Blue Penny Murder Case

Originally Aired: August 23, 1949Philo Vance #59, "Blue Penny Murder Case," opens with Philo Vance and District Attorney Markham enjoying an afternoon of skeet shooting, locked in a competitive tie. Their leisurely contest is interrupted by the breathless arrival of Markham's secretary, Ellen Deering, who has hiked out to the remote shooting field with urgent news. A woman named Edith Allen has been murdered in her apartment, and the case presents a baffling puzzle: there appears to be no motive whatsoever. The victim was happily married, her husband has an airtight alibi, and nothing in the apartment has been disturbed.While Markham views the lack of motive as the most difficult type of case to crack, Vance sees it as the most fascinating. As they prepare to leave the skeet field and investigate, Vance's competitive spirit shifts from sporting clays to the intellectual challenge ahead. The amateur detective relishes the opportunity to unravel what promises to be a complex mystery surrounding Edith Allen's seemingly inexplicable death.