Shrieking Coffins by G Read online

  Mundy’s inane view.”

  coffin were four men. Yellow lantern light

  The fourth man whose lower jaw was

  scintillated on snow crystals and lent a heavily bearded and whose eyes were shy and ghoulish cast to the horrified faces of the men.

  furtive, commented, “It’s fairly obvious that

  “Gents,” called Mundy, “here’s a man

  this coffin is not that of John Kalvin.”

  who can tell us all about this in short order.

  “Yes,” Marco interrupted dryly. “But

  You’ve all heard of Mr. Marco.”

  if none of you have any explanation—well,

  A dark skinned man, rather plump, you with the beard, give me a hand with this clean-shaven, and having features that Marco

  coffin. We’ll move it down on the level.”

  Secret Agent X

  6

  “I’d—rather not,” the bearded man would wait a long time for anyone to help stuttered. He melted back from the black him, he dug both hands in under the bloody coffin until he was hardly visible among the

  corpse and lifted the body from the casket. He

  shadows.

  carried it twenty feet away and placed it

  “That’s Professor Letchman, the man

  gently in the snow.

  with the beard,” whispered Will Kemper.

  “Dr. Durn, I believe you could render

  “He’s something of an egg—the queer your medical opinion as to cause of death.

  variety.”

  That will convince the coroner, when he

  Marco seized the frosty handles of the

  arrives, that we are not too neglectful.”

  coffin and gave it a tug. It slid smoothly

  Marco then searched in his pocket and

  across the snow and to a lateral position. He

  took out a pocket knife. He opened it and

  turned it over, noticing the blood that streaked

  returned to the coffin. He pushed his flashlight

  the snow beneath, fumbled at the clasp and

  into Will Kemper’s hand. “You can hold this.

  suddenly threw back the lid. Marshal Kvale

  I’m going to examine that coffin. There’s a

  crowded in, lantern above his head. A guttural

  chance that we can find something quite

  oath from Dr. Koslof. Then moments of significant about it. You see—”

  horrified silence.

  The white satin cushions of the coffin

  MARCO stopped. There was something about

  were sodden with blood. Inside was the the lid of the coffin that he had not noticed cramped and twisted body of a man. His face

  before. The lining had been stripped from the

  was a hellish contortion with a grimacing lid and the metal top plate had been drilled.

  mouth and death-glazed eyes.

  There were several holes in the steel just about

  “It’s Professor Scolar!” gasped Dr. where the professor’s head had rested.

  Koslof. “Murdered!” His fat hands gripped

  Through these holes drops of blood had

  Marco’s furry shoulder. “You will help us,

  passed.

  Mr. Marco?”

  “Very odd,” remarked Dr. Koslof who

  Marco grumbled. “Give me a hand had come up behind them. “What is your with the body, someone. Dr. Durn, you’re

  opinion, Mr. Marco?”

  used to death. Let’s lift this out.”

  Marco pointed to the holes. “I do not

  Marshal Kvale put a detaining hand on

  think that the body was placed in the coffin,”

  Marco’s arm. “I don’t think you ought to do

  he said with a significant raise of the

  that, Mr. Marco,” he said timidly. “It’s very

  eyebrows.

  irregular. The coroner—”

  Marshal Kvale laughed harshly.

  “I’ll be entirely responsible,” said “You’ll be telling us that the coffin was built Marco firmly. He could tell by the degree of

  around the body next.”

  blood coagulation that Professor Scolar had

  Marco shrugged and dropped to his

  not been long dead. Marco was for hunting

  knees in the snow. Will Kemper knelt beside

  clews while the trail was hot. “You see,” he

  him.

  explained to the marshal, “I think we can learn

  “Marco, do you suppose Professor Scolar was

  something pretty definite as to how the murdered because of that envelope, you know professor met his death.”

  the one he left with me?”

  “Isn’t that obvious?” asked the bearded

  “Shsh,” Marco cautioned. A sudden

  Professor Letchman. “Stabbed, I should say.”

  movement at the other side of the casket. He

  Marco pursed his lips. “We can’t be

  looked up. Professor Letchman was staring at

  sure,” he muttered. Then realizing that he the coffin. His eyes seemed to crawl from

  Shrieking Coffins

  7

  their sockets. He tottered, pitched suddenly

  provoking slowness.

  backwards.

  “What do you mean?” snapped

  They crowded around the fallen Kemper. “Why must you speak in riddles?

  professor. Mundy was gibbering, “The killer,

  Give it to us straight”

  by gum! He couldn’t take it!” He thrust in past

  “All right. The holes in the lid—what

  Marco and Will, seized Letchman by the were they placed there for? To permit Scolar collar, and tried to pull the man to his feet.

  to breathe!”

