Shrieking Coffins by G
Page 6
“State troopers, Will,” shouted Marco.
case wouldn’t stand against him in court, but
The plane swerved to miss the
we’ve trapped him pretty neatly if—”
oncoming car. The pilot jazzed his throttle as
Marco stopped. Above them, a motor
if he were going to make a break for it. The
sputtered, coughed, and broke into a roar. “A
machine-gun started talking. Leaden hail
plane, Will! They’ve taken one from the slashed through the plane’s radial engine and hangar. They’ve got the slips for the Trim
killed it. The snow dragged the plane to a
formula. We’ve just seconds in which to try to
standstill. The pilot vaulted over the cockpit
stop them!”
wall and yanked out his automatic. One of the
He sprang op the stairs, taking them in
men from the car dropped him in his tracks
a dozen strides. Will Kemper was pushing
with a quick, well-aimed shot.
behind him, shouting, “Turn left! Get out
The plane’s other occupant was
through the hangar!”
standing up in the cockpit, waving manacled
Marco threw open a door and collided
hands above his head and shouting, “Don’t
with a man wearing a hood-mask. The man
shoot, for God’s sake!”
Secret Agent X
22
“It’s Dr. Koslof in the plane!” Kemper
the gang?” asked Kemper excitedly.
shouted. “The gang was taking him prisoner.
Letchman shook his head. “He could
They must have known that the troopers were
have been easily enough. He was a great
coming and they were going to clear out. They
friend of Dr. Trim and might have known
would have tortured Koslof until he gave them
something about Dr. Trim’s explosive. If he
the other part of Trim’s formula.”
could have obtained all of the formula, any
Marco and Kemper reached the plane
government would have paid him royally for
just as the troopers were helping Dr. Koslof
it.”
out. The Russian was pale, haggard-eyed.
“How did you know the formula was
“Thank God, gentlemen, that you are
that of an explosive?” Marco asked abruptly.
safe,” he said to Kemper and Marco as soon as
“Why, I had one of the slips myself. It
he was on the ground. “And thanks to you
was stolen from me about a week ago. I had it
members of the police force who saved my
in my desk together with some blue prints. It
life.”
was not difficult to learn what the formula was
Kemper was tugging impatiently at for, after seeing the portion of nitrogen Marco’s sleeve. “Some detective you turned
compounds used in its preparation.”
out to be!” he scoffed. “There’s Letchman
Marco nodded with apparent
now!”
satisfaction. He crossed over to where Dr.
“Where?” Marco turned to look about
Koslof was standing, telling the story of his
him.
capture to the police.
“With the troopers. See, he’s got an
“And I saw with my own eyes,”
automatic in his band. By the great horn Koslof was saying, “the criminal gang execute spoon, as Mnndy would say, I think he’s the
their own leader. Welsh, Winters, and Burk
man who shot down the aviator. Why, the note
were not satisfied with the amount of money
with the unidentified body must have just been
Colonel Samons intended to pay them for the
planted to divert suspicion from the real job. They put Samons in the coffin and hurled criminals!”
him—”
The bearded Professor Letchman came
“You mean,” Marco interrupted, “that
up to them. Above his black beard, a smile
Samons is the unidentified man who fell from
twisted his lips. “Mr. Marco and Mr. Kemper,
that coffin not more than an hour ago?”
I had to do something to prevent myself being
“I do not know the condition of his
branded as a coward. I was afraid of body,” replied Koslof. “But he-was thrown everyone—even Dr. Durn. I ran from the from that catapult.”
infirmary tonight just as though Durn intended
Marco hummed softly for a moment.
to harm me! Tonight, when I saw you “And did the criminals succeed in making you gentlemen in my house, I was afraid again.
give up your part of the Trim formula, Dr.
But I thought I might sneak through that Koslof?”
window to get my gun, and hold yon till the
“Why, no. I would not be alive at this
police arrived. I thought you were criminals!”
moment if they had. They were too great
“Yes,” said Marco. “But how did you
cowards to risk tale-telling after they had
happen to bring the troopers here?”
taken the formula parts from their victims.”
“The catapult, of course. I suddenly
“I suppose that’s true,” said Marco.
realized that my catapult must be throwing the
“However, there are some points to clear up.
coffins from the airport to the campus.”
For example, why did you call the airport
“Did you know that Mr. Welsh was in
tonight when you wanted to get in touch with
Shrieking Coffins
23
Professor Letchman?”
get it. Hsin, a master of espionage, had learned
“Because Letchman spent most of his
of your criminal organization. That is why Mr.
time out here. Isn’t that true, Letchman?”
