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.