  “Leave him alone, Mundy!” Marco

  Kemper’s face suddenly paled. “God!

  ordered. “Letchman is sick. He’s fainted.”

  You mean that he was put in there alive?”

  “And if that ain’t a confession, then I

  Marco nodded. “Entombed alive—the

  don’t know one when I see it.”

  most hellish kind of mental torture. And

  “No-no,” Marco contradicted. He coupled with the horror of his situation, Scolar knew that he must manage Mundy with must have been conscious of impending flattery or threat. He resorted to the latter.

  doom. The holes were placed there so that he

  “You don’t want to arrest him. Do you know

  might live until he could be of no more use to

  what he could do to you for preferring false

  the killer. After he had given the killer what

  charges? You haven’t a shred of proof, you

  was wanted, probably as a last resort to gain

  know. Many a man faints at the sight of his life and liberty, then he was promptly blood.” He turned to the university physician.

  murdered!”

  “Am I not correct, Dr. Durn? Letchman has

  “Then

  it

  was that—”

  merely fainted. I suggest that he be taken to

  A look from Marco silenced Kemper.

  the infirmary until he has recovered.”

  Marco, too, suspected that the cause of

  Dr. Durn nodded. “If Dr. Koslof will

  Professor Scolar’s death was that mysterious

  help me, I’ll take Letchman over to my office.

  envelope that Scolar had entrusted to Kemper

  I don’t think there is anything seriously wrong

  for a while. What it could have contained, he

  with him.”

  had no idea. Something with enough value to

  The Russian agreed, and together Durn

  motivate murder in its most dreadful form.

  and Koslof pi
cked up the limp form of Marco, however, had no desire to discuss the Letchman and started across the campus secret envelope with Kvale. The town marshal towards the infirmary. Doggedly, Mundy would only hamper Marco’s actions if Marco followed them. He evidently had no intention

  told him everything that he suspected.

  of letting his chief suspect slip out from under

  his sight.

  SUDDENLY Marco’s keen ears sensed a

  Marco motioned Kvale and Kemper

  movement behind them. He turned, flashlight

  back to the coffin. “I’ve found the weapon—

  beaming through the darkness to strike the

  or at least a part of it,” he confided. “Look.”

  short, stumpy figure of a man. The spot of

  He raised the loosened lining of the coffin and

  light lingered upon the newcomer’s face. Skin

  displayed a sharp steel spike fully eight inches

  like yellow satin, wide mouth, yellow-brown

  in length that was welded to the side of the

  almond eyes. “A Chink!” Marco husked.

  coffin. It was darkly stained with Professor

  The Chinese regarded them with

  Scolar’s blood. He looked from Kemper to the

  unblinking eyes. “Is there some trouble, sirs?

  marshal. “Now do you understand what I An accident? I trust nothing serious?” The meant when I said the body was not placed in Chinese approached the coffin warily. A jack-the coffin?” He took out a cigarette case,

  o-lantern smile split his yellow face. “Ah,

  selected a cigarette, and lighted it with good evening, Mr. Kemper. I have not seen

  Secret Agent X

  8

  you for some time.”

  By the time Marco caught up with

  “I wonder,” whispered Will Kemper.

  Kemper, he was on his knees, scratching along

  Then aloud, “Hsin, this is Mr. Marco, the

  the concrete with his fingers, trying to get a

  detective.”

  grip on the edge of the manhole cover. “Got

  Hsin bowed. “Charmed,” he said.

  it!” he cried triumphantly. With a sudden jerk,

  “Mr. Hsin is president of the Chinese

  he threw the iron cover over. It fell with a

  Student Club,” explained Kemper.

  resounding crash.

  Marco nodded absently. He was

  Marco scowled. “I’d hate to go hunting

  wondering if Hsin’s voice really did resemble

  with you, Will,” he said sternly.

  that of the man who had thrown a knife at

  Kemper paid no attention to Marco.

  Will Kemper that evening. He stepped over to

  Instead, he dropped his legs through the

  Hsin and took him firmly by the arm. He

  opening and jumped into the tunnel. Marco

  guided the wondering Chinese over to the spot

  followed more cautiously. His feet struck the

  where the body of Professor Scolar lay. His

  cold concrete floor of the tunnel, sending

  gray eyes watched the Chinese narrowly. “Ah,

  needles of pain prickling up his legs. He was

  how unfortunate,” said Hsin. The words might

  literally smothered in a darkness that was

  have come from a phonograph. Hsin’s face

  almost tangible. Furthermore, he had

  was void of expression. “How did it happen?”

