Contents

author’s note

major personalities

Part One: “we is got him”

you wil have two pay us

yu be its murderer

his lif wil be instant sacrificed

the danger lies intirely with yuself

yu child shal die

we wil send prof

they are goin to search every house in the city

if you want to trap

before he intercepts yu

Part Two: “the cheapest way”

we think we have left no clues behind us

we know not what to make of that

we have heard nothing from yu

ask him no questions

if death it must be

now we demand yu anser

this thing is drawing to a final crises

others will rely on our word

keep faith with us

your substitute

a parcel of fabricated lies

we ask for time

Part Three: “dead men tell no tales”

dead men tell no tales

tell C.K.R. quietly

the resemblance is most striking

Detective Silleck knew that

to vindicate themselves

we’ll defend ourselves

serve the public

Part Four: “this is very uncertain”

beyond the range of possibility

this is very uncertain

what have you got now?

we do right to pity Charley Ross

is my child dead?

you need not ask more questions

we fear being traped in our own game

East Washington Lane, Present Day

Acknowledgments

Illustration credits