Show TV tr ts f dver C 1 rif A esvan dine W N U 5 eriv I 1 ce SYNOPSIS chlio vance expert in solving crime mysteries ishall la called ed in to investigate vest vesti gate the s supposed u suicide a of archer coo DI strict district attorney markham NI ark and vance go eo to coes house they ond find wrede a friend ot of coe a 3 there also a signor grassl grassi a guest euest the doo door ot of the death chamber chamb er Is i bolted from the inside they force it IL poe coe Is clothed in a dressing eow gown n but wears street shoes vance says gays it is 19 murder the medical examiner finds evidences of a crime ile he says coo coe had been dead for hours when the bullet entered hla his f j head A small wound Is 13 found which t had bled internally it Is proved that coe was fully dressed when he was stabbed they find a wounded scotch terrier vanco vance takes the dog doe t to 0 a veterinarian declaring the animal should hould prove an important connect ing ine link gamble says brisbane coe archers brother left for chicago the pr arenus enus afternoon but his dead body la is discovered in a coat closet in the coo home 41 CHAPTER IV continued S 7 what kind of topcoat and hat did mr brisbane wear when he went to the station last night 11 the man made a desperate effort ato to pull himself together A a tweed coat sir he replied at huskily black and walte tweed band and a light gray fedora hat vance returned to the closet and presently presently emerged with a hat bat and coat are these the ones lines f gamble swallowed hard and nod j ded his fals head bead f yes sir A vance replaced the coat and hat 3 ain in the closet and commented to they were hanging up so neatly aji Is it not possible pos elble asked mark binaro ji aham naro that just as he hung them up after returning to the house bouse lie he was killed possible yes vance nodded slowly but that would not explain the other things that went on here 7 last night its more reasonable I 1 think toas to assume sunie that brisbane was killed C c d as lie he was preparing to leave cave as athe the ile but then again theres the time element 1 heath had already gone to the liall ahall telephone and was dialing a number az ill soon get the time element for sou jou he growled A moment later he be was speaking fj to doctor doremus Dore tous the does docs coming right away he be said hanging up the rece receiver ive r in the meantime markham s sug ug t vance 1 I think we might have parlance with the chinese cool cook fetch him will you gam gain kl alel le g 1 the butler hastened through the fining r room 0 0 M door at the rear and strolled t aled into the li library brar tile the arest of us following we had scarcely seated ourselves hen ben a tall slender scholarly looking chinaman of about forty topped softly into the room through the door between betheen the library and j the dining room though he looked at t nothing in particular I 1 felt that te e savi saw everything vance asked a 4 what Is your name 11 came the soft and almost inaudible nau dible response f your whole name please K there hue was a slight pause and the ionian an gave vance a fleeting glance K liang tsung wel h ALI ahl and I 1 understand you are the coe cook the other nodded quickly me afe cook vance sighed and a faint smile ills face f be so good ns as to forego the pid in mr liang it will handicap our conversation terribly i arid and please take a chair f the chinaman with a faint dickter in lis his eyes bowed li wed and sat down in B an arm chair beti between een the door and id the book shell es j thank you lie he sald in a finely modulated vole voice 1 I suppose you de cre re to question me regarding the x tragedy last nigh night L I 1 deeply regret I 1 can throw no light upon 10 it i rew how do you know there has been tragedy vance inspected tile the load nd of his cigarette 1 I 1 was as preparing the breakfast liang returned and I 1 heard beard the auiler tier impart the information over the e telephone 1 I ali ah yes of course have awl been n long in this I lang country mr two wo years only late interested e td in the cullery cull Al nry art of america not particularly pa aly though although al I 1 RM am a k r itu student L 0 of occidental customs ve st tern chiv civilization Is of great in te west et to certain of my countrymen As are also I 1 imagine added ance lee the rare ceremonial pieces of chinese art that have been pilfered from your temples and gra graies L s 11 we of course regret their loss the man answered mildly vance nodded understandingly sly and vas silent for a moment then how flow did you happen to seek employment with mr coe 1 I had heard of ills his collection of chinese antiques and of ills great knowledge of oriental art and I 1 he alced that tant the atmosphere might prove to be congenial and have you found it congenial I 1 not altogether mr air coe was a very narrow and selfish man ills interest in art was purely person al ile he wished to keep his treas ures away from the world not to share them with bilth humanity A typical collector observed veil vance ance illy by the by mr nang when did you leave the house yester day about half past two came the low ans answer vier and you returned a at t what time shortly before midnight bt I 1 was visiting friends on long lou island k chinese hallese friends yes