| Show 0 oo 0 f n Ef KA SH E y S s. S. S SVAN VAN VINE DINE AUTHOR T THE MURDER CASE THE STORY THUS FAR had gone out with the Canary the evening of ot the murder When hen ho he left he asked Jessup on the switchboard 10 to call calla a a. cab Then said sold Jessup we heard Miss Odell scream We ran to her door and she ehe he called through It that everything was as all an right But the next morning she was found strangled Cleaver known to bean be bean bean an Intimate of ot the girl is questioned but provides an alibi He lie mentions Dr V Lindquist who orders Markham Markham Mark- Mark ham bam out of his house bouse when the latter questions him as to his whereabouts whereabouts whereabouts where where- the evening of ot the murder CHAPTER Vanco Vance shook his head bead in hi a a. mock discouragement Really Reali y know now Markham old thing he added YOU jou ou should study the indications of your OUr men moro more carefully Did you by any any chance note the gentleman's wide rectangular forehead his irregular eyebrows and pale luminous eyes and his outstanding ears with their thin upper rings their pointed and 61 split spilt lobes A clever devil this Ambroise Ambroise but but a moral imbecile Beware of ot those pseudo- pseudo faces Markham leave misunderstood to women their Apollonian Greek I 1 wonder what he really k knows ow's grumbled Markham irritably Oh he knows something something rest rest assured of that And If VIf only we knew it too wed we'd be considerably further along in the investigation Furthermore the Information he heIs heIs heIs Is hiding is somewhat unpleasantly unpleasantly unpleasantly antly connected with himself His euphoria is a bit shaken He frightfully overdid the grand manner manner man man- ner his fulmination was th the true expression of his feeling toward us Yes ret agre agreed d Markham That question about last night acted like a petard What prompted you jou OU to suggest my asking it V A number of things thIngs his his gratuitous and obviously statement that he had Just read of ot the murder his wholly insincere homily on the sacredness of or proCessional professional I confidences the cautious and amI confession of ot his fatherly regard for the girl his Ills elaborate struggle to remember when he had last Jast 5 seen eh her this her this particularly I think m made de me suspicious and then the iJ psychopathic psycho psycho- cho panda indications of ot his physiognomy nomy Well t Admitted Markham the question had its effect I feel feet that I shall see this fashionable M. M D. D again You will iterated Vance We took him unawares But when he has' has had time to ponder the matterand matter and concoct an tale hell he'll become right down-right garrulous Anyhow v the evening is over and you jou OU can on buttercups till un the morrow But th the evening was not quite over as far as the Odell case was concerned We Ve had been back In Inthe tho the room lounge-room of tho the club V but buta a a. shortS short time when a a. man walked by Iby tIle the corner In which We wo sat and bowed with formal courtesy V to Markham Markham to my surprise rose and greeted him at tho the same time Indicating a a chair Theres something further I wanted to ask you Mr Ir Spots- Spots he said If u you jou can spare a. a moment V At the mention of ot the name I regarded the man roan closely for I confess contesS' r f was not a little curious about bout the anonym anonymous us escort who had taken th the girl to dinner r an and the theater the night before Spots Spots- was a typical New Ne England aristocrat Inflexible slow In his mOY movements ments reserved and quietly but modishly dressed Ills His h hair lr and mustache were were slightly gra- gra gray gre- which no doubt doub enhanced the pink ness Qt his complexion Ho lIo was as just under six fet feet t tall taU and well proportioned but a trIfle angular lark Markham ham Introduced him to Vance and me and briefly brleJ explained ex- ex pla-ined pla that we e were were working with him on the case find end that ho had thought it ft best to take us full fully into his confidence gave hi him in a a. dubious look but Immediately bowed his acceptance of the decision Tm m In fn your hands Mr Markham Markham Mark Mark- ham he replied in a 7 bred ell but somewhat hl pitched high voice 0 Ice and I concur of ot course cours with whatever you think Iad He lie turned to Vance with an tin smile Im in fn a a. rather unpleasant position and naturally feel teel a R. little sensitive e about It V Im something of an nn antinomian antino- antino mian Vance pleasantly Informed 1 him At any rate rate- Im I'm not a a. moralist BO so my attitude is the matter matter matter mat- mat ter t. t Is quite academic laughed SOm softly I J wish m my family held p a a. similar aim sim ilar point of ot view but Im I'm afraid they would not be too so tolerant of my