Show tj THE KENNEL S. S By S. S Van Dine IL CASEBy M MURDER U i j RD E R CASE CAS E Copyright I by Service Service- W. W H. H Wright 1 CHAPTER I 4 1 1 W The Bolted Bedroom J y It was WOl exactly three months after arter the startling termination of the Scarab t r I murder case ruo that Vance once was drawn Into the subtlest and the most perplexing of all the problems 1 i lems lem that came his way during durIn thet the t four tour years t rs of ot John F F. lX t. t Markhams Markham's t Incumbency as nl district attorney of P New York county Rarely In the an an- t pals Doll of ot modern crime has hns there been I f a case that seemed to reverse re to so completely com tit the rational laws by which hul humanity hu hUe hUet t l I Inanity manity lives tin and reasons In the words of ot the doughty and practical Sergt Bergt I Ernest Month of ot the homicide Pj 6 I bureau the case make sense r. r ui On tho Iho surface It smacked of ot strange 11 it and terrifying magic of ot witch doctors i and workers miracle workers and every line lines s of ot Investigation ran Into a o blank wall 1 i In fact tact the case lied every ery outward L f appearance of ot being what hat armchair criminologists delight In calling culling the tho perfect crime And Anti to make the plot wr t ting of ot the tho murderer even more tying a diabolical concatenation of ot 5 r circumstances was superimposed upon the events ent by some whimsical and perverse per per- er- er u. u verse Terse god goJ which tended to strengthen i 1 every weak link In la the culprits culprit's chain J Of ot ratiocination and to turn the entire I i bloody affair Into a n maze of 1 t Curiously enough enough- however It was ii the very verl excess of ardor on the part pInt f of the murderer when attempting to 4 t divert suspicion that created a minute hole In the wall of mystery through f I Ito which Vance was able to see eo a n gum glim- to mer of ot light In the process of ot follow follow- log IDI ng that light tl to the truth Vance did 1 What I believe was as the shrewdest t and h ad profoundest detective work of his tw career I t f For or years year he had been a breeder of bf Scottish terriers Sometimes I 1 think he manifested a greater grenter enthusiasm 1 i gam am In his dogs dog than In any other phase of ot his life I mention mention men men- t tion that fact fact or or Idiosyncrasy If It you prefer because prefer because It so happened that I trances trance's tanco ability to look at a certain ra tray stray Scottish terrier and recognize Its blood lines tines and anti show qualities was what led hIm to one ono phase of ot the truth i in the remarkable case which I am now record recording In 3 That which led lell Vance to another Important Im- Im i phase of the truth was his I knowledge of ot Chinese ceramics lie He poSes possessed ed a small but remarkable collection col- col 1 lection of ot Chinese antiquities antiquities mu mu museum seum leum pieces he lie had acquired In la his l t extensive travels travels and and had written va various rious articles for Oriental and art Journals on the tho subject of ot Sung and Ming lUng monochrome porcelains Scotties and Chinese ceramics I A truly unusual combination And yet tt without a 8 knowledge kno of ot these two antipodal antipodal an an- I Interests the mysterious murr murder mur mur- der ctr r of ot Archer Coe In his old brownstone brown brown- stone atone house In West Se ent Seventy first street would have hn remained a closed t book for tor all time i The opening of ot the case was rather tame It promised little In the line of sensationalism lint But within an hour of the telephone call Markham reI received re re- from the tho Coo Coe butler I the distract district dis dis- I tract attorneys attorney's office omee and the New I I II I a s i ill 1 4 cottles and sad Chinese ChIne Ceramics Ceramic It A Truly Unusual Combination York Tork police department were plunged into one of ot the most astounding and anti battling baffling murder mysteries of our day It was wa shortly after past half-past eight eighton on the morning of ot October 11 that Vances Vance's doorbell rang and Currle Currie his hh old English valet and majordomo ushered Markham Into the library I 1 Iwas was as temporarily Installed In tn Vances Vance's duplex roof garden apartment at the time For years almost since Ince our Harvard days I bad had been Vane Vance's a legal adviser ad and monetary steward a post which Included as much of f friendship as of ot business and his hU affairs kept me fairly busy On this particular Autumn morning I Iwas Iwas was 89 busily engaged with a mass of ot canceled checks and bank statements when hen Markham arrived Go ahead with your lour chor chores chords s Van fan VanDine VanDine Dine ho he said with a perfunctory nod Ill IU rout out the sybarite myself He lie Hea sd a trifle trine perturbed ai as he dis dis- dis appeared Into Vances Vance's bedroom which W was I just off the library I 1 heard 1 him lm call Vance a bit peremptorily peremptorily per per- and I heard Vance ance give a dramatic groan roan A murder I presume Vance complained complained com com- through a yawn O Nothing less than gore would have led It'd your our footsteps to 10 my boudoir at this ungodly ungodly ungodly un un- godly hour Not No I a murder murder- Markham 