May 15, 2025 • 23 mins
Dive into the heart of the Jazz Age with The Benson Murder Case – A Philo Vance Story, the inaugural tale in a sequence of twelve gripping mysteries set in New York. The series springs from the mind of S. S. Van Dine, a prominent art critic and avant-garde member of New York society, also known by his real name, W. H. Wright. This series introduced readers to a whole new kind of detective Philo Vance, an eccentric loner, a man of refined tastes, and a suave socialite. Van Dines novels stood out for their unconventional approach to crime-solving, focusing on psychology over physical evidence. This story sees Vance, accompanied by his lawyer and confidant Van, work to unravel the murder of Alvin Benson, expertly juggling suspects, red herrings, and psychological clues. Its a journey of intrigue and intellect that will keep you guessing until the final reveal.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter twenty of the Benson Murder Case by S. S.
Van Dyne. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
A lady explains Wednesday, June nineteenth, four thirty p m.
The quest for enlightenment upon which we are now embarked,
(00:22):
said Vance, as we rode uptown may prove a bit tedious,
but you must exert your will power and bear with me.
You can't imagine what a ticklish task I have on
my hands, and it's not a pleasant one either. I'm
a bit too young to be sentimental, and yet do
(00:44):
you know I'm half inclined to let your culprit go.
Would you mind telling me why we are calling on
miss Saint Clair, asked Markham, resignedly, Vance amiably complied, not
at all. Indeed, I deem it best for you to know.
(01:05):
There are several points connected with the lady that need elucidation. First,
there are the gloves and hand bag, nor poppy nor Mandragora.
Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep which thou
holdest yesterday until you had learned about those articles? Nay,
(01:26):
what then? You recall? Miss Hoffman told us that the
major was lending an ear when a certain lady called
upon Benson the day he was shot. I suspect that
the visitor was miss Saint Clair, and I am rather
curious to know what took place in the office that
(01:48):
day and why she came back later. Also, why did
she go to Benson's for tea that afternoon? And what
part did the jewels play in the jit chat? But
there are other items, for example, why did the captain
take his gun to her? What makes him think she
(02:11):
shocked betson? He really believes it, you know? And why
did she think that he was guilty from the first?
Markham looked skeptical. You expect her to tell all this?
My hopes run high returned vance with her light jail.
(02:33):
As a self confessed murderer, she will have nothing to
lose by unburdening her soul. But we must have no
blustering your police brand of aggressive cross examination. Will I
assure you have no effect upon this lady? Just how
(02:54):
do you propose to elicit your information with Morbidezza? As
the painters say, much more refined and gentlemanly, you know,
Markham considered a moment. I think I'll keep out of
it and leave these socratic alentius entirely to you. Extraordinarily
(03:16):
brilliant suggestion, said Vance. When we arrived, Markham announced over
the house telephone that he had come on a vitally
important mission, and we were received by Miss Saint Clair
without a moment's delay. She you was apprehensive, I imagine,
concerning the whereabouts of Captain Leacock, as she sat before
(03:41):
us in her little drawing room overlooking the Hudson. Her
face was quite pale, and her hands, though tightly clasped,
trembled a little. She had lost much of her cold reserve,
and there were unmistakable signs of sleeplessness and worry about
her eyes. Vance went directly to the point. His tongue
(04:06):
was almost flippant in its lightness. It at once relieved
the tension of the atmosphere and gave an air bordering
on inconsequentiality to our visit. Captain Leecock has I regret
to inform you very foolishly confessed to the murder of
(04:26):
mister Benson. But we are not entirely satisfied with his
bona fides. We are alas a wash between Scylla and Charybdis.
We cannot decide whether the captain is a deep dyed
villain or a chevalier salt per salaplush. His story of
(04:51):
how he accomplished the dark deed is of it sketchy.
He is vague on certain essential neat and what's most confusing,
he turned the lights off in Benson's hideous living room
by a switch which positively doesn't exist. Consequently, the suspicion
(05:14):
has crept into my mind that he has concocted this
little tale of daring do in order to shield someone
whom he really believes guilty. He indicated Markham with a
slight movement of the head. The district attorney here does
not wholly agree with me. But then you see, the
(05:38):
legal mind is incredibly rigid and unreceptive once it has
been invaded by a notion. You will remember that, because
you were with mister Alvin Benson on his last evening
on Earth, and for other reasons equally irrelevant and trivial,
mister Markham actually concluded that you had had something to
(06:02):
do with the gentleman's death. He gave Markham a smile
of waggish reproach and went on, since you, miss Saint Clair,
are the only person whom Captain Leecock would shield so heroically,
And since I at least am convinced of your own innocence,
(06:24):
will you not clear up for us a few of
those points where your orbit crossed that of mister Benson.
