Show ji 14 X THE A tyl M io rk ay AN DINE KT S S VAN of w N V SERVI CE I 1 CHAPTER mil XIII is 18 vance seemed profoundly puzzled and said nothing for some time then he glanced up suddenly how much light was there in the room he asked only a dim shaded night light by my bed in that case you might con tenably cei ably have mistaken an empty bottle lottle for one filled with a colorless fluid yes of course the nurse re turned reluctantly that must have been the case unless her voice trailed off tell me when did you discover that all the medicine was boie go iea vance asked shortly before doctor siefert ar rived this morning I 1 moved the bottle when I 1 was arranging the table and realized it was empty I 1 think that will be all just now miss beeton vance glanced at the girl sombrely sombre ly and then turned away really y know Im I 1 m deuced sorry but you d better not plan on leaving here just yet we will undoubtedly want to see you again today heath who had been waiting in the passageway for the girl s dis missal came in to report that sie fert and doremus had departed and that floyd garden had made the arrangements for the removal of his mother s body and what do we do now mr vance heath asked oh we carry on sergeant vance was unusually serious I 1 want to talk to floyd garden first send him up and call one of your men groen but stay on the job down stairs yourself till he arrives we may get this affair cleared up to day footsteps sounded in the passage 1 l way and floyd garden entered the study he appeared deeply shaken I 1 cant can t stand much today what do you want we understand just how you leel feel vance said it was not my intention to bother you un necess ri ly but if we are to get at the truth we must have your operation cooperation I 1 go ahead then garden mum bled we must have as many details as possible about last night did your expected guests come garden nodded cheerlessly oh yes zaha zalia graem madge We weather atler by and kroon was there any one else here no that was all 11 which of your visitors arrived first garden took the pipe from his mouth and looked up swiftly zaha zalia graem she came at half past eight I 1 should say why I 1 merely gar garmenn nerin facts vance replied indifferently and how long after miss graem came in did miss weatherby and kroon arrive about half an hour they came a few minutes after miss beeton had gone out vance returned the man s steady scrutiny I 1 what time did your guests de part he asked A little after midnight sneed brought in sandwiches about half past eleven then we had another round of highballs I 1 miss beeton had returned by then of course yes long before that I 1 heard her ber come in about eleven 11 and after your guests had gone what did you do t I 1 sat up for half an hour or so had bad another drink and a pipe then I 1 shut up the front of the house and turned in vance ance lighted another cigarette ook wok several deep inhalations on it and settled himself deeper in the chair to go back a bit he said casu ally the sleeping medicine doc tor siefert prescribed for your mother seems to constitute a somewhat crucial point in the situation did you have occasion to give her a dose of it while the nurse was cut out garden drew himself up sharply and set his jaw no I 1 did not he said through his teeth vance took no notice of the change in the man s manner the nurse I 1 understand gave you explicit instructions about the medicine ine before she went out will you tell me exactly where this was vas in the hall garden answered with a puzzled frown just out side the den don door I 1 had left zaha zalia in the drawing room and had gone to tell miss beeton she might go out cut for a while I 1 waited to help her on with her coat it was then she told me what to do in case the mater imater woke wake up and was restless and when she had gone you re turned to the drawing room yes immediately garden still looked puzzled that s exa exactly atly what I 1 did and a few minutes later madge and kroon arrived there was a short silence during which vance smoked thoughtfully tell me garden he said at length did any of your guests en ter your mother s room last nighta garden s eyes opened wide color came back into his face and he sprang to his feet G od god vance I 1 zaha zalia was in n other others s room I 1 vance nodded slowly very in tei abt n yes quite I 1 say do sit down light your beastly p pe and tell us about it garden hesitated a moment he laughed harshly and resumed his seat damn if you take it lightly enough he complained that may be the whole explanation one neer knows does one onea vance returned indifferently car ry on garden had some difficulty get ting his pipe going again it must have been about ten a clock he said at length the mater rang the little bell she keeps on the table beside her bed and I 1 was about to answer it when zaha zalia jumped up and said she would see what the mater wanted and did you yourself go into your mother mothers s room at any time during miss beeton s absence no I 1 did not garden looked defiantly at vance and you re sure that no one else entered your mother s room dur ing the nurse s absence absolutely I 1 and who was it vance went on that first suggested going home garden pondered the question I 1 believe it was zaha zalia vance got up awfully good of you garden to let us bother you with these queries at such a time he said kindly we re deuced grateful you won t be leaving the house today garden shook his head as he too stood up hardly he said stay in with father he s pretty well brok en up garden went morosely from the room when he had gone vance stood for a moment in front of markham eyeing him with cynical good na ture not a nice case markham As I 1 said he moved toward the window and looked out but I 1 have things pret ty well in hand the pattern is shaping itself perfectly I 1 ve fitted together all the pieces markham all but one and I 1 hold that piece too but I 1 don t know where it goes or how it fits into the ensemble markham looked up what s the piece that s bothering you vance those disconnected wires on the buzzer they bother me frightfully I 1 know they have a bearing on the terrible things that have been going on here he turned from the window and