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Show fl, : The KENNEL MURDER CASE e fiy J J)lne o Copyright by W. IT. Wright WNTJ Service SYNOPSIS Phllo Vance, crime expert, investigates investi-gates the fiuppoKd sLil(MJe of Archer Co. With District Attorney Markhnm, he fcoea to Coe' a house. They find Wrede, a friend of Coe'a, there; also BlKnor GrasHl, a tfuest. The door of the death chamber la bolted from the Inside. In-side. They force It. Coe is seated, a revolver In his right hand and a bul-Jet bul-Jet hole In hla temple. Markham thinks it la suicide. Vance saya it is murder. Medical Examiner Doremus declares Coe had been dead for hours When the bullet entered hla head. A wound, made by a dagger, is found on the body, and there Is proof that Coe was fully dressed when he was tabbed. The Investigators find a bounded Soottish terrier in a room of the Coe house. Vance declares the animal ani-mal will prove an Important connecting connect-ing link. Urisbane Coe, Archer's brother, broth-er, Is believed to have left for Chicago the previous afternoon, but his dead body Is discovered In a closet In the Coe home. Vance Interrogates the Chinese Chi-nese cook, Liang. Brisbane died from a stab in the back, as In Archer's case. Vance, searching Brisbane's coat, finds waxed thread attached to a bent filn, and a darning needle. By manipu-ating manipu-ating the Btrlng, the bent pin and the 6 arn ing needle, Vance bolts Archer Coe's door from the outside. Vance finds the owner of a dog Wrede had owned and given away, and determines that the animal suffered Ill-treatment bt Wrede'a hands. Grassl Is stabbed. He snys he did not see hia mysterious assailant, who came in at night. Vance Beta out with the Scottle to determine the dog's ownership. CHAPTER IX Continued , 13 Wrede had remained Indoors all day nd had telephoned to Markham twice and offered to give whatever assistance assist-ance he could. nilda Lake had gone out about ten b'clock In the morning, dressed In sports clothes. When Heath had asked her where she was going, she had told hlra nonchalantly that she was going to take a drive in the country. The den window-sill had been gone ever carefully for fingerprints, but without results, A general routine Investigation In-vestigation had been put In operation by the sergeant, but, aside from this, nothing had been. done. "The case has me bogged," Mark-bam Mark-bam complained sadly at dinner that night. "I see no way out of the situation. situa-tion. Even If we knew who committed Ihe crimes, we couldn't show how they were accomplished unless the guilty person himself chose to tell us. . . . And that attack on Grass!; Instead of helping us, It has only put us deeper Into the well. And there's nothing to take hold of. All the ordinary avenues of investigation are closed. Heaven knows there are enough people who might have done It and there are enough motives for a dozen murders." "Sad . . . sad," sighed Vance. "My heart bleeds for you, don't y' know. Still, there's some simple explanation. It's $ deucedly complicated puzzle a cryptogram with apparently meaningless meaning-less words. But once we have the key letter, the rest of It will fall Into place. And the key letter may be the Bcottle. I'm hopin' for the best You might confide in me the exact condition condi-tion of the Coe domicile tonight" "There's little to confide," Markham told him acerbitously. "Heath has done the usual things and gone home. However, he's left two men on guard, one In the street and one at the rear Df the house. Grass! has remained In his room all day Heath's last report to me was that the gentleman had gone to bed. The lock on his door, by the way, has been fixed ; so he'll probably prob-ably live the night through. Miss Lake came In just as the sergeant was go- lug. ... By the way, she took, the --oews of Grassi's stabbing rather L!rl " Tance looked up quickly. "I say, that's most lnterestln'." "The Chinaman did not leave the house," Markham continued, "and told Heath he preferred to remain until the guilty person had been brought to Justice." "I do hope he hasn't too long to wait,' ance signeu. rui us just as well If Liang stays with us. I feel that he's going to be most helpful to us anon. . . . And you, Markham, old ilear;what have you been doing? Milk Investigations, I suppose and committees commit-tees of eminent citizens who wish to uplift