Such information cannot do the Captain or yourself any harm,
and it is very possible it will help to banish
from mister Markham's mind is lingering doubts as to the
(06:45):
Captain's innocence. Vance's manner had an assuaging effect upon the woman,
but I could see that Markham was boiling inwardly at
Vance's animadversions on him, though he refrained from any interruption.
Miss Saint Clair stared steadily at Vance for several minutes.
(07:09):
I don't know why I should trust you, or even
believe you, she said evenly. But now that Captain Leecock
has confessed I was afraid he was going to when
he last spoke to me, I see no reason why
I should not answer your questions. Do you truly think
(07:30):
he is innocent? The question was like an involuntary cry.
Her pent up emotion had broken through her caapat of calm.
I truly do, Vance avowed, soberly, mister Markham will tell
you that before we left his office, I pleaded with
him to release Captain Leecock. It was with though that
(07:54):
your explanations would convince him of the wisdom of such
a course that I urged him to come here. Something
in his tone and manner seemed to inspire her confidence.
What do you wish to ask me? She asked advance,
cast another reproachful glance at Markham, who was restraining his
(08:16):
outraged feelings only with difficulty, and then turned back to
the woman. First of all, will you explain how your
gloves and handbag found their way into mister Benson's house.
Their presence there has been praying most distressingly on the
district Attorney's mind. She turned a direct, frank gaze upon Markham.
(08:44):
I dined with mister Benson at his invitation. Things between
us were not pleasant, and when we started for home,
my resentment of his attitude increased. At times square, I
ordered the chauffeur to stop. I preferred returning home alone.
In my anger and my haste to get away, I
(09:08):
must have dropped my gloves and bag. It was not
until mister Benson had driven off that I realized my
loss and having no money, I walked home. Since my
things were found in mister Benson's house, he must have
taken them there himself. Such was my own belief, said Vance,
(09:30):
And my word, it's a deucedly long walk out here.
What He turned to Markham with a tantalizing smile. Really,
you know, miss Saint Clair couldn't have been expected to
reach here before. One Markham, grim and resolute, made no reply,
(09:51):
and now pursued Vance. I should love to know under
what circumstances the invitation to dinner was exten A shadow
darkened her face, but her voice remained even. I had
been losing a lot of money through mister Benson's firm,
and suddenly my intuition told me that he was purposely
(10:16):
seeing to it that I did lose, and that he could,
if he desired, help me to recoup. She dropped her eyes.
He had been annoying me with his attentions for some time,
and I didn't put any despicable scheme past him. I
went to his office and told him quite plainly what
(10:38):
I suspected. He replied that if i'd dine with him
that night, we could talk it over. I knew what
his object was, but I was so desperate I decided
to go anyway, hoping I might plead with him. And
how did you happen to mention to mister Benson the
(10:59):
exit act time your little dinner party would determinate? She
looked at Vance in astonishment, but answered unhesitatingly. He said
something about making a gay night of it, And then
I told him very emphatically that if I went, I
would leave him sharply at midnight, as was my invariable
(11:23):
rule on all parties. You see, she added, I study
very hard at my singing, and going home at midnight
no matter. But the occasion is one of the sacrifices,
or rather restrictions I impose on myself. Most commendable and
most wise, commented Vance, Was this fact generally known among
(11:49):
your acquaintances? Oh? Yes, it even resulted in my being
nicknamed Cinderella A specifically, I did Colonel Ostrander and mister
Fife know it? Yes, Vance thought a moment, how did
you happen to go to tea at mister Benson's home
(12:11):
the day of the murder? If you were to dine
with him that night? A flush stained her cheeks. There
was nothing wrong in that, she declared. Somehow, after I
had left mister Benson's office, I revolted against my decision
to dine with him, and I went to his house.
(12:32):
I had gone back to the office first, but he
had left to make a final appeal and to beg
him to release me from my promise. But he laughed
the matter off, and after insisting that I have tea,
sent me home in a taxicab to dress for dinner.
