"Nine or ten hours ago. Say, about eleven-thirty—maybe a little before. Not after midnight, anyway." He had been teetering restlessly on his toes. "Anything else?"
Heath pondered.
"I guess that's all, doc," he decided. "I'll get the body to the mortuary right away. Let's have the post-mortem as soon as you can."
"You'll get a report in the morning." And despite his apparent eagerness to be off, Doctor Doremus stepped into the bedroom, and shook hands with Heath and Markham and Inspector Moran before he hurried out.
Heath followed him to the door, and I heard him direct the officer outside to telephone the Department of Public Welfare to send an ambulance at once for the girl's body.
"I positively adore that official archiater of yours," Vance said to Markham. "Such detachment! Here are you stewing most distressingly over the passing of one damsel fair and frail, and that blithe medicus is worrying only over a sluggish liver brought on by early rising."
"What has he to be upset over?" complained Markham. "The newspapers are not riding him with spurs. . . . And by the way, what was the point of your questions about the torn dress?"
Vance lazily inspected the tip of his cigarette.
"Consider," he said. "The lady was evidently taken by surprise; for, had there been a struggle beforehand, she would not have been strangled from behind while sitting down. Therefore, her gown and corsage were undoubtedly intact at the time she
