The Coolidge examiner., 1935-02-01
CHAPTER II-continued

1AAFNA AsE
Markham studied Vance a mo
neat; then turned back 70 Dore-
mus
~Did Cos die OF tina, blow on
the hsadT
The medical examiner teesered
CT bic toes. and purscd bis lips
>Taeres something funny here
There's been an i.iernal hemor.
yhaEe-whnt might be- expected
from a severe blow on the head
Blood 10 thc mouth and all that
But Mr Markham"-Dore.
nus spoke impresslvely that bloW
o. the lcfi frontal wasn't powerful
enough % kiu a man. Nope. he
didn't die of conclusion or a frac.
turcl skull"
And be didu't die ~ the revol.
yer shot. added Vance. Most fas
c.uaun' SguL the johnny s
dead. don't y knoW."
boremus swung jerkliy about 60
Heath.
"Comc on. Sergeant
lie and Heath lifted Goes body
and carried u g. the bed To.
geiher they removed the clothes
from the dead man. hung them over
a chair by The bed. and Doremus
began his eXaminat.on The body
was iyinE on its back. and as DO.
remus pressed his hand over the
right side we could see hlm pause
and bend forward.
fifth rib brokeu.~ be- announced.
and a decided bruisc"
Did Il happen before or after
deathT' asked Markham
Before. Otherwise thered be
10 cpidermai dlscoioraiion.
And that blow on the head was
also before death. take H."
sure thiug. lie so, a little
uunged up before he died. but that
wasn't what killed him"
WAS the blow on the head pow.
erful enough 10 nave rendered him
unconscious Vance was looking
around the room az the various
pieces OF furniture. and there was
q yeiied interest In his eyes.
oh. yes Doremus told him.
More than likely"
Vance's gaze came 10 rest on
heavy teakwood chest near the east
windows Going 10 Il he opened the
Ia and looked ln. Then be closed
8; almost Immediately.
And" pursued Vance. turning
back 20 the medical examiner.
would Coe have regalned CON
Eciousness very soon after that
blow on bis headT'
That's prohlematlcal." Doremus
Strengthened and screwed up his
face into n perplexed frown. "He
might have remained unconscious
FOR twelve hours. and he might have
come 10 IN a few minutes. All de-
pendS But that's not what's
bothering me. There are n couple
% small abrasions on the inside OF
the right-hand fingers and a slight
cut on the knuckle-and they're all
fresh. I'd say he'd put up scrap
with whoever cracked him over the
head. And yet his clothes were GER
taInly neat-no sign OF having been
mussed-and his hairs combed and
Sllcked down :"
yeah. and there was a gun In
bis hand. and be was sitting restful-
like and looking peaceful" added
Heath with puzzled disgust. "Some-
body musta dolled him up after the
battle A swell situation"
But they didn't change his
shoes" put in Markham.
(which explains his siill wearing
his street shoes with his bathrobe. ="
Heath addressed this remark TO
Vance.
Vance gazed mildly at the ser
Geant for a moment.
why should anyone redress a
person he has Just knocked uncon-
scious. and then comb his hair? It's
q sweet. kind-hearted thought. Ser
geant. but somehow It's not the
usual procedure. No. I'm afraid
well have TO account for Goes Golf
fure and sartorial condition along
other lines
Heath studied Vance critically.
You mean be changed his clothes
himself and combed bis hair after
his head was dashed inT'
ITS not impossible" said Vance.
"In that case" Markham asked.
why did he not also change his
ahoesT"
Something intervened"
During this speculation Doremus
had turned Goes body over 20 that
o. nsw lag On IN face. ] was watch