  completely lost his sense of direction. He

  Then, on the sidewalk that stood out

  knew that they were farther away from the

  black against the snow that covered the power house, the source of the steam tunnels, ground, Marco saw something that demanded

  than their quarry. But which direction led to

  his immediate attention. Steam pipes, he the power house?

  knew, in a tunnel beneath the sidewalk, kept it

  “Where are you, Marco?” came

  always dry. But what had attracted him was

  Kemper’s stage whisper from down the

  the iron manhole cover set in the concrete.

  passage. Marco turned to follow the sound and

  Either he was dreaming, or it had raised a few

  suddenly ran into something—something that

  inches, then been softly lowered back into

  had life and was moving. The blow of a heavy

  place. Marco masked his astonishment. He

  fist pounded into Marc’s mid-section. He

  addressed Mr. Hsin. “You can find out the

  grunted, led out with both arms, felt his right

  details from Marshal Kvale. Mr. Kemper and I

  fist smash against somebody’s chin. The man

  have an appointment.”

  groaned. His feet shuffled on the floor. Then

  “Eh?” Will asked bewilderedly.

  there was the sound of a heavy body falling.

  Marco gave his companion’s arm a

  Marco snatched his flashlight from his pocket

  pinch. “Quiet,” he whispered. He steered Will

  and sent its searching beam in the direction of

  to the sidewalk and marched him briskly the sound. The spot of yellow light centered around behind a hedge of evergreens that upon the face of a middle-aged man who sat bordered the walk at that particular point.

  with his back against the wall. He was

  “There’s someone down in the steam

  tenderly feeling the point of his chin.

  tunnel beneath this sidewalk,” he said. “We’ll

  “Why, it’s Colonel Samons!”

  run ahead to the next manhole and see if we

  exclaimed Kemper as he came up. “What’s

  can head him off.”

  the matter, Colonel?”

  Kemper jumped like a sprinter from

  The man called Samons snorted. His

  the starting line and dashed down the gray mustache worked up and down as his lips sidewalk. That was like Kemper, acting on

  formed oaths. “You, Will Kemper, mixed up

  impulse.

  in this criminal plot! I tell you, sir, you’ll have

  Shrieking Coffins

  9

  a lot of explaining to do!”

  The colonel nodded confidently. “Of

  Will Kemper flushed angrily. “I should

  course. And that will satisfy you, Mr. Kemper,

  explain? Well, at least I am in the company of

  as to how I happened to be down here. I could

  a reliable criminal investigator. This is Mr.

  see no indication of the coffin having been

  Paul Marco.”

  carried any great distance through the snow. I

  Colonel Samons picked himself up, immediately hit upon the idea that the coffin smoothed his white mustache, and looked was secreted along this steam passage and daggers at Marco. “I should be pleased to

  then brought to the surface through one of

  meet you in the boxing ring any time, sir. That

  those manholes.”

  was a nice blow you handed me. I really could

  Marco shook his head. “Afraid you’ve

  not retaliate as I otherwise would have, I had your prowl for nothing. You didn’t find assure you.”

  any trace left by the coffin down here?”

  “I think,” said Kemper, “that you’ll

  “Why—er, no! I must confess that my

  have a little explaining to do on your part,

  search was for nothing as far as actual proof is

  Colonel Samons. Isn’t it a bit unusual to find a

  concerned. However, I am perfectly certain

  man of your dignity wandering around a place

  that the coffin was
brought through here.”

  like this?”

  Marco motioned with his head. “Come

  “Unusual, perhaps,” agreed Samons. “I

  back this way; I’ll show you something.” He

  was going to a game of bridge—”

  walked back the way they had come. His

  “Through a sewer?” Kemper cut in.

  flashlight pointed at the ceiling of the tunnel

  “Nothing of the sort! I was walking

  and at the round manhole. He smiled gently.

  with constable Mundy when it happened. We

  “I am afraid that you’ll never make a

  heard a most unearthly noise, and suddenly

  detective, Colonel. A coffin is simply too big

  there appeared on the grave of John Kalvin a

  to get through such an opening!”

  black steel coffin.”

  “Yes, we know all about that,”

  CHAPTER III

  declared Kemper.

  THE THEFT OF COFFINS

  “Indeed?” said Samons icily. “Then

  will you be so good as to tell me how the

  A FEW minutes later, they were out in the

  coffin got there?”

  open again. Marco considered the colonel an

  Marco laughed gently. “We don’t unfathomable enigma. Was his pompous know all about what has turned out to be the

  attitude, his self-confidence, merely a guise

  most gruesome murder that I have ever hiding other qualities even more disagreeable?

  encountered. To be perfectly frank, I have

  His explanation as to how he had got into the

  been so intent on the coffin itself that I haven’t

  tunnel was logical enough. Still, the greatest

  stopped to think how it got there.”