the drama and interviews with aldermen." "That's about all," Markham confessed. con-fessed. "What would you have suggested?" sug-gested?" "Really, Markham, I hadn't a suggestion sug-gestion today." Vance leaned back In his chair. "But tomorrow " "You're so helpful and satisfying," Markham snapped. CHAPTER X The Scottie's Trail. At nine o'clock the following morning morn-ing Vance called at the offices of the American Kennel club, and explained to the secretary, Mr. Perry B. Rice, the nature of the Information he sought. Mr. Rice introduced us to Mrs. Tel Campo, the head of the show department de-partment Mrs. Del Campo. when Mr. Rice explained to her what Vance wanted, found the marked Englewood catalogue. Turning to the Scottish terrier ter-rier section, she ran her finger down the lisr pf Puppy Pitch entries until she c:une to the winner of the class. The owner's name was given as Julius Iligginbottom, and the name of the dog it.self as Miss MaeTavish. Then followed the A. K. C. Stud Book number num-ber and the date of birth November 20 of the preceding year. The sire of the bitch was given as Champion Ornsay Autocrat, and the dam as Laurleston Lovelace. The breeder was Henry D. P.ixby. Vance made a note of tiiese data, and expressed his admiration for the A. K. C. system. When we arrived at the district attorney's at-torney's office on the fourth door of the Criminal Courts building, Markham Mark-ham was In conference with Sergeant Heath. Swacker, the district attorney's secretary, ushered us Immediately Into Markham's private office. "Things are moving." Vance sat down and took out his cigarette case. "I have Just come from the American Kennel club and have discovered a bit of most lnterestln' information. The wounded Scottle, Markham, he-longs he-longs to none other than Julius Hig-ginhottom." Hig-ginhottom." "And who might he be, Vance? And why does the fact Interest you?" "I have met Hlgginhottom. He's a member of the Crestview Country club, and he has a large country estate at Mount Vernon, where he spends his entire time living what he imagines to be the life of a country gentleman " Heath sat forward In his chair. "It was the Crestview Country club at Mount Vernon," he Interjected, "where Miss Lake and Grassl went to a dance Wednesday night." "And that's not all, Sergeant." Vance sprawled luxuriously In his chair and took a deep Inhalation. "Hig-glnbottom "Hig-glnbottom knew Archer Coe pretty well. Several years ago Higginbottom Inherited, from an aunt, a very fine collection of early Chinese paintings, many of which Coe bought from him at a preposterously low price. Higginbottom Hig-ginbottom Is something of a gay bird the sporting type of man and knew nothing of the value of the paintings. After he had sold them to Coe he learned from a dealer that they were very valuable, and there was consequent conse-quent talk, in certain New York art circles, to the effect that Coe had put over a shrewd and somewhat unethical deal on Higginbottom. Higginbottom, as I know, took the matter up with Coe, but without any success, and there has been a certain amount of bad blood between them ever since. Higginbottom was a major In the World war and Is a hotheaded sort of a chap." Markham beat a nervous tattoo on the desk. "Well, where does that get us?" he asked. "Are you implying that Higginbottom Higgin-bottom came dowD from Mount Vernon with his dog and murdered Coe?" "Good Lord, no!" Vance made a slight gesture of annoyance. "I'm not Implyin' anything. I am merely re-portin' re-portin' my findings. But I must confess con-fess that I find the relationship between be-tween the Scottle and Major Higginbottom Higgin-bottom and Archer Coe a bit satis-fyin'. satis-fyin'. I am motoring Immediately to Mount Vernon, where I hope to have polite and serious and, I trust, lllu-minatin' lllu-minatin' Intercourse with the major concerning Miss MaeTavish. . . . Would you care to hear the result of my social endeavors?" "I'll be here all afternoon," Markham Mark-ham answered glumly. It was a pleasant drive to Mount Vernon, In the brisk October air. We had little difficulty in finding the Higginbottom Hig-ginbottom estate, and we were lucky enough to find the major sitting on the big colonial front porch. He welcomed Vance effusively and Invited us to sit down and have a highball. "To what do I owe the honor of this call, sir?" He spoke with