The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1935-04-18
THE KEN MEL
NJ URDER CASE
By S. S. VAN DINE

I
"I've got something for you, sill"
He staggered little as he led us
into the library and pointed to the
large center table. '"There's the poker
and it's got blood on it"
Vance went up to it and examined
it closely. He picked something from
it between his thumb and forefnger,
and went to the window.
|. eyes, there's dried blood on it-and
also coarse brindle hair" He turned
and nodded. 'tqt was this poker, Mark
ham, which wounded the Scottie. And
undoubtedly, too, Archer Coe was
struck with this poker. The shape of
its blunt end comedies perfectly with
the wound on Archer's head.,,
He frowned and looked at the vase
in which he had found the bloodstains.
"And Markham, that poker belongs
in this room-in that rack beside the
fireplace, just in front of the place on
this divan where Archer Coe was sit
ting when Gamble went out last night.
More evidence that something sinister
and horrible preceded the crime up
Stare. And it took place in this room.
n "And," argued Markham, doggedly,
f'Archer Goes body was found up
stairs, with his clothes changed, and
the lights on, and the door bolted on
the inside"
"Yeah," supplemented Heath, ''and
with a gun in his hand and a bullet
in his head"
Vance. nodded despondently.
II know all that, Sergeant. That's
the terrible and battling thing about
the crime. The signposts of death all
indicate this library, yet death itself
was elsewhere. And there's no clear
road leading between the two places.
By the by, Sergeant, where did you
find the poker? ?"
"That's one on you, sir. You looked
at it this morning and didn't see it..
I found the poker in that chest"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you" "
Vance sat down and drew deeply on
his cirarette.
"Who has been in the bedroom, Ser
geant, since we went to lunch ?" he
asked presently.
"No one, sir!" Heath was emphatic.
"Burke's guarded it every minute
while you've been away. The butler
helped him fix the door, but didn't get
three feet in the room. And it was
J DIE, and no one else, that searched the
oom."
Markham came forward.
"What's the idea, Vance? Why
should the sergeant's finding the
poker upstairs bother you?"
Vance exhaled a long ribbon. of
smoke and looked dorectly at Mark
ham.
Because, old dear, that chest was
empty when looked in it this morn
ing!" -
Vance's declaration left us both
perturbed and mystifed. Markham
was the first to speak.
"Are you certain, Vance? Maybe
you overlooked"
"Oh, no." Vance made gesture of
finality. at wasn't thereof, quite.
Some one put it there after I'd exam
ined the chest"
"But who, in heavens name ?"
"Come, come, Markham" Vance
smiled grimly. zone doesn't know, "
know. But I'd say it was the same
person who tucked the dagger under
the cushion of the chair in which
Archer passed away"
"The dagger? ?"
Eyes, yes-the dagger. That mys-
terry is at least cleared up-the poker
Explained that incongruity. The dag
Fer didn't belong in Archer's boudoir.
Quite the contr'ry. It's presence there
confused me abominably. Both the
poker and the dagger belonged in the
library here. And they weren't here,
do We see-they were where they
shouldn't have been, where they
couldn't possibly have been. A
gap-a mishap-a bit if superficial
thinkin, on some ones part. Panic?
Yes, that's what it was. Movin' things
from one place to another Silly idea.
People always think that by movin'
things they can confuse an issue.
More often they merely clarity it."
IN glad you see some clarity in
this damnable situation" Markham
grumbled.