11 began Oh I say I l What time lime night might It be Le then Tight light forty five Markham told toM him So early and early and not a murder I 1 I could hear Vances Vance's feet felt hit the floor You lou Interest me strangely Your wedding morn perhaps Archer Coe has tins committed suicide sui ul cide Markham announced not without without with with- out Irritation My Iy ord I Vance was now nOl moving about even nen stranger than a s I murder I crave elucidation Come lets let's sit sll down while I sip my coffee colTe Markham re entered the library followed followed followed fol fol- lowed by Vance clad In sandals and an aD elaborate mandarin robe Vance rang for Currie Currle and ordered Turkish coffee cotret at the same time settling himself In a B large Queen Anne chair and and lighting one ono of his favorite cigarettes What did you mean Vance Markham Markham Mark Mark- ham asked by hy Coes Coe's suicide being stranger than murder Nothing e esoteric old thing Vance I drawled languidly Simply that there thre would be nothing particularly remarkable remarkable remark remark- able In anyone's pushing old Archer Into the lies Ices been Inviting violence all his life Not a sweet and love Inspiring chappie chapple dont don't y know nut But theres there's something deuced remarkable remarkable remark remark- able In to the fact that he should push himself over o the border lies He's not the suicidal type type far far too egocentric I think youre you're right And that Idea was probably In the back bark of ot my head when I told the butler to hold everything everything every every- thing till I got there Why should you be he notified at alt all And what did the butler buller pour Into your ear over the phone And why are you here curtailing my slumbers Why everything thing Why anything Just why Cant Can't you see Im I'm burstIng burstIng bursting burst- burst Ing wl with h i uncontrollable curiosity And Vance yawned and closed his hise's es e's eyes Im on my way to Coes Coe's house Markham was annoyed at the others other's attitude of Indifference Thought maybo may may- maybe be bo you'd like to what's to-what's what's your favorite word word toddle toddle along This was said ald with sarcasm Toddle Vance repeated Quite nut But why toddle blindly The corpse wont won't run away even en If It we are a bItIn bit In latish Markham hesitated and shrugged Obviously Ob he was uneasy and obviously obvious ob ly Iy he wanted Vance to accompany him As AI he be had admitted something was In Inthe Inthe Inthe the back of his head Very well he acquiesced Shortly Shortly Short ly ly after otter eight this morning Coes Coe's butler but but- ler the ler-the the obsequious Gamble phoned Gamble phoned me me at Dt my home lie was In a state of nerves and his voice was husky busky with fear lie Ile Informed rap ml with many hems and hews that Archer Coe Cae had shot allot himself and asked me If it I would come corne to the house at once ollre My first Instinct was to tell lell him to nour notify the police but for tor some reason I checked myself and asked him why he had called rolled me lie He said that Mr Raymond Wrede rde had so advised him him him- Ah Ahl I t tIt It seems he had hind first called Wrede who who as you know Is II an Intimate family friend and friend and that Wrede had Im Immediately immediately im- im mediately tely come corne to the tho house And Wrede said get Mr Ur Mark Mark- Markham ham Vance drew deep on his cigarette ciga ciga- rette Something dodging about In Inthe Inthe inthe the recesses of ot Wrede's Vrede's brain too no doubt Vell Well any more Only that the body was bolted In Coes Coe's bedroom Bolted on the Inside InsIder Exactly I Gamble brought up Cues Coe's breakfast at eight as usual but received no answer anWEr answer an an- to his knocking So he peered through the keyhole keyhole- yes yes butlers always alwn's do Some day Markham I shall In a moment of leisure Invent a keyhole that cant can't be seen len through by butlers Have lIa you ever stopped to think how much of the worlds world's disturbance Is caused by butlers butlers but but- lers being able to see through keyholes kEYholes key key- holes holes' No Vance anle I never have hat returned Markham wearily My brain Is Inadequate equate Ill III Ill I'll leave that speculation to you Nevertheless Ne because of your dalliance In the matter of ot Inventing Invent ing opaque keyholes Gamble saw lIa Coe seated In his armchair a revolver rl la to his hand hanI and a bullet wound In his right temple lle But nut what about Coo Coe Why did dt Gamble call Wrede when Archers Archer's brother was In the house Coo Coe didn't happen to bo be boIn bein In the house lies lie's at present In Chi Chi- cago Ah thi 11 I Most convenient So when wilen Wrede arrived he advised Gamble Gamble Gam Oam- ble to phone direct to you knowing that you knew Coe Is that It ft tU As far as I can con make out out And Anti you knowing that I had visited Coe Cos on o various VII occasions thought you'd pick me up and end make It a conclave conclave conclave con con- clave of acquaintances I demanded io o you jou ou want to come Markham m with with a trace of anger Oh by hI all moans means Vance replied dulcetly hut But really y I know 1 I cant can't go JeO In the these e togs lie Ile r rose se and