He called for me about half past seven. And when
(12:55):
you pleaded with him to release you from your promise,
you saw to frighten him by recalling Captain Leacock's threat,
and he said it was only a bluff. Again. The
woman's astonishment was manifest. Yes, she murmured, vance gave her
(13:15):
a soothing smile. Colonel Ostrander told me he saw you
and mister Benson at the Marseilles. Yes, and I was
terribly ashamed. He knew what mister Benson was and had
warned me against him only a few days before. I
was under the impression the Colonel and mister Benson were
(13:40):
good friends. They were up to a week ago. But
the Colonel lost more money than I did in a
stockpool which mister Benson engineered recently, and he intimated to
me very strongly that mister Benson had deliberately misadvised us
to his own benefit. He didn't even speak to mister
(14:03):
Benson that night at the Marseille. What about these rich
and precious stones that accompanied your tea with mister benson bribes?
She answered, and her contemptuous smile was a more eloquent
condemnation of Benson than if she had resorted to the
(14:23):
bitterest castigation. The gentleman sought to turn my head with them.
I was offered a string of pearls to wear to dinner,
but I declined them, and I was told that if
I saw things in the right light, or some such
charming phrase, I could have jewels just like them for
(14:44):
my very very own, perhaps even those identical ones. On
the twenty first, of course, the twenty first grinned Fance Markham.
Are you listening? On the twenty first? Leander's note falls due,
and if it's not paid, the jewels are forfeited. He
(15:08):
addressed himself again to Miss Saint Clair. Did mister Benson
have the jewels with him at dinner? Oh? No, I
think my refusal of the pearls rather discouraged him. Vance paused,
looking at her with ingratiating cordiality, and tell us now,
(15:29):
please of the gun episode in your own words, as
the lawyers say, hoping to entangle you later. But she
evidently feared no entanglement. The morning after the murder, Captain
Leacock came here and said he had gone to mister
Benson's house about half past twelve with the intention of
(15:52):
shooting him, but he had seen mister Fife outside, and,
assuming he was calling, had given up the idea and
gone home. I feared that mister Fife had seen him,
and I told him it would be safer to bring
his pistol to me and to say, if questioned, that
he lost it in France. You see, I really thought
(16:15):
he had shot mister Benson and was well lying like
a gentleman to spare my feelings. Then when he took
the pistol from me with the purpose of throwing it
away altogether, I was even more certain of it, She
smiled faintly at Markham. That was why I refused to
(16:38):
answer your questions. I wanted you to think that maybe
I had done it, though you'd not suspect Captain Leecock.
But he wasn't lying at all, said Vance. I know
now that he wasn't, and I should have known it before.
He'd never have brought the pistol to me if he'd
(16:59):
been guilty. A film came over her eyes, and poor boy,
he confessed because he thought that I was guilty. That's
precisely the harrow In situation, not Advance, But where did
he think you had obtained a weapon? I know many
(17:22):
army men friends of his and of Major Benson's, and
last summer at the mountains, I did considerable pistol practice
for the fun of it. Though the idea was reasonable enough,
Vance rose and made a courtly bow. You've been most
gracious and most helpful, he said. You see, mister Markham
(17:46):
had various theories about the murder. The first I believe
was that you alone were the Madame Borgia. The second
was that you and the captain did the deed together,
that catremain as it were. The third was that the
captain pulled the trigger a cappella. And the legal mind
(18:08):
is so exquisitely developed that it can believe in several
conflicting theories at the same time. The sad thing about
the present case is that mister Markham still leans towards
the belief that both of you are guilty individually and collectively.
I tried to reason with him before coming here, but
(18:31):
I failed. Therefore, I insisted upon his hearing from your
own charming lips your story of the affair. He went
up to Markham, who sat glaring at him with lips compressed. Well,
old chap, he remarked, pleasantly, surely you are not going
(18:52):
to persist in your obsession that either Miss Saint Clair
or Captain Leecock is guilty. What and won't you relent
and unshackle the captain as I begged you to? He
extended his arms in a theatrical gesture of supplication. Markham's
(19:14):
wrath was at the breaking point, but he got up deliberately, and,
going to the woman, held out his hand. Miss Saint Clair,
he said, kindly, and again I was impressed by the
bigness of the man. I wish to assure you that
I have dismissed the idea of your guilt, and also
(19:37):
Captain Leecox, from what mister Vance terms my incredibly rigid
and unreceptive mind. I forgive him, however, because he has
saved me from doing you a very grave injustice. And
I will see that you have your captain back as
soon as the papers can be signed for his release.
