“Why not?” Johnny asked.
“I was supposed to, well, talk to...” Laura hesitated. “...to Charles.”
Ralston looked at her curiously. “To pump me? But I didn’t know anything. It was Kitchen...”
“...Who stopped off in San Bernardino,” Johnny finished for Ralston. “And he convinced Helen that Jim Walker’s will didn’t have a chance in a court, because it had been made just prior to the time that Helen and her mother had had old Jim committed to an institution.”
Laura’s eyes squinted in pain.
“She says Mike did it.”
“That’s going to be her defense. Although it won’t actually make any difference. If Mike did it, she’s an accessory and if Mike helped her cover up — by carrying the body out to my car, then he was an accessory.”
“I know,” said Laura miserably.
Johnny looked steadily at Ralston. “Ralston,” he said, “did you ever hear of the apex laws?”
“Why, yes,” replied Ralston, “I’ve been reading up on mines. But I don’t see...”
“The Silver Tombstone adjoins the Hansonville mine. You’re bound to get into an argument with each other sooner or later...”
“I don’t see why we should,” Ralston said stiffly.
“The best solution,” said Johnny, “is to merge the two mines.”
Ralston frowned. “But the Hansonville mine’s in borrasca and the Silver Tombstone...”
“...is in bonanza. But what’s the difference... if you have them both in the family?”
Ralston suddenly looked at Laura Henderson with a new light in his eyes. Johnny grinned crookedly and walked over to the Chevrolet. Lie climbed in beside Sam.
“New York, Sam!”
“New York!” cried Sam.