Shrieking Coffins by G Read online

  “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