(20:00):
As we walked out on to Riverside Drive, Markham turned
savagely on Vance. So I was keeping her precious captain
locked up, and you were pleading with me to let
him go. You know damned well I didn't think either
one of them was guilty. You, you lounge lizard, Vance sighed,
(20:25):
dear me, don't you want to be of any help
at all in this case? He added sadly. What good
did it do you to make an ass of me
in front of that woman? Spluttered Markham, I can't see
that you got anywhere with all your tomfoolery. What Vance registered,
(20:47):
utter amazement. The testimony you've heard to day is going
to help immeasurably in convicting the culprit. Furthermore, we now
know about the glo gloves and hand bag, and who
the lady was I called at Benson's office, and what
Miss Saint Clair did between twelve and one, and why
(21:11):
she dined alone with Alvin and why she first had
tea with him, and how the jewels came to be there,
and why the captain took her his gun and then
threw it away, and why he confessed my word, doesn't
all this knowledge soothe you? It rids the situation of
(21:31):
so much debris. He stopped and lit a cigarette. The
really important thing the lady told us was that her
friends knew she invariably departed at midnight when she went
out of an evening. Don't overlook or belittle that point,
old dear, it's most pertinent. I told you long ago
(21:56):
that the person who shot Benson knew she was dining
with him that night. You'll be telling me next you
know who killed him? Markham scoffed. Vance sent a ring
of smoke circling upward. I've known all along who shot
the blighter? Markham snorted derisively. Indeed, and when did this
(22:22):
revelation burst upon you? Oh? Not more than five minutes
after I entered Benson's house that first morning, replied Vance. Well, well,
why didn't you confide in me and avoid all these
trying activities? Quite impossible, Lance explained jocularly. You were not
(22:47):
ready to receive my apocryphal knowledge. It was first nessary
to lead you patiently by the hand out of the
various dark forests and morasses into which you insisted upon straying.
You are so devilishly unimaginative, don't you know? A taxicab
(23:09):
was passing, and he hailed it. Eighty seven West forty
eighth Street he directed. Then he took Markham's arm, confidingly.
Now for a brief chat with missus Platts, and then
(23:29):
then I shall pour into your ear all my maidenly's secrets.
End of Chapter twenty
Chapter twenty of the Benson Murder Case by S. S.
Van Dyne. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
A lady explains Wednesday, June nineteenth, four thirty p m.
The quest for enlightenment upon which we are now embarked,
(00:22):
said Vance, as we rode uptown may prove a bit tedious,
but you must exert your will power and bear with me.
You can't imagine what a ticklish task I have on
my hands, and it's not a pleasant one either. I'm
a bit too young to be sentimental, and yet do
(00:44):
you know I'm half inclined to let your culprit go.
Would you mind telling me why we are calling on
miss Saint Clair, asked Markham, resignedly, Vance amiably complied, not
at all. Indeed, I deem it best for you to know.
(01:05):
There are several points connected with the lady that need elucidation. First,
there are the gloves and hand bag, nor poppy nor Mandragora.
Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep which thou
holdest yesterday until you had learned about those articles? Nay,
(01:26):
what then? You recall? Miss Hoffman told us that the
major was lending an ear when a certain lady called
upon Benson the day he was shot. I suspect that
the visitor was miss Saint Clair, and I am rather
curious to know what took place in the office that
(01:48):
day and why she came back later. Also, why did
she go to Benson's for tea that afternoon? And what
part did the jewels play in the jit chat? But
there are other items, for example, why did the captain
take his gun to her? What makes him think she
(02:11):
shocked betson? He really believes it, you know? And why
did she think that he was guilty from the first?
Markham looked skeptical. You expect her to tell all this?
My hopes run high returned vance with her light jail.
