Shrieking Coffins by G
Page 4
“Fell?” gasped Kemper. “You mean
cameo setting over it
that the killer drops the coffins—from
Marco turned his flashlight on the airplanes or something?”
floor. There were footprints of Hsin’s small
“I don’t know, Will. Might have
shoes and of someone’s rubber-soled arctics.
pitched them from the roof of a building. To
Suddenly Marco heard footsteps tell the truth, I’m a little more mixed up than I directly above his head. A voice swore was at the start. But let’s get out of here. We hoarsely. He looked up through the opening
are going to take a run over to the bearded
made by the coffin and saw Will Kemper’s
man’s house—what was his name? Letchman?
red head.
He’s kept himself pretty quiet during all this.
“Damn it! That you, Paul? What have
But it really wasn’t odd that Dr. Koslof
Secret Agent X
14
couldn’t reach Letchman by phone.”
“Hsin,” Marco thought to himself,
“Why?” asked Kemper.
“unless Samons is a very good liar.”
“Because he didn’t call Letchman’s
“And,” Dr. Koslof added, “Colonel
house. In looking up your telephone number
Samons has lost his wallet”
when I first struck town this afternoon, I
“No!” exclaimed Marco in mock
noticed that all the residences in the surprise. “Nothing of value, I hope?”
University Park section are on the same trunk
“No-no,” said Samons hastily. “Purely
line and have the serial number 5. Koslof
of sentimental value. A few dollars change in
called a number beginning with 3. Maybe
the wallet. I really think I shall get along home
there is no such number; I’m not sure.”
now. If you gentlemen need me, you will
know where to find me.”
CHAPTER IV
“You don’t happen to be going by the
SINISTER SLIPS
Chinese Student Club?” Marco asked.
The colonel nodded. “You would like
TT was ten minutes later. Marco and Kemper
me to tell the members of Hsin’s death?”
had crawled from the tunnel and were walking
“And something else.” Marco took the
across the campus towards the physics papers he had found on Hsin from his pocket building.
and handed them over to the colonel “I would
“Things are getting pretty thick,” like you to get me a translation from these Marco muttered. “I’d like to see two men—
papers. There’s an official air about the way
Colonel Samons and Professor Letchman.”
they’re done up.”
“You’re going to get a chance at
Samons took the papers. “Oh, gladly.
Samons then. Isn’t that the colonel standing
But I can attend to the translation for you. I
under that light talking with. Dr. Koslof?”
spent a good many years in Hong Kong.”
Kemper hailed the two men.
Marco frowned. After all, he didn’t
“You gentlemen find anything?” Dr.
know- but what the colonel was a member of
Koslof called back.
the criminal group. It might have been
“Yes, quite a bit,” said Marco as they
Samons who had followed Hsin and killed
approached. “Exactly two corpses—one him. That Samons had lived in China threw a Professor Brandon and our friend Hsin.”
new light on the case. Regretfully, Marco
“Hsin?” Koslof gasped. Then, with an
handed the papers to Samons. He could hardly
angry snarl, “Killing young students now!”
refuse without openly accusing the colonel.
“If Hsin was only a student,” Marco
Marco knew that his dangerous game could
muttered. He felt certain that Hsin had had
not be fought in the open.
other purposes for attending the college—
When the colonel had left them, Dr.
others that were in no way related with Koslof drew Marco and Kemper close to him.
education. Aloud, he said, “If we could put
“I am about to break the confidence of a dead
our fingers on a motive! By the way, where
man,” he said in a mysterious whisper. “You
were you, Colonel Samons, during the have been unable to find a motive for these search?”
heinous crimes. Then let me tell you of
The colonel took off his hat and Professor Trim, my former colleague and tenderly patted a blackening lump on the top
friend.
of his head. “Unconscious most of the time. I
“Dr. Trim was a genius in the fields of
was attacked by someone who leaped from a
chemistry and physics,” Koslof explained.
grove of trees near the power house.”
