and staring eyes. He was wearing a black top coat and a black slouch hat. When she was struggling with him, his hat fell off: he was as bald as an egg. What a description!
This is the man who is going to murder Barlowe! You will give the police his description! They are waiting for him to kill and rape again! They'll accept what you say without question! This is the foolproof way to get rid of your husband and get the money!"
Meg remained motionless, her mind slowly grasping what he was saying.
"Didn't you say your wedding anniversary was coming up towards the end of the month?" Anson asked. "When is it exactly?"
Bewildered, Meg said, "Next Friday... what has that to do with it?"
"Four days' time! It's exactly right! It has everything to do with it! You must persuade Barlowe to take you out to dinner, then after dinner, you must persuade him to drive out to some lonely spot ... Jason's Glen would do fine. I'll be there ... waiting."
Meg's eyes opened wide.
"And then ...?"
Anson pointed to the paper.
"That happens again."
Meg flinched.
"You mean ... you'll shoot Phil?"
"That's what I mean ... and attack you. Look, Meg, you can't expect to pick up fifty thousand dollars for nothing. You'll have to be found in such a state the police, and more important, Maddox, will have no doubt you were attacked by this maniac. You'll give them a description of the man who attacked you ... they won't suspect you ... they can't suspect me ... it's the perfect set-up !"
"But John..."
"Don't argue about it!" Anson said impatiently. "This is the foolproof way we can do it in the time we have left. I'm certain Maddox won't be suspicious but if I tried some other way to get rid of Barlowe, Maddox would be suspicious. The trick with this set-up is the police expecting it to happen again!
We have four days in which to work this out. Well..."
"John!" Meg's voice rose a note. "You must listen to me! I see it's a good idea, but you haven't thought enough about it.
Suppose it rains? Phil wouldn't go out to Jason's Glen if it was pouring with rain." v Anson, impressed, nodded.
"You're right. We must hope it doesn't rain, but if it does, then I'll have to do it here. Your story will be you heard someone prowling around the house: Barlowe went to see who it was: you heard a shot: then this maniac came in and attacked you. It's better if we do it up at Jason's Glen, but if we can't, then we'll do it here."
"But suppose this man is arrested before Friday night? Suppose we don't know he has been arrested?" Meg said. "I'd look a fool giving the police a description of a man who is already in jail, wouldn't I?"
Anson stared at her for a long moment, then he nodded. "You're using your head," he said. "I missed out on that one, and it's important. I have yet to work out the details. This is just the outline of the plan. We can get over that snag. You will be in such a state of shock after you've been attacked, you won't be able to be questioned for two or three days. In the meantime
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