The Coolidge examiner., 1935-02-08
CHAPTER III-con,inued
8

NAaftN AsN AAA-AllEAfa1r0
5
Il know nothing about u. sir be
s=ld with qules SuaFlty. Lam not
of the police Perhaps you know
a great deal about IT. Ills tone.
though on the surface polite. was
an Insult
Heath Was piqued
we know plenty" be boas,ed
trucuieaily. "And when We gei 90
Inc. Il woat be 50 d-n pleasant
for you"
Markham stepped forward. you
gentlemen viii have TO wait In the
drawing room FOR a while" be said
20 GraSd and wredc. And please
be 50 good as TO keep the door
closed until we want, sou. Come.
Sergeant. Markham said. we'd bet.
ter make q once-over OF Goes room
before the boys get here"
Heath sullenly led the way up.
stairs.
puring the neri gre minutes or
%. Markham and the sergeant
walked about Goes quarters giving
them a cursory inspection. Heath
went TO each window and raised
the shades. When he had completed
his rounds be vent up TO Markham.
Here's funny one. sir. The wln.
dows are al shut tight-but that
aint all. Every one Of 'em is locked.
And this room Is on the second
story. so that no one could get In
from the outside. Why all the pre-
caatlong-
Archer Coe was a peculiar man.
Sergeant" Markham replied. ~IIe
was always afraid burglars would
break In and steal his treasures"
Who'd want this junkT' Heath
ETumbied skeptically. and moved to
the desk.
Markham. after casually Inspect.
Ing the closet. walked across the
room 10 the teakwood chest beneath
one OF the east windows. "rve seen
nothing OF the weapon that killed
Coe." he remarked.
IT'S not here" Heath asserted
dogmatlcally. 1T was withdrawn
from Goes body. and I'll bet the
guy cached II where II wouldnr be
sound."
A few minutes later Vance re-
turned 10 the house. As be entered
the room his face was troubled. and
anger smoldered In bis gray eyes.
There's a good chance she'll
i've be reported: but that was a
vicious blow some one dealt her. A
blunt Instrument OF some kind" u
lad rarely seen Vance so upset.)
What does II all meanys Mark.
Aam asked him. where does that
dog nt Inyr
4 don't know yet" Vance sank
into chair and took out his Gig
arctic case. But I have a feelln'
It's our opening wedge. That little
dog Is the one totally irrelevant
Item In this whole bloody affair
shes our one contact with the world
outside. She doesn't belong here,
and therefore win have something
Important 30 say TO as Further
more. she was wounded In this
house"
Markham's eyes suddenly mar
rowed.
And the wound was similar to
the one on Goes head. and In the
same place"
Vance nodded dublously.
But that may be merely a coin
eidence." he returned after a mo-
nent In any event. no one In this
house cared for dogs. There's never
eeen one here. No member OF this
household brought that dog in.
Markham. But had the dog got In
ey mistake, no member OF the fam
uy would have hesltated to strike
Il"
"You think an outsider brought
II inT'
-So. that wouldn't be reasonable
either. Vance frowned medItatiye-
y. That's the strange thing about
the dogs presence here. II was
probably a terrible accident fatal
miscalculation- That's why I'm so
deuced Interested And then there's
this point to be considered: the per-
con Who faund fha doe hare ,..o.,
afraid TO let her out Instead-for
NJ own safssy-he tried to XIII her