hospitable good nature. "I am really delighted. You should come oftener." "I'd be charmed." Vance sat down beside a small glass table. "But today, Major, a ye see, i noppea oui nere on a little matter of business. . . . The truth Is, I'm dashed Interested In a Scottle bitch belonging to you Miss MaeTavish who was shown at Englewood. Engle-wood. . . ." At the mention of the dog's name Higginbottom gave a loud cough, pushed his chair back with a scraping scrap-ing sound, and glanced over his shoulder shoul-der to the open window leading Into the house. The man seemed deeply perturbed, and his tone of voice and his manner, when he answered, struck me as most peculiar. "Yes, yes; of course," he blustered, rising and walking toward the front steps. "I rarely go to dog shows any more. By the way, Mr. Vance, I want to show you my roses. . . ." And he walked down the stairs toward a small rose garden at the right Vance lifted his eyebrows In mild astonishment and followed his host. When we were out of hearing of the house, the major placed his hand on Vance's shoulder and spoke confidentially: confiden-tially: "By gad, sir! I hope my wife didn't hear' that question of yours. She's generally In the drawing room during the mornings, and the windows were open." He appeared troubled. "Yes, sir. It would be most annoying If she heard ft I didn't mean to be Impo- , lite, sir no, sir, by gad! but you startled me for a moment. ... A most trying and delicate situation." He put his head a little closer to Vance. "Where did you hear of that little bitch of mine? were you at the Englewood Engle-wood show? and why should you be interested?" He glanced again over his shoulder toward the porch. "George I I hope your question didn't reach my wife's ears." Vance looked at the man quizzically. "Come, come. Major," he said pleasantly. pleas-antly. "It really can't be so serious. I was not at Englewood, and I never saw Miss MaeTavish until the day before yesterday. The fact of the matter mat-ter Is, Major, your little bitch is now in my apartment In New York." "You don't say ! In your apartment?" apart-ment?" Higginbottom seemed vastly astonished. "How did she get there? I don't understand at all. This Is most peculiar, Mr. Vance. Pray enlighten me." "But she Is your dog, Is she not, Major?" Vance asked quietly. "Well . . . well the fact is that is to say " Higginbottom was spluttering splut-tering with embarrassment. "Yes yes, I suppose you would say that I am the technical owner of her. But I haven't seen her for over six months. . . . You see, Mr. Vance, It's this way I gave Miss MaeTavish away to a friend of mine a very dear friend, y' understand in New York." "Ah," breathed Vance, looking up at the cerulean sky. "And who, Major, might this friend be?" Higginbottom began to splutter again, with an added show of indignation. indig-nation. "By gad, Mr. Vance! I can't see really, I can't see what possible concern con-cern that Is of any one but in-self lWlI!llf!fflSte J j Jjj jjjj J 1 jjj I jjfP iifi "She Always Gets Under My Feet When I'm Serving." and, of course, the recipient. ... It was a purely private transaction I might say a personal transaction " "Major," Vance Interrupted brusquely, brusque-ly, "I am not prying Into your private affairs. But a rather serious matter has arisen, and it will be much better for you to confide In me than to have the district attorney summon you to his office." Higginbottom's little eyes opened very wide and he fumbled with the ashes In his pipe. "The fact is, Mr. Vance, I have a very dear friend In New York a young woman a very charming young woman, I might say "It's like this, Mr. Vance. I come to the city quite often on business, y' understand and enjoy a night club and the theater now and then, and you know how it Is I don't care to go alone, and Mrs. Higginbottom has no Interest in such frivolous things " "Pray don't make apologies, Major," Vance put In. "What did you say the young lady's name was?" "Miss Doris Delafield and a very fine young woman she Is. Comes of an excellent family " "And It was Miss Delafield to whom you gave the dog six months ago?" "That's right. But I'm most anxious to keep the matter a secret. You see, Mr. Vance. I wouldn't care to have Mrs. Higginbottom know of it as she might not understand exactly." "I'm sure she wouldn't," Vance murmured. mur-mured. "And I quite sympathize with