The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-03-08

! tain differences to be drawn from
my vagarieS.
'"To-wit: Skeel either knew or
recognized the murderer; and once
he had made good his escape from
the apartment and had regained a
modicum of self-conhdence, he I'M
doubtedly blackmailed his homicidal
confrere.
His death was merely another
manifestation of our inconnu'S bent
for Kidding himself of persons who
annoyed him.
Furthermore, my theory &C
counts for The chiSeled jewel case.
the finger prints, the unmoleSted
closet, the finding of the gems in
the refuse tin-the person who took
them really didn't want them, y
know-and Skeels silence. 1t also
explains the unbolting and boiling
of the side door,"
Eyes" sighed Markham. 1T
seems to clarity everything, but the
one all-important point-the iden-
tity of the murderer"
Exactly" said Vance. Lets
go to lunch"
Heath, morose and confused, de-
parted for police headquarters; and
Markham, Vance, and rode to
Delmonicos, where we chose the
main dining-room in preference to
the grill.
1.-THE case now would seem to
center in Cleaver and Mannix,"
said Markham, when We had fin
iShed our luncheon. IF your theory
that the same man killed both
Skeel and the Canary is correct,
then Lindquist is out Of it, for be
certainly was in the Episcopal Hos
pital Saturday night"
quite" agreed Vance. THE doc
tor is unquestionably eliminated.
$50. Yes; Cleaver and Mannix-
they're the allurin' twins. Don't
see any way to go beyond them"
He frowned and slipped his coffee.
my original quartet is dwindling
and 1 don't like it. 1t narrows the
thing down too much-there'S no
scope for the mind, as it we're, in
only two choices.
What If we should succeed In
eliminating Cleaver and Mannix?
Where would we be--eh, what?
Nowhere-Simply nowhere. And
yet, one of the quartet is guilty;
let's cling TO that consolin' fact.
ut can't be Spotswoode, and 1t
can't be Lindquist. Clever and Man
nix remain; two from four leaves
two. Simple arithmetic, what?
1.-The only trouble is, this case isn't
simple. Lord, no!-I say, how would
the equation work out If we used
algebra, or spherical trigonometry,
or differential calculus? Let's cast
it in the fourth dimension-or the
fifth, or the sixth. E"
He held his temples in both hands.
"Oh, promise, Markham-promise
me that you'll hire a kind gentle
keeper for me-"
IT know how you feel. I've been
in the same mental state for
week"
Its the quartet idea that's driv-
ing me mad" moaned Vance. 1T
wrings me to have my tetrad Topped
off in such brutal fashion.
It'd set my young trustin' heart on
that quartet, and now it's only u
pair. My sense Of order and proper
ton has been outraged I want
my quartet"
I'm afraid you'll have to be sat-
iSf1ed with two of them" Markham
returned YEARLY. "One of them
can't quality, and ore is in bed.
You might send some flowers to the
hospital, if it would cheer you any"
zone is in bed-one is in bed"
repeated Vance. well, well-to be
sure! And one from four leaves
three. More arithmetic. Three!
"On the other hand, there is no
such thing as straight line. All
lines are curved, they transcribe
circles in space. They look straight.
but they're not. Appearances, y
know---so deceptive! Let's enter
the silence and substitute mentation
for sight"
He gazed up out of the great win
dows into Fifth Ave. For several
moments he sat smoking thought
fully. When he spoke again, it was
in an even, deliberate voice.
Markham, would 1t be difficult
for you to invite Mannix and Clea-
yer and Spotswoode to spend an