they will be most happi to emiry my statement vance smiled ive no doubt do you sleep my quarters such as they are ar are e connee connected ted with nith tile the kitchen ild did you go to bed u upon pon your return there was a momentary aloa on the mans part 11 not immediately he said 1 I 1 cleared away the remains of 0 mr coes supper and made myself some tea did you by any chance see mr air IM brisbane vane coe after you returned tied last night inight ir brisbane coe the other repeated the name questioningly the butler told me this morning not to prepare breakfast for him is he had gone to chicago cabica go was lie he here last night vance ignored the question did you hear any sounds in the house bouse before you retired he went rent on not until miss lake returned she Is always vigorous am ami noisy and a quarter of an hour later mr grassl grassi came in rut but aside from that I 1 heard no sound whatever vance during this anterro In interrogation terro gation ha had d appeared casual and his man ner had been deferential but now a perceptible change came over his attitude ills his eyes hardened and tie he leaned forward in his chair when he spoke his voice was cold ind and uncompromising 1 mr liang he said at what t time me did you first return to this house early last night there was a clouded faraway look in the Chin amans eyes 1 I did not return early last night he answered in a faintly singsong sing ing song g voice 1 I arrived at midnight n igli t yes you arrived at midnight gamble heard you come in but I 1 am speaking of your earlier visit some time around eight let us say you are evidently laboring under a misapprehension liang re turned vance ignored the retort and what did you see in this room at about eight now how could I 1 have seen anything when I 1 was not here came the calm unruffled reply did you see mr air archer coe persisted vance 1 I assure you and was was anyone with him 1 I was not here perhaps you visited mr coes bedroom upstairs vance went on with quiet but firm insistence and then it may be jou thought it ad disable to disappear from tire th e house for several hours and you nent out returning at midnight 1 I was not in this house spoke with deliberation dell ber atlon between bett een half past two yesterday afternoon and midnight there was a finality in both his manner and his tone vance sighed wearily and turning to the hall door called gamble where was mr archer coe sitting last night when ben you went out he asked un on the davenport sir gamble told him in that corner near the floor lamp it was mr air archers favorite seat vance nodded and rose that will be all tor for the present attend to your duties till we need you gamble went out and vance walked to the davenport and looked down at it basi beside ade the lamp and in front 0 of the davenport stood a low massive of teakwood and on the floor near the hearth lay a copy of ofT clion toys toya to ys ya acs les bronzes antique de la chine vance contemplated the and the book for a moment then without turning tie he said mr liang lid did you find this upset ft hen you returned to ane house early last night 1 I was wai not here mang repented repeated it will be a simple matter said vince vance to go over the for fingerprints and to compare them with yours it would be unnecessary however r came the calm reply you would undoubtedly find my aln anger er prints on it I 1 often touch the furniture and objects in this room vance smiled faintly and I 1 thought admiringly in that case we shant bother no to moved round the lamp and stood for a moment beside a circular camphor wood table just behind ane davenport I 1 lu a the renter center of the table on a slender teakwood wood base stood a white baluster type vase about nine inches tall I 1 had noticed vance stop and stance lance tit at this vase when he had first entered the libraty but now ile he studied it critically as if some thin tiling about it puzzled him we were vere all watching him and not the least interested person in the room was liang ills eyes were fixed on vances face M vance murmured after several moments contemplation of the vase then he picked up the vase and inspected it closely not exactly a museum piece Is it mr aar he mused rather inferior I 1 should say it was amita tion flon ting yao made under tao tan leuang this piece would never hare deceived a collector as shrewd as archer coe do you not agree with me mr liang mr coe knew much about chi nese ceramics aniles the chinaman an evasively without taking ills his eyes from villice vance vance shook his kead head sadly no archer would never dever have been taken in by this specimen its most he started to replace the vaie vace tin nn the stand but suddenly with held the movement of ills his hand and set the vase to one side leaning over he pushed the I 1 little littie ittle ittie teakwood wood pedestal out of the way revealing a tiny triangle of I 1 11 by the by mr liang when did you leave the house yesterday thin white porcelain about an inch wide which had been lying hidden underneath carefully adjusting ills his monocle he picked up the bit of porcelain and held it between his thumb and forefinger to tile the light now this Is eminently different he remarked studying it closely apparently a particle of genuine genone sung ting yao A vase of