started towards the bedroom Ill ho hop Into appropriate Integuments integument As he reached the door he stopped And Ill I'll II tell you why your Invitation enthralls me 1 I had hall an nil appointment with Archer Coe Gee for three three this afternoon afternoon after after- noon to 10 look at nt a pair of pe peach bloom vases fourteen Inches high he had recently recently re re- acquired And Markham a collector who has hns lust acquired a pair of peach bloom vases of that size doesn't commit suicide the nest nett day elay With this remark Vance titan disappeared I and Markham stood tood hi his hands behind him looking at nt the bedroom d door wr with witha a loop deep frown I 1 shouldn't wonder If Vance anfe were right he hf mumbled as If It to himself lies Hes put my subconscious thought Into words A few tew minutes later Inter Vance emerged dressed for the street Awfully thoughtful of you Vou and all all' that to pick me up he said smiling Jauntily at Markham Theres somethIng something some some- something thing positively ely about the Ihl possibilities It U might be convenient con to have hove Ser Sergeant Heath on hand So It might agreed Markham putting on his hat Thinks for forthe forthe the lIu suggestion lint But Ive I've already notified noti nott- ned fled him lies He's on his way ay uptown now Vances Vance's eyebrows went up whimsically ca cally Oh pardon I 1 Well lets let's grope our way hence We entered Markhams Markham's car which was waiting outside and were wert driven rapidly up Madison avenue The Coe house was an old brownstone mansion of double frontage occupying two city lots built In to a day when dignity and comfort were among the Ideals of NewYork NewYork New NewYork York architects As we ascended the steps the door was open opened Id I'd for tor us before before be be- fore we had time lime to pull the old rash brass knob hell and the flushed face fal of ot Gamble looked out at us ly Thank you YO for coming Mr Ir Mark Mark- ham bar Ills his r. r vice reeked of ot oily subservience sub sub- lence Its It's very ery terrible sir And AndI I really didn't know just what I should do do- do Markham brushed the man conn aside and we stepped Into the dimly lighted hallway Ahead of us us s a broad light of ot carpeted stairs ilia Irs led upward Into a avault avault avault vault of darkness On the right hung hunga a pair of ot deep maroon portieres evidently evidently evi evl- dently veiling telling double sliding doors To the left were other portieres but these were drawn back bark and we could rould look through the open doors Into a stuffy drawing room filled with lIh all aU manner of or heavy ancient furniture Two men came forward Prom from this Ibis room to greet us The one ono In advance advance advance ad ad- vance I recognized Immediately as Raymond naymond Wrede lie I knew was a close friend of ot the Coe family and particularly of ot Hilda ililda Lake Archer Cogs Coe's niece He lie was a studious ous oas man man- manin In hIs bis late thirties slightly slight slight- ly 11 troy gray with an ascetic calm face of the type He lie was mildly Interested In to Oriental ceramics probably ably as a result of his long association association tion with Coe Coe though his hi particular fancy faney was ancient oil lamps i and he owned a collection of ot rare specimens Ai As he greeted us u. there was a look bordering on bewilderment In his wide- wide set gray eyes He lIe bowed formally to Markham whom he knew kne slightly nodded perfunctorily per to 10 me met and extended his hand to Va Vance lice Then as If suddenly remembering something he turned toward the man behind him and made ronde madea a brief presentation which In reality was as an explanation Signor Grassl Grassi Mr Grass Grassl had hn been a hou house e guest of ot Mr Ir Coes Coe's for several se days He lie represents an nn Kalian Italian of at Oriental antiquities at Milan bowed very low but said nothing lie He was nas considerably shorter Ihan rede slim Immaculately dressed with shiny black hair brushed straight back from roin hIs bis forehead and a 8 complexion complexion com com- who whose e unusual pallor was accentuated accentuated ac ac- by large luminous eyes res Ills features were and hit bit lips full tull and shapely Ills manicured hands moved with an almost feline reline grace Markham wasted no time on cere cere- mony He lie turned abruptly to Gamble rust Just what Is II the situation A police police police po po- lice sergeant anti and the medical examiner will be here any moment Only what I told you on the telephone tele tete- ph phone lIe sir The man beneath his hia obsequious manner was patently frightened When I saw the master through the keyhole I 1 knew he was dead dead It It was quite unnerving sir sIr and my first Impulse was to break In thedoor the door But Dut I 1 thought It best to seek advice ad before taking lakIng such a responsIbility And as 81 Mr Brisbane COP Coe was In n Chicago I phoned to Mr Wrede and begged him to come over Immo- Immo Mr Wrede was good enough to come and after looking at the master master mas mas- ter be suggested that I call you yon sir before doing anything else else else- It was obvious Wrede obvious Wrede took up the story that story that poor Coe was dead and I thought It best to leave leare everything |