(02:33):
As a self confessed murderer, she will have nothing to
lose by unburdening her soul. But we must have no
blustering your police brand of aggressive cross examination. Will I
assure you have no effect upon this lady? Just how
(02:54):
do you propose to elicit your information with Morbidezza? As
the painters say, much more refined and gentlemanly, you know,
Markham considered a moment. I think I'll keep out of
it and leave these socratic alentius entirely to you. Extraordinarily
(03:16):
brilliant suggestion, said Vance. When we arrived, Markham announced over
the house telephone that he had come on a vitally
important mission, and we were received by Miss Saint Clair
without a moment's delay. She you was apprehensive, I imagine,
concerning the whereabouts of Captain Leacock, as she sat before
(03:41):
us in her little drawing room overlooking the Hudson. Her
face was quite pale, and her hands, though tightly clasped,
trembled a little. She had lost much of her cold reserve,
and there were unmistakable signs of sleeplessness and worry about
her eyes. Vance went directly to the point. His tongue
(04:06):
was almost flippant in its lightness. It at once relieved
the tension of the atmosphere and gave an air bordering
on inconsequentiality to our visit. Captain Leecock has I regret
to inform you very foolishly confessed to the murder of
(04:26):
mister Benson. But we are not entirely satisfied with his
bona fides. We are alas a wash between Scylla and Charybdis.
We cannot decide whether the captain is a deep dyed
villain or a chevalier salt per salaplush. His story of
(04:51):
how he accomplished the dark deed is of it sketchy.
He is vague on certain essential neat and what's most confusing,
he turned the lights off in Benson's hideous living room
by a switch which positively doesn't exist. Consequently, the suspicion
(05:14):
has crept into my mind that he has concocted this
little tale of daring do in order to shield someone
whom he really believes guilty. He indicated Markham with a
slight movement of the head. The district attorney here does
not wholly agree with me. But then you see, the
(05:38):
legal mind is incredibly rigid and unreceptive once it has
been invaded by a notion. You will remember that, because
you were with mister Alvin Benson on his last evening
on Earth, and for other reasons equally irrelevant and trivial,
mister Markham actually concluded that you had had something to
(06:02):
do with the gentleman's death. He gave Markham a smile
of waggish reproach and went on, since you, miss Saint Clair,
are the only person whom Captain Leecock would shield so heroically,
And since I at least am convinced of your own innocence,
(06:24):
will you not clear up for us a few of
those points where your orbit crossed that of mister Benson.
Such information cannot do the Captain or yourself any harm,
and it is very possible it will help to banish
from mister Markham's mind is lingering doubts as to the
(06:45):
Captain's innocence. Vance's manner had an assuaging effect upon the woman,
but I could see that Markham was boiling inwardly at
Vance's animadversions on him, though he refrained from any interruption.
Miss Saint Clair stared steadily at Vance for several minutes.
(07:09):
I don't know why I should trust you, or even
believe you, she said evenly. But now that Captain Leecock
has confessed I was afraid he was going to when
he last spoke to me, I see no reason why
I should not answer your questions. Do you truly think
(07:30):
he is innocent? The question was like an involuntary cry.
Her pent up emotion had broken through her caapat of calm.
I truly do, Vance avowed, soberly, mister Markham will tell
you that before we left his office, I pleaded with
him to release Captain Leecock. It was with though that
(07:54):
your explanations would convince him of the wisdom of such
a course that I urged him to come here. Something
in his tone and manner seemed to inspire her confidence.
What do you wish to ask me? She asked advance,
cast another reproachful glance at Markham, who was restraining his
(08:16):
outraged feelings only with difficulty, and then turned back to
the woman. First of all, will you explain how your
gloves and handbag found their way into mister Benson's house.
Their presence there has been praying most distressingly on the
district Attorney's mind. She turned a direct, frank gaze upon Markham.
(08:44):
I dined with mister Benson at his invitation. Things between
us were not pleasant, and when we started for home,
my resentment of his attitude increased. At times square, I
ordered the chauffeur to stop. I preferred returning home alone.
In my anger and my haste to get away, I
(09:08):
must have dropped my gloves and bag. It was not
until mister Benson had driven off that I realized my
loss and having no money, I walked home. Since my
things were found in mister Benson's house, he must have
taken them there himself. Such was my own belief, said Vance,
(09:30):
And my word, it's a deucedly long walk out here.
