Egyptian Cross Mystery Read Free

Luden. “Me—I dunno. I’m jest a country constable. I don’t know nothin’, see? Ain’t had more’n a tramp in th’ lock-up fer three years. But I tell ye, gentlem’n,” he said darkly, “there’s more to it than jest religion.”
    “No one in town, I suppose,” asserted Ellery, frowning, “is a suspect.”
    “Nob’dy that loony, mister. I tell ye—it’s someb’dy connected with Van’s past.”
    “Have there been strangers in town recently?”
    “Nary a one. … So Matt an’ me an’ th’ boys, we identified th’ body from th’ size, gen’ral build, clothin’ an’ papers an’ sech, an’ we took ’im down. On th’ way back to town we stopped in at Van’s house. …”
    “Yes,” said Ellery eagerly. “And what did you find?”
    “Hell let loose,” said Constable Luden, chewing savagely on his cud. “Signs of a ter’ble struggle, all th’ chairs upset, blood on most everythin’, that big T in blood on th’ front door th’ papers been makin’ so much about, an’ poor ol’ Kling gone.”
    “Ah,” said the Inspector. “The servant. Just gone, hey? Take his duds, did he?”
    “Well,” replied the Constable, scratching his head, “I don’t rightly know. Coroner’s sort o’ taken things out o’ my hands. I know they’re lookin’ fer Kling—an’ I think,” he closed one eye slowly, “I think fer someb’dy else, too. But I can’t say nothin’ about that,” he added hastily.
    “Any trace of Kling yet?” asked Ellery.
    “Not’s I know of. Gen’ral alarm’s out. Body was taken to th’ county seat, Weirton—that’s eleven-twelve mile away, in charge o’ th’ Coroner. Coroner sealed up Van’s house, too. State police are on th’ job, an’ the District Attorney o’ Hancock County.”
    Ellery mused, and the Inspector stirred restlessly in his chair. Constable Luden stared with fascination at Ellery’s pince-nez.
    “And the head was hacked off,” murmured Ellery, at last “Queer. By an ax, I believe?”
    “Yep, we found th’ ax in th’ house. Was Kling’s. No finger marks.”
    “And the head itself?”
    Constable Luden shook his head. “No sign of it. Guess th’ crazy murd’rer jest took it along as a sort o’ souvenir. Haw!”
    “I think,” said Ellery, putting on his hat, “that we’ll go, Dad. Thank you, Constable.” He offered his hand, and the Constable took it flabbily. A grin came over his face as he felt something pressed into his palm. He was so delighted that he forwent his siesta and walked them to the street.

2. New Year’s in Weirton
    T HERE WAS NO LOGICAL reason for Ellery Queen’s persistent interest in the case of the crucified schoolmaster. He should have been in New York. Word had come to the Inspector that he must cut short his holiday and return to Centre Street; and where the Inspector went, Ellery usually followed. But something in the atmosphere of the West Virginia county seat, a suppressed excitement that filled Weirton’s streets with whispered rumors, held him there. The Inspector gave up in disgust and entrained for New York, Ellery driving him to Pittsburgh.
    “Just what,” demanded the old man, as Ellery tucked him into a Pullman seat, “do you think you’ll accomplish? Come on—tell me. I suppose you’ve got it solved already, hey?”
    “Now, Inspector,” said Ellery in a soothing voice, “watch your blood pressure. I’m merely interested. I’ve never run across anything as baldly lunatic as this. I’m going to wait for the inquest. I want to hear that evidence Luden hinted at.”
    “You’ll come back to New York with your tail between your legs,” predicted the Inspector darkly.
    “Oh, no doubt,” grinned Ellery. “At the same time, I’ve quite run out of fiction ideas, and this thing has so many possibilities …”
    They let it go at that. The train pulled out and left Ellery standing on the platform of the terminal, free and vaguely uneasy. He drove back to Weirton the same day.
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