"Vance, a serious thing has brought me here. I'm in a great hurry, and merely dropped by to keep my promise. . . . The fact is, Alvin Benson has been murdered."
Vance lifted his eyebrows languidly.
"Really, now," he drawled. "How messy! But he no doubt deserved it. In any event, that's no reason why you should repine. Take a chair and have a cup of Currie's incomp'rable coffee." And before the other could protest, he rose and pushed a bell-button.
Markham hesitated a second or two.
"Oh, well. A couple of minutes won't make any difference. But only a gulp." And he sank into a chair facing us.