What He turned to Markham with a tantalizing smile. Really,
you know, miss Saint Clair couldn't have been expected to
reach here before. One Markham, grim and resolute, made no reply,
(09:51):
and now pursued Vance. I should love to know under
what circumstances the invitation to dinner was exten A shadow
darkened her face, but her voice remained even. I had
been losing a lot of money through mister Benson's firm,
and suddenly my intuition told me that he was purposely
(10:16):
seeing to it that I did lose, and that he could,
if he desired, help me to recoup. She dropped her eyes.
He had been annoying me with his attentions for some time,
and I didn't put any despicable scheme past him. I
went to his office and told him quite plainly what
(10:38):
I suspected. He replied that if i'd dine with him
that night, we could talk it over. I knew what
his object was, but I was so desperate I decided
to go anyway, hoping I might plead with him. And
how did you happen to mention to mister Benson the
(10:59):
exit act time your little dinner party would determinate? She
looked at Vance in astonishment, but answered unhesitatingly. He said
something about making a gay night of it, And then
I told him very emphatically that if I went, I
would leave him sharply at midnight, as was my invariable
(11:23):
rule on all parties. You see, she added, I study
very hard at my singing, and going home at midnight
no matter. But the occasion is one of the sacrifices,
or rather restrictions I impose on myself. Most commendable and
most wise, commented Vance, Was this fact generally known among
(11:49):
your acquaintances? Oh? Yes, it even resulted in my being
nicknamed Cinderella A specifically, I did Colonel Ostrander and mister
Fife know it? Yes, Vance thought a moment, how did
you happen to go to tea at mister Benson's home
(12:11):
the day of the murder? If you were to dine
with him that night? A flush stained her cheeks. There
was nothing wrong in that, she declared. Somehow, after I
had left mister Benson's office, I revolted against my decision
to dine with him, and I went to his house.
(12:32):
I had gone back to the office first, but he
had left to make a final appeal and to beg
him to release me from my promise. But he laughed
the matter off, and after insisting that I have tea,
sent me home in a taxicab to dress for dinner.
He called for me about half past seven. And when
(12:55):
you pleaded with him to release you from your promise,
you saw to frighten him by recalling Captain Leacock's threat,
and he said it was only a bluff. Again. The
woman's astonishment was manifest. Yes, she murmured, vance gave her
(13:15):
a soothing smile. Colonel Ostrander told me he saw you
and mister Benson at the Marseilles. Yes, and I was
terribly ashamed. He knew what mister Benson was and had
warned me against him only a few days before. I
was under the impression the Colonel and mister Benson were
(13:40):
good friends. They were up to a week ago. But
the Colonel lost more money than I did in a
stockpool which mister Benson engineered recently, and he intimated to
me very strongly that mister Benson had deliberately misadvised us
to his own benefit. He didn't even speak to mister
(14:03):
Benson that night at the Marseille. What about these rich
and precious stones that accompanied your tea with mister benson bribes?
She answered, and her contemptuous smile was a more eloquent
condemnation of Benson than if she had resorted to the
(14:23):
bitterest castigation. The gentleman sought to turn my head with them.
I was offered a string of pearls to wear to dinner,
but I declined them, and I was told that if
I saw things in the right light, or some such
charming phrase, I could have jewels just like them for
(14:44):
my very very own, perhaps even those identical ones. On
the twenty first, of course, the twenty first grinned Fance Markham.
Are you listening? On the twenty first? Leander's note falls due,
and if it's not paid, the jewels are forfeited. He
(15:08):
addressed himself again to Miss Saint Clair. Did mister Benson
have the jewels with him at dinner? Oh? No, I
think my refusal of the pearls rather discouraged him. Vance paused,
looking at her with ingratiating cordiality, and tell us now,
(15:29):
please of the gun episode in your own words, as
the lawyers say, hoping to entangle you later. But she
evidently feared no entanglement. The morning after the murder, Captain
Leacock came here and said he had gone to mister
Benson's house about half past twelve with the intention of
(15:52):
shooting him, but he had seen mister Fife outside, and,
assuming he was calling, had given up the idea and
gone home. I feared that mister Fife had seen him,
and I told him it would be safer to bring
his pistol to me and to say, if questioned, that
he lost it in France. You see, I really thought
(16:15):
he had shot mister Benson and was well lying like
a gentleman to spare my feelings. Then when he took
the pistol from me with the purpose of throwing it
away altogether, I was even more certain of it, She
smiled faintly at Markham. That was why I refused to
(16:38):
answer your questions. I wanted you to think that maybe
I had done it, though you'd not suspect Captain Leecock.
