Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1937-07-29

looked puzzled. Inat'S exactly
what I did. And a few minutes
later Madge and Kroon arrived"
There was short silence during
which Vance smoked thoughtfully.
"Tell me, Garden" he said at
length, "did any of your guests en-
ter your mothers room last night?"
Gardens eyes opened wide: color
came back into his face, and he
sprang to his feet.
Good God, Vance! Zalia was in
mothers room!"
Vance nodded slowly. Every in
terestin'. Yes, quite I say,
do sit down. Light your beastly
pipe, and tell us about it,
Garden hesitated a moment. He
laughed harshly and resumed his
seat.
damn It'll You take 1t lightly
enough" he complained. 'That
may be the whole explanation.
Zone never knows, does one?"
Vance returned indifferently. "Car-
ry on"
Garden had some difficulty get
ting his pipe going again.
"It must have been about ten
O'clock" he said at length. "The
mater rang the little bell she keeps
on the table beside her bed, and
I was about to answer it when Zalia
jumped up and said she would see
what the mater wanted"
"And did you yourself 60 into
your mothers room at any time
during Miss Beeton's absence?"
"No, I did not!" Garden looked
defiantly at Vance.
"And you're sure that no one else
entered your mothers room dur
ing the nurses absence?"
Absolutely"
''And who was it," Vance went on,
"that first suggested going homer"
Garden pondered the question.
81 believe it was Zalia."
Vance got up.
lawfully good of you, Garden, to
let us bother you with these queries
at such a time" he said kindly.
"We're deuced grateful You
won't be leaving the house today?"
Garden shook his head as he too
stood up.
Hardly" he said. "I'l stay in
with father. He's pretty well brok-
en- up"
Garden went morosely from the
room.
When he had gone Vance stood
for moment in front of Markham,
cycling him with cynical good-na-
ture.
"Not a nice case, Markham. AS
said"
He moved toward the window and
looked out. "But have things pref
ty we'll in hand. The pattern is
shaping itself perfectly. I've fitted
together all the pieces, Markham
all but one. And I hold that piece
too, but I don't know where it goes,
or how it fits into the ensemble"
Markham looked up. whats the
piece that's bothering you, Vance?"
'Those disconnected wires on the
buzzer. They bother me frightfully.
I know they have a bearing on the
terrible things that have been going
on here :" He turned from the
window and walked up and down
the room several times, his head
down, his hands thrust deep into
his pockets. "Why should those
wires have been disconnected" he
murmured, as if talking to him
self. "How could they have been
related to Swift's death or to the
shot we heard? There was no mech
anisrn. No, I'm convinced of that.
After all, the wires merely connect
two buzzers a signal -. a
signal between upstairs and down
stairs signal-a Gala line
of communication :"
Suddenly he stopped his medita-
tive pacing. He was now facing
the door into the passageway and
he stared at it as if it were some
thing strange-as if he had never
seen it before.
ooh, my aunt" he exclaimed
"My precious aunt! 1t was too OBJ.
vious." He wheeled about to Mark.
ham, a look of self-reproach on his
face. "The answer was here
all the time" he said. "It was
sinple-and was looking for com.
| plexities The picture is com
plete now, Markham, Everything
fits. Those disconnected wires NEAR
that there's another murder con
tenplated."
He led the way downstairs. Heath
was smoking gloomily in the lower
hall.
Sergeant" Vance said to him
"phone Miss Graem, Miss Weather
by, Kroon and Hammle. Have
them all here late this afternoon
say six o'clock"
"They'll be here, all right, Mr.
Vance," Heath assured him.
"And Sergeant, as soon as yol
have taken care of this, telephone
me. I want to see you this after
noon. I'll be at home. But wal
here for Snitkin and leave him il
charge. No one is to come here
but those I've asked you to get
and no one is to leave the apart