“Mr. Kemper will remember that he died
Shrieking Coffins
15
about two years ago. At that time, it was
physics building.
rumored about the country that Dr. Trim was
about to disclose a very wonderful FOR a moment, both Marco and Kemper discovery—something that would
stared at each other.
revolutionize war. It was only a few hours
“God!” Kemper exclaimed. “To think
before his passing that he called me to his
that Scolar’s part of the formula was in my
bedside. Dr. Trim, gentlemen, realized the cabinet for two days!”
wonder of his new discovery, yet at the same
Marco gulped. “Be thankful, old son,
time, I believe, he was fearful that it would
that you haven’t got one of them now!” The
jeopardize the peace of the world. He did not
cameo ring on Marco’s left hand seemed to be
explain to me the exact nature of his burning his flesh. He knew that he skated on discovery. Only this I know: Trim had thin ice as long as he held that slip of paper he invented a formula for poison gas or perhaps
had taken from Samons’ wallet in his
an explosive that was much more lethal than
possession.
anything so far discovered. In addition to its
Marco took a deep breath of the
power, this concoction from Trim’s laboratory
stinging cold air. He reached in his pocket and
could be prepared so cheaply that almost any
pulled out an automatic. “Hope you know how
nation could afford war.
to use this, Will.” He passed the gun over to
“This formula was like a Frankenstein
his companion. “I’ve got an extra one. Right
monster to Trim. He dared not publish it, but
now, we’re going over and see if we can find
in case of war, he wanted his own country to
Professor Letchman. He keeps too far in the
have all of its advantages. He hoped that the
background to suit me. If he won’t let us in his
United States could hold this new weapon
house—well, we’ll get in all right!”
over the heads of the belligerents as a threat
They had reached the campus gates.
and restore peace. He divided the paper upon
Marco paused to light a cigarette. “Anyway,
which his formula was written into f
ive parts.
one bit of mystery is cleared up—Mr. Hsin.
He gave one to each of five friends with the
We know damned well that Hsin was the boy
instructions to take the scrap of paper to who tossed that knife at you. Just what Hsin’s Washington in case of war between the United
capacity was, we don’t know. I think he was
States and any other country.
working for some Oriental political group.
“Each of us was pledged to secrecy.
Hsin was killed because he knew too much
None of us knows who else possesses the
about some one, or perhaps because he stood
sinister slips. No single slip is any good in the way as a competitor to the real criminal without its four companions. This I confide in
gang in getting those sinister slips.”
you— I have one of those slips! It is my belief Professor Letchman lived alone in a
that it will be my death warrant. Both Scolar
small cottage that stood shyly back from the
and Brandon were great friends of Dr. Trim.
street. Its windows were so heavily frosted
Both may have possessed a part of that that it was impossible to see if any light was dangerous formula.
burning in the house.
“I have told you this,” Dr. Koslof
“It’s past two o’clock, Marco,”
concluded, “so that you will clearly Kemper whispered. “Letchman will be in understand what you are up against. The bed.”
formula is worth millions of dollars to any
“Perhaps,” replied Marco. “We’ll try
government or to anyone who might sell it to a
to wake him up. I want to ask questions and
government!” Then Dr. Koslof entered the
put my nose as far into his affairs as I can.”
Secret Agent X
16
They crossed the narrow veranda and
catapult!”
Marco smashed the bell push with his thumb.
Kemper scowled. “I always knew
For nearly a minute they waited. Then, with a
Letchman was batty! Imagine! In this day of
sigh, Marco drew a set of master keys from
modern warfare, that old fossil monkeys with
his pocket. He handed his flashlight to Will.
pre-gunpowder weapons, and—”
“You hold the flashlight.” Marco was
“No—no, nothing of the kind!” Marco
coolly examining the lock. His key scraped
interrupted. “It’s an aircraft catapult to be used
the eye of the lock. He felt it take hold and
in launching airplanes.”
gave it a sharp turn. He opened the door and
“Oh, that.” There was a note of
stepped into the darkened hallway.
disappointment in Kemper’s voice. “I could
“Where are we likely to find have told you that. He’s got it rigged up out at Letchman’s valuables?” he whispered to the airport. On top of a building or some Kemper who followed him.
place. Why didn’t you say you wanted that
“Doesn’t have any to my knowledge.
sort of information. He spends most of his
But he has a mussy old desk back in his study.
time out there tinkering with it. Don’t know
I’ll show you the way.”
whether he ever got it working.”