Welsh shot Hsin. And Welsh knew that I
The bearded professor nodded.
would pick up Samon’s wallet which Hsin had
Marco persisted, “But no one dropped after stealing it from the colonel. You answered your call, Dr. Koslof. The ringing of
believed that that wallet contained a portion of
the telephone bell in the air hangar could have
the Trim formula. You confided in Kemper
easily been a signal to Burk and Winters to
and me because you hoped to scare me into
shoot the coffin containing Brandon from the
giving you the slip of paper from Samons’
catapult. Brandon was killed only seconds wallet as soon as possible. And I did give it to after your call.”
you to avoid being tortured in that coffin. I
“A mere coincidence,” replied Koslof
demand that you submit to a search.”
bruskly. “How could I have had anything to
Koslof shrugged and raised his hands
do with it? I was their prisoner!”
above his head. “You may search me. You
Marco frowned. “Apparently. But a will find only the slip of paper that Dr. Trim man can put handcuffs on himself. The fact
gave to me in the first place.”
that you appeared to be a prisoner makes a
The leader of the state police watched
pretty good alibi with all the rest of the Marco carefully as the latter looked over criminal gang either dead or dying.”
Koslof’s belongings. Marco found a folded bit
“See here, Mr.
Marco,” one of the state
of paper in Koslof’s vest pocket.
troopers cut in, “I know you by reputation—a
“Okeh,” he said. “You insist that this
darned good reputation, too. But it looks as
was given to you by Dr. Trim?”
though you had a grudge against Dr. Koslof.”
Koslof nodded his head. “Certainly!”
“I have!” declared Marco. “I hate all
Marco took a match from his trousers
murderers. And Dr. Koslof was the brains and
pocket. He lighted it and held it beneath the
leader of this gang!”
formula-covered scrap of paper. “Watch,” he
“The man is mad!” Koslof sneered.
said.
“Yet you do not deny having one of
The policeman stared in wonder as
the slips from Dr. Trim’s formula in your
slowly, very slowly, heat from the match
possession?” Marco asked. “Does it seem brought brown pen lines out on the paper. The logical that Dr. Trim, an American citizen in
trooper cursed. “Why, it’s invisible ink!”
possession of a secret of great importance to
“Read what it says,” Marco directed.
his country’s war department, would entrust a
The trooper read aloud:
portion of that secret to a foreigner?”
This paper taken from Marco by
KOSLOFS face flushed. “I was Trim’s friend.
means of extortion under threat of death by
I fully intended to take out citizenship papers
Dr. Koslof and his gang.
as soon as possible. Why, Colonel Samons—”
“Colonel Samons,” Marco interrupted,
“Watch Koslof!” Will Kemper
“was murdered because he was in possession
shouted.
of certain Chinese papers compiled by Mr.
Marco whirled, saw Koslof break
Hsin. Hsin, I believe, can be proved an agent
through the ring of state police and run
of the Chinese central government. Hsin, it is
towards the motor car. A hoarse command
true, was trying to get the Trim formula for his
from the troopers’ captain. Automatics roared,
own country. But he would not have killed to
Koslof staggered threw his hands above his
Secret Agent X
24
head, and pitched forward on his face.
the terrors of the revolution. The truck load of
“You see, Will,” Marco explained coffins suggested a very convenient method of softly, “I wrote that addition to the Trim torture and execution.”
formula inside a coffin! The fountain pen I
“And where are the other slips of the
used contained invisible ink that I used in my
Trim formula?” Kemper asked.
show this evening for “spirit writing.”
“Hidden around here somewhere. I’m
“But what made you suspect Koslof in
not interested because they’re no good without
the first place?” asked Kemper.
the fifth slip!” Marco was lighting a cigarette
“The coffin killings. It was an old from a little paper twill.
Russian custom during the terrible days of
Kemper stared at the detective. “Lord!
revolution. Ammunition came dear. Enemies
That’s a part of the Trim formula. It’s worth
of the revolutionists were sometimes nailed in
millions!”
coffins and dumped over a convenient wall
“Perhaps,” Marco said coolly, “but not
without bothering to execute them first. worth millions of lives.” Grimly he watched Koslof, of course, wasn’t associated with any
the paper burn to frail black ashes that
government in this business. He wanted to sell
crumbled and fluttered down upon the
the Trim formula to the highest bidder, I trampled snow.
suppose. But he was a Russian and knew all