But he wasn't lying at all, said Vance. I know
now that he wasn't, and I should have known it before.
He'd never have brought the pistol to me if he'd
(16:59):
been guilty. A film came over her eyes, and poor boy,
he confessed because he thought that I was guilty. That's
precisely the harrow In situation, not Advance, But where did
he think you had obtained a weapon? I know many
(17:22):
army men friends of his and of Major Benson's, and
last summer at the mountains, I did considerable pistol practice
for the fun of it. Though the idea was reasonable enough,
Vance rose and made a courtly bow. You've been most
gracious and most helpful, he said. You see, mister Markham
(17:46):
had various theories about the murder. The first I believe
was that you alone were the Madame Borgia. The second
was that you and the captain did the deed together,
that catremain as it were. The third was that the
captain pulled the trigger a cappella. And the legal mind
(18:08):
is so exquisitely developed that it can believe in several
conflicting theories at the same time. The sad thing about
the present case is that mister Markham still leans towards
the belief that both of you are guilty individually and collectively.
I tried to reason with him before coming here, but
(18:31):
I failed. Therefore, I insisted upon his hearing from your
own charming lips your story of the affair. He went
up to Markham, who sat glaring at him with lips compressed. Well,
old chap, he remarked, pleasantly, surely you are not going
(18:52):
to persist in your obsession that either Miss Saint Clair
or Captain Leecock is guilty. What and won't you relent
and unshackle the captain as I begged you to? He
extended his arms in a theatrical gesture of supplication. Markham's
(19:14):
wrath was at the breaking point, but he got up deliberately, and,
going to the woman, held out his hand. Miss Saint Clair,
he said, kindly, and again I was impressed by the
bigness of the man. I wish to assure you that
I have dismissed the idea of your guilt, and also
(19:37):
Captain Leecox, from what mister Vance terms my incredibly rigid
and unreceptive mind. I forgive him, however, because he has
saved me from doing you a very grave injustice. And
I will see that you have your captain back as
soon as the papers can be signed for his release.
(20:00):
As we walked out on to Riverside Drive, Markham turned
savagely on Vance. So I was keeping her precious captain
locked up, and you were pleading with me to let
him go. You know damned well I didn't think either
one of them was guilty. You, you lounge lizard, Vance sighed,
(20:25):
dear me, don't you want to be of any help
at all in this case? He added sadly. What good
did it do you to make an ass of me
in front of that woman? Spluttered Markham, I can't see
that you got anywhere with all your tomfoolery. What Vance registered,
(20:47):
utter amazement. The testimony you've heard to day is going
to help immeasurably in convicting the culprit. Furthermore, we now
know about the glo gloves and hand bag, and who
the lady was I called at Benson's office, and what
Miss Saint Clair did between twelve and one, and why
(21:11):
she dined alone with Alvin and why she first had
tea with him, and how the jewels came to be there,
and why the captain took her his gun and then
threw it away, and why he confessed my word, doesn't
all this knowledge soothe you? It rids the situation of
(21:31):
so much debris. He stopped and lit a cigarette. The
really important thing the lady told us was that her
friends knew she invariably departed at midnight when she went
out of an evening. Don't overlook or belittle that point,
old dear, it's most pertinent. I told you long ago
(21:56):
that the person who shot Benson knew she was dining
with him that night. You'll be telling me next you
know who killed him? Markham scoffed. Vance sent a ring
of smoke circling upward. I've known all along who shot
the blighter? Markham snorted derisively. Indeed, and when did this
(22:22):
revelation burst upon you? Oh? Not more than five minutes
after I entered Benson's house that first morning, replied Vance. Well, well,
why didn't you confide in me and avoid all these
trying activities? Quite impossible, Lance explained jocularly. You were not
(22:47):
ready to receive my apocryphal knowledge. It was first nessary
to lead you patiently by the hand out of the
various dark forests and morasses into which you insisted upon straying.
You are so devilishly unimaginative, don't you know? A taxicab
(23:09):
was passing, and he hailed it. Eighty seven West forty
eighth Street he directed. Then he took Markham's arm, confidingly.
Now for a brief chat with missus Platts, and then
(23:29):
then I shall pour into your ear all my maidenly's secrets.
End of Chapter twenty
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