foibles Its It only fare to tell toll you Mr Interposed Markham that there thero Is a a. bare possibility I may hav have hae e to call you OU as all a R. witness Tho man looked up quickly his face clouding over OM but tut he made madeno no comment The fact is continued Markham Mark Mark- ham bam we aro arc about to make an arrest and nd your jour te testimony ma may be bl needed to establish the time of Mis UIS return to her ber apartment and also atoo to substantiate the fact that there was presumably some someone one ono in fn her rooms after you ou had left Her screams scream and calls for tor help which you OU heard beard may prove vital evidence In obtaining a ft conviction Spots seem seemed zither rather ther appalled ap ap- ap- ap palled paned at tho the thought of hi hi relations with the girl becoming public and andor or several minutes he be sat with inverted erto e eyes ei tot 7 Vf see your point he be acknowledged edged at length But Bat it would be 5 j terrible thin thing far me if It the fact of my delinquencies became known That contingency may be entirely avoided a Markham encouraged himI him I promise you that you ou sin wiK not be beo called upon unless It is I. ab absolutely n necessary And now what I specially especially wanted to a uk ask k you is this do you OU happen to know a t Doctor who I under understand tAnd was MI Miss s OdeUs Odell's personal clan 1 ir frankly P iU I r never noyer heard the name he an an- In fact tact Miss lIss Odell never neer mentioned any doctor to me And did you sou ou ever hear her mention mention men anon tion the name Skeel koel or refer reter to any anyone ono one as Tony Never ever His answer was em em- p hatic Markham lapsed in Into to disappointed s silence too was silent ellent he sat as if It in a a. You know Mr Markham he be said after several minutes I r ought t to o be ashamed to admit it but the truth I is I cared a a. good deal for tor the girl I suppose youve you've kept her apartment Intact He hesitated hesitated hesi heal and a look Almost of or appeal came camo Into his eyes rd Td like hike to see It ft again if Jt I could Markham regarded him sympathetically sympathetically sym sym- pathetically but finally shook his head V It wouldn't do You'd be sure to 1 be e recognized by the operator or or there might be a reporter about and and then Id I'd be unable to keep j you ou out of or the case The man appeared disappointed but did not protest and for tor several sev sev- cral eral minutes minutes' no one spoke Then Vance raised himself slightly in his chair I say Mr do you happen to remember anything unusual unusual unusual un un- un- un usual occurring last night during durin the hour halt you sou ou remained with Miss MIsi Odell after the theater Unusual The mans man's manner Wa wag as eloquent of ot his Ills astonishment To the contrary We e chatted a awhile awhile while and then as she seemed tired I said goodnight and came camo away making a a. luncheon appointment appointment appoint appoint- appointment ment with her for toda today And yet It now seems fairly certain that some other man was wa-s hiding in the apartment when hen you ou were there Theres little doubt on that point agreed with wit the suggestion of a a. shudder And Ana her screams would seem to Indicate Indicate Indi Indi- cate that he came forth from hidIng hiding hid hid- ing log a a. few minutes after I went And you jou had no suspicion or ol orthe orthe the fact when you heard her call can for lor help I 1 did at first first natural naturally But when she assured m me that nothing was the tho matter and told me to go home I attributed her screams to toa toa toa a nightmare V VI I knew she had been V tired and andI I had left her in fn the wicker chair near the door from where here her screams to t come so I naturally concluded she had dozed off olf and called out ut in her sleep only If-only I hadn't taken so much for granted V Its a a. situation Vance Vanco was vas silent for tor a a. while then he asked I Did you by any chance notice the door of the room living closet Was it open or closed frowned as if ir attempting attempting attempting at at- tempting to visualize the picture but the tho result was a failure I suppose it ft was closed I t probably would have hae noticed it If It It had been open Then you couldn't couldn t say flay if the key was In the lock hock or not noU Good Lord no I dont don't even know If it ever had a a. ke key The case was isas discussed for another another another an- an an an- other hour half then excused himself and left heft us Funny thing ruminated Markham Markham Markham Mark- Mark ham how a a. man of ot his upbrIngIng ing could be so attracted by the empty h headed empty butterfly buttery t tj type pe pe Id say It ft was quite natural returned Vance Youre You're such an incorrigible moral I V Markham To bo bl continued II |
