The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1935-01-24
THE K EN- NE L
NJ URDER 6 ASE
BY S. S. VAN DINE

maze commanding BSStuAS ~
Heath.
ssYou'd better notify the boys, Ser
geant. Get the fngerprint men and
the photographer. We're in for it. .
And you'll take charge, of course"
Il hope, sir" Heath said bit
pleadingly to Markham, shat you are
not going to step out in this case.
/ don't like the way things stack up.
Almost anything mighta happened
here last night" Il had rarely seen
the sergeant so perturbed; and /
could not blame him, for every phase
of the crime seemed utterly contra
dictory and incomprehensible).
'No, Sergeant" Markham assured
him; 81 shall remain and do all I
can. There must be some simple ex-
PLANTATION, and we're sure to find it
sooner or later: 49,. Don't be discour-
aged" he added, in a kindly tone.
eve haven't begun the investigation
yet"
Vance had seated himself in a low
backed chair near the windows and
was smoking placidly, his eyes on the
ceiling.
eyes, Markham, he spoke Ian
quidly, yet witha ] thoughtfully
there's some explanation, but / doubt
if it will prove to be simple one. Let
US summarize, for the sake of clarit:;
before we proceed with our inter-
views of the family and guests. /.
First, Coe was struck over the head
and perhaps rendered unconscious.
Then he probably tumbled against
some hard object and broke a rib. All
this was evidently preceded by some
sort of physical contretemps. Coe
was, we may assume, in his street
clothes at the time. Later on-how
much later we don't know-he was
stabbed in the back through his coat
and waistcoat with small, peculiarly
shaped instrument, and he died of in
ternal hemorrhage. At some time
subsequent to the stabbing, his coat
and waistcoat were removed and
carefully hung up in the clothes
closet. His dressing gown was put
on, buttoned, and the belt neatly tied
about him. Moreover, his hair was
correctly combed. But his street Shoes
were not changed to bedroom slip
pers. Furthermore, I'VE found him sit
ting in a comfortable attitude in an
easy chair-in position he could not
possibly have been in when he was
stabbed. And his broken rib indicates
! clearly that he was at one time pros
trate over some hard object.
Then, as if all this were not incon-
gruous enough, we know that after
he was killed by the stab in his back
and before rigor mortis had set in, a
bullet crashed into his right temple.
The gun from which the bullet was
presumably fired was clutched tightly
in his right hand. And we must not
forget the serene expression on Goes
face: it was not the expression of a
man who had been struggling with
an antagonist and been knocked un-
conscious by blow on the head. And
this fact, Markham, is one of the
strangest phases of the case. Coe was
in peaceful, or at least a satisfied
state of mind when he departed this
life. :"
Vance pulled again on his ciga-
rette, and his eyes became dreamy.
"Now, there are other elements in
the situation that must be taken into
consideration. For instance, we found
him in room securely and power
fully bolted on the inside, and with no
other means of ipgress or egress. All
the windows are closed, and all the
shades drawn. The electric lights are
burning, and the bed has not been
slept in. What took place here last
night, therefore, must have happened
before Goes usual time for retiring.
Furthermore, I am inclined to think
that we must also consider the i'm
piled fact that, just before his death,
he had been reading about peach
bloom vases and that he had started
to write letter or make a memoran-
dunn of some kind. That dated piece
of stationery and that fountain pen
on the floor must be added to the
problem. 49,"
At this point we could hear hurried
foot steps mounting the stairs, and
the next moment Gamble stood at the
door with startled look in his eyes.