your predicament . . . And where does Miss Delafield live, Major?" "At the Belle Maison apartments at 90 West Seventy-first" street" Vance's eyes flickered very slightly as he took out a cigarette and lighted it slowly. "That's the small apartment house just across the vacant lot from Archer Coe's residence, Isn't It?" "That's right The fact is, Mr. Vance, I was calling on Miss Delafield the very night he was murdered." "Indeed, Major! That's most lnterestln'." lnter-estln'." Vance leaned over and snapped off a dead leaf from one of the Talisman Talis-man bushes. "By the by, Major." he went on In an offhand tone, "little Miss MaeTavish was found In the Coe house the next morning, with a rather vicious wound across her head." The major's pipe fell from his mouth to the lawn, and was Ignored. He stared at Vance like a man transfixed, trans-fixed, and the blood went from his face. "I I really. . , . Are you sure?" he stammered. "Oh, quite. Quite. As I told you, I have Miss MaeTavish In my apartment now. I found her i the house In the lower hall. I took her to Doctor Blarney she's coming round In first-class first-class shape. . . . But how do you account for the fact, Major," Vance looked at the man squarely "that your dog was In the murder house at the time the crime was committed?" "Account for It!" the man blustered excitedly. "I can't account for It . . . Good gad I This is Incredible! I'm completely bowled over " "But how does It happen, Major," Vance cut in placidly, "that you have not heard of the dog's absence from Miss Delafield's apartment " "Oh, I forgot to tell you," said the major, and hesitated. "Ah, what did you forget to tell me?" The major shifted his eyes. "I omitted to mention the fact that Miss Delafield sailed for Europe on Wednesday night." "The night Mr. Archer Coe was murdered," Vance said slowly. "Just so," the major returned aggressively. ag-gressively. "The reason I happened to be at her apartment that night was because we were having a farewell dinner, and I was to see her off on the boat." "And how does It happen, Major, that your dog was not returned to - your kennels here when Miss Delafield sailed for Europe?" "The fact of the matter Is" Higginbottom Higgin-bottom became apologetIc-'-"Doris that Is, Miss Delafield on my advice, left the dog in the care of her maid, who was to look after the apartment during her absence." "On your advice? . . . Why?" "I thought It best," the major explained ex-plained weakly. "You see, sir, If I brought the dog here it might involve the situation a bit, as I would have to give explanations to my wife when Doris Miss Delafield returned from Europe and wished to have the dog back. And, of course " "Ah, yes. I quite understand," nodded nod-ded Vance. "And what time did Miss Delafield sail Wednesday night?" "On the Olympic at midnight." "And you were in the apartment at what time?" "I called about six o'clock and we went out Immediately. We had dinner let me see at a little restaurant I suppose you might call U a night club and we remained there until It was time to go to the boat." "What little restaurant was It?" Higginbottom knit his brow. "Really, Mr. Vance, I can't remember." remem-ber." He hesitated. "You know, I'm not certain that It even had a name. It was a small place in the West Fifties Fif-ties or was It the Forties? It was a place that had been recommended to Miss Delafield by a friend." "A bit vague eh, what?" Vance let his eyes come to rest mildly on the major. "But thank you just the same. I think I'll stagger back to New York and have a chat with Miss Delafield's maid. I'm sure you won't mind. What by the by, Is her name?" The major looked a bit startled. "Annie Cochrane," he said, and then hurried on: "But I say, Mr. Vance, this thing sounds rather serious. Would you mind if I accompanied you to the city? I myself would like to know why Annie didn't report to me the absence of the dog." "I'd be delighted," Vance told him. We drove back to New York with Major Higginbottom and went direct to the Belle Maison. Annie Cochrane was a young dark-haired dark-haired woman in her early thirties, obviously of Irish descent, and when, on opening the door to our ring, she saw Major Higginbottom, she appeared frightened and flustered. "T icton hprp Annip" the mnlor be gan aggressively. "Why didn't you let me know that Miss Delafield's dog had disappeared?" Annie