The Greene Murder Case · Chapter
XV: The Murderer in the House explained
Following Rex Greene's murder, Vance, Markham, and Heath interview Sibella Greene, who insists on staying despite the danger.
What happens
Following Rex Greene's murder, Vance, Markham, and Heath interview Sibella Greene, who insists on staying despite the danger. Doctor Von Blon provides an alibi for Sibella, and a plan is made to install a police nurse. The nurse Miss Craven and the servants Hemming and Mrs. Mannheim are questioned. Mrs. Tobias Greene is hostile and unhelpful. Captain Jerym arrives to analyze footprints, confirming the galoshes match those from the earlier crime. Vance briefly goes upstairs, seemingly to verify a theory.
Themes in this chapter
Family Dysfunction and Decay
The Greene family is torn apart by successive murders; Sibella's bravado masks fear, and Mrs. Greene shows cold indifference to her son's death.
Detection and Rational Inquiry
Vance, Markham, and Heath systematically interview witnesses, analyze alibis, and examine physical evidence like footprints and fingerprints.
Secrecy and Hidden Truth
Characters' alibis are checked and cross-referenced; Vance suspects the footprints are deliberately left, hinting at a hidden design.
Characters to notice
- Sibella Greene
Interviewed about her whereabouts during Rex's murder; claims she was in her room bathing her dog and that Doctor Von Blon was with her. Expresses fear but refuses to leave the house.
- Doctor Von Blon
Provides alibi for Sibella, stating he was in her room from before 11:00 until called by Sproot. Approves plan to replace the nurse with a police plant.
- Miss Craven
The nurse; states she was in her third-floor room with the door open from 10:30 to 11:30, did not hear the shot.
- Hemming
The maid; claims she was in the laundry all morning and knew of the murder only through Sproot. Speaks volubly of divine punishment.
- Mrs. Mannheim
The cook; says she was in the kitchen except for an hour of marketing, did not hear the shot. Shows fear and protectiveness toward Ada.
- Mrs. Tobias Greene
The invalid mother; hostile and uncooperative, claims she can give no information despite being awake.
Key passages
“If there’s anyone really bent on killing me, he’ll manage it somehow, wherever I am. Anyway, I’d have to come back sooner or later. I couldn’t board with out-of-town friends indefinitely—could I?”
Sibella argues that if someone is determined to kill her, hiding won't help, and she can't stay away forever.
Sibella's fatalistic acceptance of danger and refusal to flee.
“This hellish business isn’t ended. The final picture is only just emerging. And it’s damnable—worse than any of the horrors of Rops or Doré.”
Vance says the murders are not over and the full truth will be even more terrible than the gruesome art of Rops or Doré.
Vance's grim foreshadowing of further tragedy.
“There wouldn’t be footprints if they weren’t deliberately intended for us.”
Vance suggests the footprints were left on purpose to mislead the investigators.
Vance's theory that the evidence is staged.