He had placed his gun against the end of the porch I
think."
"You saw no knife?"
"None whatever."
Evidently the coroner had sighted the suspicious circumstances connecting
August Bordine with the case.
"Did you have a knife that day?" said the coroner, turning abruptly to
young Bordine.
"Yes, sir, I had a small hunting knife, but not when I found Miss Vane."
"What do you mean?"
"I lost the knife in the woods."
"Yes."
A short silence fell.
Many suspicious glances were cast at the young engineer. He felt that he
occupied a delicate position, but remained calm under it.
The jury decided, after due deliberation, that Victoria Vane came to her
death at the hands of an unknown party, and so the inquest ended. Murder
was fully established, but the murderer was not found.
In the mean time Detective Keene had made some discoveries that he kept
to himself for the time.
No one in or about Ridgewood knew Sile Keene, and so he did not at the
outset deem it necessary to assume a disguise.
The bereaved brother did not live at the cottage after the murder, but
found a room at the village tavern.
Pages:
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36