explained stumblingly that she had been afraid to say anything about the dog's disappearance, as she considered it her fault that the dog was gone, and that she had hoped from day to day that it would return. The woman was patently frightened. "Just when did the dog disappear, Annie?" asked Vance In a consoling tone. The woman looked up at him gratefully. grate-fully. "I missed her, sir," she said, "just after Major Higginbottom and Miss Doris went out Wednesday night, at about nine o'clock, sir." Vance turned to Higginbottom with a faint smile. "Didn't I understand you to say that yon went out at six o'clock, Major?" Before Higginbottom could answer, the maid blurted: "Oh, no; It wasn't six o'clock. It wasn't until nine o'clock. I got dinner for them here a Uttle after eight." The major looked down and stroked his chin cogitatingly. "Yes, yes." He nodded. "That's right I'd thought It was six o'clock, but now I remember. An excellent dinner yon prepared that night. An nie." He looked up at Vance with a smile of nonchalant frankness. "Sorry to have misinformed you, Mr. Vance. The ah Incident rather slipped my memory. ... I had Intended to take Miss Delafield out to dinner. But when I arrived Annie had prepared everything for us, so we changed our plans." Vance appeared to accept his explanation ex-planation without question. "And what time did you arrive here that evening, Major?" Higginbottom seemed to ponder the question ; but before he could speak Annie supplied the information. "You arrived about six o'clock, sir," she Informed him with a respectful naivete. "And Miss Doris came In at half-past seven." "Ah, yes. Quite right, Annie." The major pretended to be grateful for having this moot point recalled to his memory. "Miss Delafield," he explained blandly to Vance, "said she had been shopping." "Well, well," murmured Vance. "I didn't know the shops were open so late. . . . Astonishin'.' The major squinted his small eyes and glanced quickly In Vance's direction. direc-tion. "Oh, I'm quite sure," he supplied, "that a number of the smaller Madison Madi-son avenue shops are open late." Vance apparently did not hear this explanation. He had already turned to the maid. "By the by, Annie," he asked, "was the dog here during dinner?" "Oh, yes, sir," the woman assured him. "She always gets under my feet when I'm serving." "And how do you account for the fact that she disappeared Immediately after Major Higginbottom and Miss Delafield had gone?" "I don't know, sir honest I don't I looked for her everywhere. I looked out In the back yard and In the court, and I went through every rear hallway hall-way In the house. But she wasn't anywhere." any-where." "Why didn't you look In the street?" Vance asked. "Oh, she couldn't have got Into the street," the maid explained. "She was in the kitchen and the dining room here, sir; and only the front door of the living room leads Into the malt hall. But that was closed and locked after Miss Doris and Mr. Higginbottom Higginbot-tom went out." "Then, as I understand It, the dog could only have gone Into the rear yard?" "Yes, sir ; that's all. And that's the strange thing about It, sir; for If she had been In the rear yard, I would have found her." "Did you look In the vacant lot next door, between this house and Mr. Coe's residence?" "I looked there, too, sir, though 1 knew It wouldn't do any good. There's no way she could have gotten through the gate, for It's always kept locked." Vance did not speak for a moment ; then he asked with unwonted seriousness serious-ness : "At Just what time, Annie, did you start your search for the dog7 It Is quite Important that you be accurate." accu-rate." "I can tell you almost exactly, sir," the woman answered, without hesitation. hesita-tion. "It was when I was through with my dishes and the housework. Miss Doris and Mr. Higginbottom went out at nine o'clock, and when I had straightened everything up, It was exactly half-past ten." Vance nodded. "How do you account ac-count for the dog's disappearance, Annie?" "I can't account for It, sir. At first, when I couldn't find her, I thought maybe some delivery boy, or one of the expressmen, had stolen her. She's a sly little devil, she Is. And very sweet And she has a lovable nature. na-ture. Almost anyone could get her to follow them. But no one had been here after seven o'clock that evening." TO BE CONTINUED. |