Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1937-06-10
THE GARDEN MURDER CASE
CHAPTER vII-continued

ION, MarKham-my uedi Mol.
ham!" Vance shook his head sadly.
"However AS you say. There
is something back of the lady's his
trionics. She has ideas. But she's
circuitous. And she wants us to/pe
like those Chinese gods who cant
proceed except in a straight line.
Sad. But let's try maxim a turn. Inc
situation is something like this: An
unhappy lady slips out through the
buffers pantry and presents herself
on the roof-garden, hopin' to attract
our attention. Having succeeded,
she informs us that she has proved
conclusively that a certain MIR.
Kroon has done away with Swift be-
cause of amorous Jealousy. The Ia
dy herself, let us assume, is the
spurned and not the spurner. She
resents it. She has a temper and
is vengeful-and she comes to the
roof here for the sole purpose OF
convincing us that Kroon is guilty"
"But her story is plausible
enough" said Markham aggressive
ly. "Why try to find hidden mean
ings in obvious facts? Kroon could
have done it. And your psychology
cal theory regarding the woman's
motives eliminates him entirely"
"It doesn't eliminate him at all.
It merely tends to involve the lady
in a rather unpleasant bit of chican-
cry. The fact is, her little drama
here on the roof may prove most
illuminatin'."
Vance stretched his legs out be-
fore him and sank deeper into his
chair.
Curious situation. Y know,
Markham, Kroon deserted the party
about fifteen or twenty minutes be-
fore the big race-legal matters to
attend to for a maiden aunt, he ex-
plained-and he didn't appear again
until after / had phoned you. AS
sumed Immediately that Swift had
shot himself. Doubt inspired me to
converse with the elevator boy. l
learned that Kroon had not gone
down or up in the elevator since his
arrival here early in the afternoon
"What's that!" Markham ex-
claimed. "That's more than sus-
picious-taken with what we have
lust heard from this Miss Weather.
by"
II dare say" Vance was unim-
pressed. "The legal mind at work.
But from my gropin' amateur point
of view, I'd want more-oh, much
more. However,"-Vance rose and
meditated a moment-"In admit
that a bit of lovin' communion with
Mr.. Kroon is definitely Indicated"
He turned to Heath. "Send the chap
pie up, will you, Sergeant"
Heath nodded and started toward
the door.
"And Sergeant" Vance halted
him; "you might question the ele-
vator boy and find out if there is
any one else in the building whom
Kroon is in the habit of ealing on. If
so, follow it up with a few discreet
inquiries"
Heath vanished down the stairs,
and a minute or so later Kroon saun-
tered into the study with the air of
a mar who is bored and not a little
annoyed.
ct suppose I'm in for some more
tricky questions" he commented.
After glancing about him, Kroon
sat down leisurely at one end of
the davenport. The mans manner,
I could see, Infatuated Markham,
who leaned forward and asked in
cold anger:
"Have you any urgent reasons for
Directing to give us what assistance
YOU can in our investigation of this
murder?"
Kroon raised his eyebrows.
"None whatever" he said with
calm superiority. IT might wen be
able to tell you who shot Woody"
"'That's most ~interestin'," muir
INJURED Vance, studying the man in
differently. "But we'd much rath-
err find out for ourselves, don't "
know"
Kroon shrugged maliciously and
said nothing.
"When you deserted the party this
afternoon, Mr.. Kroon," Vance went
on, "you gratuitously informed us
that you were headed for a legal
conference of some kind with a
maiden aunt. Would you object to
giving us, merely as a matter of
record, the name and address of
your aunt, and the nature of the
legal documents?"
Il most certainly would object"
returned Kroon coolly. 81 fail to see
why you should be interested in my
family affairs"
Markham swung round toward the
man.
"That's for us to decide" he
snapped. "Do you intend to answer
Mr.. Vance's question:"
Kroon shook his head.
81 do not! I regard that question
as incompetent, irrelevant, and i'm
material. Also frivolous"
eyes, yes" Vance smiled al
Markham. "It could be, don't y
know. However, let it pass, Mark
ham. Present status: Name ane
address of maiden aunt, unknown
nature of legal documents, I'm