this delicate porcelain would do honor to any collection gently he placed the little white triangle in ills his pocket and addressed the chinaman who had sat at immobile and unblinking during vances comments did not mr air coe po possess sess a sung ting yao vase mr air about the size of this execrable tao kuang 1 I believe he did spoke in a curiously repressed voice without modulation or inflection vance k kept ept his steady gaze on the man when mr air did you last see this nineteenth century imitation ile he pointed pol to the vase rase on the table did not reply at once ile he looked thoughtfully at tile the vase for a full half minute then ills his eyes returned to vance 1 I have never seen it before he said finally ifancy fancy chati vance returned his 1113 monocle to his waistcoat pocket and here it sits in a place of honor crying out its spuriousness to anyone who enters the room most Inte interesting Interest ln markham who had been chafing under vances apparent irrelevancies now spoke what possible connection can a vase have with tile the murder of 0 archer and brisbane coe that point answered vance dulcetly Is what I 1 am endeavoring to ascertain asep blackham blar kham archer coe would not have included this tao tact kuang vase in Us his collection why Is it here I 1 the grog giest notion on the other hand that little broken piece of sling porcelain la Is of a beautiful quality I 1 can imagine coo waxing ecstatic over a vase of such ware well markham retorted irritably 1 1 I I still cant see the significance nor can L I 1 vanee vance became serious rut but it has significance and a vital significance it Is 13 another absurdly irrelevant factor in this hideous case because that little triangular bit of tin ting yao porcelain was on the table just back li ick of v here volere archer coo coe sat last night and it was inns hidden beneath a va vase e which archer would bould not have tolerated in the th same room with lim him ile he paused and add looked up somberly Mor moreover cover markham that broken fragment of porcelain has blood on it CHAPTER V needles and pins L LIANG aang was dismissed with in tlona to remain in the I 1 house until further notice while we were waiting for the medical examiner examine r there ensued a brief discussion concerning the blood on the piece of porcelain and lianes II angs possible relationship to the events preceding tile the double mu murder r d e r lint t vance van ce was evidently ell dently as touch much in the dark as the rest of us and there was little to be lone done until we find doctor doremus report burke came to the door and beckoned to heath say sergeant he be reported from the corner of his mouth that chink just went upstairs right with you heath looked sour and shot vance an angry look gamble entered the hall from the dining room at this moment and vance addressed him what is liang doing upstairs the butler seemed perturbed at vances tone and replied with apologetic i tie obsequiousness 1 I told him to fetch miss lakes tray and tidy up her quarters I 1 have done it s sir ira you told me to proceed with my duties vance scrutinized the man closely when he returns keep him downstairs he said and better stay here yourself gamble bowed and returned to the dining room and a moment later doctor doremus arrived ileath heath went briskly out of the room and down the corridor to the closet we were close behind him when he opened the door doremus straightway assuming a professional air knelt down and touched brisbane coes body deall dead he announced take hold of his shoulders arld and ho he and the sergeant carried the bode body Y into tile the library and placed it on the davenport could you tell us doctor vance asked which of the two victims died first doremus who had been testing the of the dead mans head and limbs glanced at his watch easy he said the one upstairs the advance of rigor morus mortis in the two bodies Is practically the same this one might be slightly further along but its been nearly four hours since I 1 went over the other fellow therefore id say that this one died anywhere from two to three hours later say el eight lit for the one upstairs and about ten for this one ile he proceeded with his examination tj on after a while he be straightened up and frowned at markham SIar kham you know what killed this guy A stab in the back I 1 same like the fellow upstairs and almost in the same place and the weapon the same A sharp narrow four cornered instrument only in this case the hemorrhage was external A lot of blood lost died instantly I 1 take it remarked vance yep 11 the doctor nodded must have fallen in his tracks vance picked up the bloodstained coat and waistcoat of the dead man mail and inspected them and this time the stab was through tile clothes he be was wearing he be commented A minor point but worth I 1 say doc tor any Ind indications lAtions of a struggle nope not a sign ne he got it in the back when lie he expecting it t startled him for a split second probably probably look at that expression I 1 and then he curled up and passed out doubt if he be even saw tile fel low ow that did him in quick smooth business devilish business amended markham oh well im no do moralist doremus confessed im it a doctor too many people in the world anyway and in n another moment |