The Case of the Pool of Blood in the Pastor's Study
Page 8
little waiting-room of the railwaystation writing a telegram. It was addressed to Count ----.
"Do you know the shepherd Janci? It would be a good thing to make him the official detective for the village. He has high qualifications for the profession. If I had his gifts combined with my own, not one could escape me. I have found this one however. The guards are already taking him to you. My work here is done. If I should be needed again I can be found at Police Headquarters, Vienna. "Respectfully, "JOSEPH MULLER."
While the detective was writing his message--it was one of the raremoments of humour that Muller allowed himself, and he wondered mildlywhat the stately Hungarian nobleman would think of it--a heavy farmwagon jolted over the country roads towards the little county seat.Sitting beside the driver and riding about the wagon were armedpeasants. The figure of a man, securely bound, his face distorted byrage and fear, lay in the wagon. It was Gyuri Kovacz, who had murderedby the hands of another, and who was now on his way to meet the deaththat was his due.
And at one of the barred windows in the big yellow house stood asallow-faced man, looking out at the rising moon with sad, tired eyes.His lips were parted in a smile like that of a dreaming child, and hehummed a gentle lullaby.
In his compartment of the express from Budapest to Vienna, Joseph Mullersat thinking over the strange events that had called him to the obscurelittle Hungarian village. He had met with many strange cases in his longcareer, but this particular case had some features which were unique.Muller's lips set hard and his hands tightened to fists as he murmured:"I've met with criminals who used strange tools, but never before haveI met with one who had the cunning and the incredible cruelty to utilisethe mania of an unhinged human mind. It is a thousand times worse thanthose criminals who, now and then throughout the ages, have trainedbrute beasts to murder for them. Truly, this Hungarian peasant, GyuriKovacz, deserves a high place in the infamous roll-call of the greatcriminals of history. A student of crime might almost be led to thinkthat it is a pity his career has been cut short so soon. He might havegone far.
"But for humanity's sake" (Muller's eyes gleamed), "I am thankful that Iwas able to discover this beast in human form and render him innocuous;he had done quite enough."