walked up and down the room several times his head down his hands thrust deep into his pockets why should those wires have been 7 9 he murmured as if talking to him self how could they have been related to swift swifts s death or to the shot we heard there was no mech aniam no I 1 m convinced of that after all the wires merely connect two buzzers a signal a signal between upstairs and down stairs a signal a call a line of communication I 1 suddenly he stopped his aedita tive pacing he was now facing the door into the passageway and he stared at it as if it were some thing strange as if he had never seen it before oh my aunt he exclaimed my precious aunt it was too ob IV IOUs he wheeled about to mark ham a look of self reproach on his face the answer was here all the time he said it was simple and I 1 was looking for corn com the picture is corn com now markham everything fits those disconnected wires mean that there s another murder con templates tem plated he led the way downstairs heath was smoking gloomily in the lower hall sergeant vance said to him phone miss graem miss weather by kroon and hammie have them all here late this afternoon say six a clock they 11 be here all right mr vance 11 heath assured him and sergeant as soon as you have taken care of this telephone me I 1 want to see you this afternoon III be at home but wait here for and leave him in charge no one is to come here but those I 1 ve asked you to get and no one is to leave the apart t merit ment and above all no one ii to be permitted to go upstairs either to the study or the garden I 1 in stag germ gerin along now be phoning you by the time you get home mr vance vance went to the front door but paused with his hand on the knob I 1 think I 1 d better speak to gar den about the gathering before I 1 go where is he sergeant 7 he went into the den when he came downstairs heath told him with a jerk of the head vance walked up the hall and opened the den door I 1 was just behind him As the door swung in ward and vance stepped over the threshold we were confronted by an unexpected tableau miss bee ton and garden were standing just in front of the desk outlined against the background of the window the nurse s hands were pressed to her face and she was leaning against garden sobbing his arms were about her at the sound of vance s entry they drew away from each other quickly the girl turned her head to us with a sudden motion and I 1 could see that her eyes were red and filled with tears she caught her breath and turning with a start half ran through the connecting door into the adjoining bedroom I 1 in frightfully sorry vance murmured thought you were alone I 1 oh that s all right garden re turned although it was painfully evident the man was embarrassed but I 1 do hope vance you won t misunderstand everything you know is in an emotional upheaval here I 1 imagine miss beeton had all she could stand yesterday and today and when I 1 found her in here she seemed to break down and put her head on my shoulder vance raised his hand in good natured indifference arence oh quite garden A harassed lady always welcomes a strong masculine shoulder to weep on most of them lea e powder on one s lapel don y know but I 1 in sure miss beeton wouldn t be guilty of that dashed sorry to inter rupt bupt you but I 1 wanted to tell you before I 1 went that I 1 have instructed sergeant heath to have all your guests of yesterday here by six clock this afternoon of course we 11 want you and your father here too it if you don t mind you might help the sergeant with the phone numbers I 1 II 11 be glad to vance garden returned anything special in mind I 1 vance turned toward the door yes oh yes quite I 1 in hop in to clear this matter up later on meanwhile I 1 m running a along I 1 a n g cheerio and he went out closing the door As we walked down the outer hall to the elevator vance said to mark ham somewhat sadly I 1 hope my plan works out I 1 don t particularly like it but I 1 don t like injustice either we had been home but a very short time when sergeant heath telephoned as he had promised vance went into the anteroom to answer the call and closed the door after him A few minutes later he rejoined us and ringing for curne currie ordered his hat and stick I 1 m running away for a while old dear he said to markham in fact I 1 in joining the doughty sergeant at the homicide bureau but I 1 sha n t be very long in the meantime I 1 ve ordered lunch for us here for heaven heavens s sake vance what are you planning I 1 in blannin to entice the murderer into making one more bet a losing bet cheerio and he was gone it was a little after half past two when vance returned to the te apartment everything is in order he an bounced as he came in there are no horses running today ol 01 course but nevertheless I 1 in looking forward to a big wager being laid this evening if the bet isn t placed we re in for it markham everyone will be present however the sergeant with garden gardens s help has got in touch with all those who were present yesterday and they will foregather again in the gardens drawing room at six a clock 0 he glanced at his watch and ringing for curne currie ordered our lunch 4 1 if we don t tarry too long at table he said we U be able to hear the second half of the philharmonic pro gramme is doing grieg s piano concerto but markham did not go with us to the concert he pleaded an ur gent political appointment at the stuyvesant club but promised to meet us at the garden apartment at six a clock sergeant heath was waiting for us when we reached the apartment everything s set sir he said to vance I 1 got it here he re vance smiled a little sadly I 1 ex cellena sergeant come into the other room I 1 heath picked up a small package wrapped in brown paper which he had evidently brought with him and followed vance into the bedroom ten minutes later they both came back into the library so long mr vance heath said shaking hands good luck to you and he lumbered out we armed at the garden apart ment a few minutes before six a clock detectives hennessey and burke were in the front hall vance nodded to them and started up the stairs I 1 wait down here for me van he said over his shoulder III b back immediately TO BE CONTINUED |