They found Letchman’s study empty
“Sap!” Marco exploded. “You’ve seen
and all the curtains drawn. A roll top desk that
what happened tonight and you don’t know
approached a piano case in size stood against
whether or not Letchman got it to working!
one wall. Marco sat down in the swivel chair
Why, that’s what the coffins were thrown
and pushed back the top of the desk. He
with! The killer simply forces his victims into
unceremoniously shuffled through the papers
coffins and puts the coffins on the catapult.
and found nothing of interest. He smashed the
After he got what he wanted, he simply sprang
lock of one of the smaller drawers and pulled
the catapult. That would be the end of
it open. There he found some long folded
everything for the man inside the coffin—
sheets of blue-print paper banded with rubber.
body and evidence removed from the actual
“Inventions,” said Kemper vaguely.
scene of the crime. He probably forced them
“What kind?” asked Marco as he to give up their part of the Trim formula under stripped off a rubber band and prepared to find
threat of death and then failed to keep his part
out for himself.
of the bargain.
“Oh, some fool thing he works on out
“The screaming sound that was heard
at the airport.”
every time one of the coffins made its
Marco looked up. His black brows mysterious appearance was caused by-the air contracted above his piercing gray eyes. traveling at high velocity through the holes
“Airport?”
drilled in the top of the casket.”
Kemper bobbed his head. “There’s a
Marco reached across the desk and
school of aeronautics in the college. Just new.
picked up the telephone directory. He leafed
Maybe you noticed the beacon light shining
through it and scanned the “A” column.
over the campus tonight”
“Right!” he snapped. “It was the airport that
Marco nodded. He had turned his Dr. Koslof called tonight—not Letchman’s attention to the blue print spread out on the
house. He thought that Letchman would be
desk. Suddenly, he stood up and ran long
there tinkering with his invention. And that’s
fingers through his black hair. He uttered a
where we’re going right now.” Marco listened
low whistle, and pointed at the blue print.
for a moment, head on one side.
“There you have it!” he exclaimed. “A
Kemper scowled. “What the hell?”
Shrieking Coffins
17
Marco’s voice became a scarcely audible
CHAPTER V
whisper. “Someone is trying to get into that
MURDER MACHINE
next room, I think. Working on the window or
something. Come on. But softly, Will. No
THEY were hurrying across the campus intent
lights. If we can catch this prowler—”
on reaching the airport just beyond.
“Has it occurred to you,” Kemper
MARCO tiptoed through the door. Kemper
asked, “that you shouldn’t have handed those
pressed closely behind him. They entered the
Chinese papers to Colonel Samons? We don’t
next room. Marco held his breath. Outside the
know much about him. He was just a soldier
window was a man. The window was open
of fortune. He taught the cadets their gunnery.
and he could see the head and shoulders of the
He would know just where to point that
prowler. Marco hugged to the wall and drew
catapult to make the coffins land where he
flashlight and automatic.
wanted them.”
Then, Will Kemper sneezed. Marco
“Possibly. But right now we want to
cursed, flicked on his light, and raised his gun.
see t
hat murder machine.”
Only for a moment did the light shine upon
“You don’t think there will be any
the bearded face of Professor Letchman. The
more killings, do you?” asked Kemper.
man’s black hair was bristling on his scalp; his
“Any more? Why there were five slips
eyes were black pools of fury. Then he was
of paper that carried parts of the Trim formula.
gone.
If I’m a judge, there will be three more coffin
Marco pushed Will Kemper out of the
killings unless we put a monkey wrench in the
way, ran to the window, and leaped over the
machinery.”
sill Footprints in the snow were made by
Marco stopped. If he had not been
Professor Letchman’s rubber soled arctics. looking skyward, he would not have seen it—
Marco’s light swung along the fresh trail. No
a clumsy, black projectile hurtling over the top
sign of the man! But he could follow as long
of Kalvin Hall. Another casket!
as that trail held out. He swung around the
It crashed into the eaves of the old
corner. Still he was unable to see the bearded
building, bringing down a shower of brick
professor.
work and snow. Its lid sprang open. Its
And Marco had the sudden contents—a sprawling, twisting, turning disappointment of seeing the trail of the corpse—smashed to the sidewalk. The arctics hopelessly muddled by hundreds of
hideous sound of that poor tortured body
other footprints. Letchman had wisely taken to
falling on the pavement was masked by the
the street and disappeared down its shadowy
din of the casket as it struck the sidewalk and