The Coolidge examiner., 1935-02-15

quite sure he Intended 20 20 An
II he didn't 20. something unexpect
cd kept him here"
But his being In New Yor.
doesn't connect nm S.;h Archie.
Goes murder"
ham. that minute decision o.
Brlsbane's 20 get out 81 town haf
some connection with Archer
dea;h-I'm sure of that. tie knew
somcshinS-or feared snmc;tla1
or perhaps. Bot. anyway. b.,
Intended 10 so 10 Chicago laV
night And maybe he dld go
but I want 10 be sure"
The phone rang. Heath answered
lt ard after listening for severe
minutes. replaced the receiver o.
the hook.
''The suitcase is there. all right
he announced. The bird at 40
vlndow SAYS a middle -nrsd ucrgou
guy checked II around six last
night saying he'd missed his trais
and he was shaking so be con
hardly Ilft the hag 10 The counter
Vance nodded slowly.
Il was afraid OF that-aud set
was hoping Il wasn't 50. Markham
! don't Ike this situation: don
at all Ire a. Something uugorc
seen has happened: Unforeseen
and sinister II wasn't on the
cards Brisbane Coe intended 10 e.
10 Chicago last highland he didn't
60. Some terrible thing stopped
him. And something stopped
Archer Coe before he could change
his shoes Don't you see what
I meant Those shoes OF Archcr's-
and that stick Of Brisbanc's.
That stick lin the front
halll II shouldn't have been there
Oh. my precious aunt
lie threw his cigarette into a tray
and hurried toward the door.
Come. Markham. Come. Ser
gcant There's something h.deous
IN this house . and don't wani
to 80 alone"
As be spoke. he ran down thc
stairs. Markham and Heath and ]
following. when be had reached
the lower hall. be pulled the por
there's aside and opened the library
door He looked round him. and
then passed into The dining room.
After several minutes search. De-
returned 20 the ball.
MAY be the den" he said: AM
hurryIng through. the drawing room
where Wrede and Grasd sat near
the window. he went into the small
room az the rear. But he came
back at once. a bewlldered look To-
bis eyes
Not there His tone was uuuai
ural But he's somewhere-some
where.
lie came again into the front hail
"lle wouldn't be on the third
floor. and he's not on the second
There's his stick. be said -bu, hl-
hat and topcoat i. on. what a FOO
I've been e
lie brushed Gamble out of hl.
way. and walked swiftly down tbs
narrow corridor along the stairs
until be came 10 the closet door a
the rear OF the ball.
~Your nashlight, Sergeant" be-
called over his shoulder.
lie pulled the door open. reveal
Ing only great rectangle Of black
ness. Almost simultaneously the
circle of yellow light from Heaths
pocket aashlight penetrated IN,
gloom
Lower. Sergeant p came yance's
dlctatorial voice. "The door the
floor
The ligh, descended and there
In a huddled heap. his CLASSY eyes
staring up nj Us. lay the dead body
OF Brisbane Coe.
Though the sight was not alto.
gether unexpected. In view OF
Yance's strange actions and even
stranger comments. | received r.
tremendous shock as | gazed down
into the closet. Even 10 an anna
ieur like myself the fact that Brls
bane Coe was dead was apparent.
The stlfT. unnatural pose OF the
body. and the hldeous dxlty OF his
gaze. together with the drawn
bloodless lips and the waxen pal
lor OF his skin. attested 10 violent
and unexpected death.
And as looked at II. tempora-
rlly petrIfied by the horror OF this
new development. could not help
comparing the dead body OF Brls-
bane with that OF Archer. Whereas
Archer had died with a peaceful ex-
preston on his face. and In a nat
ural and comfortable position. Bris-
bane had a shocked, almost wild,
look In his eyes. as II he had been
startled and frightened al the mo
ment OF death.
Vance spoke. and his voice, usu.
ally so calm. sounded strained and
unnatural
Its worse than ] thought 4.
had hoped he might still be alive
"a prisoner. perhaps. / didn't al
together expect this"