“Perhaps I am,” Dave said with a shrug. “Perhaps I am, because it’s not very clear to me. Let’s put it this way. The object of our unknown enemies was to put poor Tracey out of the way, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, of course!” Colonel Welsh replied sharply. “So what?”
“So this,” Dawson said evenly. “It was done. But it wasn’t done from this end. At least, I’d bet my shirt on it. Tracey’s death was caused by somebody at Albuquerque! So why did that slugger come to see Rigby?”
“To get my code message,” Colonel Welsh said. “I think that fact’s obvious.”
Dave leaned forward and held the senior officer with his steady eyes.
“And what did your message say?” he demanded.
“I’ve already told you!” the other replied with a scowl. “I wired Rigby in code that Tracey was on his way here to meet me.”
“I follow your line of reasoning, Dave!” Freddy Farmer broke in excitedly. “He simply found out something he already knew!”
“Bright lad!” Dawson beamed at him. “Go to the basket and pick yourself a nice red apple. You catch on quick, pal!”
“I do more than that, my little man!” the English youth shot back at him. “That chap’s visit here had no connection at all with Tracey’s death. Correct?”