Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-23
The Scarab Murder Case
By S. s. Van Dine

Looks to me like they'd been made
by some guy who'd lifted up this statue.
=. Both hands show around the ankles.
Pass me the camera, Bellamy."
Bliss had paid. scant heed to the en-
trance of the fingerprint men, but when
HAM had begun to speak he had reused
himself from his respondent lethargy
and concentrated his attention on the
Egyptian. Then, when Dubois had an
nounced the presence Of f1ngerprints he
had stared, with terrible intentness, at
the statue. A startling change come
over him. He was like q man In the
fore Dubois had finished speaking he
leaped to his feet and stood In frozen
attitude of stark terror.
God help mel" he cried, and the
cound Of his voice sent chill over me.
"These are my fingerprints on that
statue!'
The effect of this admission was
dumfounding. Even Vance seemed
momentarily shaken out of his habit
iial claim, and going to a small stand
ard ashtray he abStractedly crushed
out his cigarette, though he had smoked
less than half Of 1t.
Heath was the first to break the cleo
trio silence that followed Bliss cry Of
anguish. He took his dead cigar from
his lips and thrust out his chin.
"Sure, they're your flngerprintsl" he
snapped unpleasantly. who else's would
they be?"
"Just a moment sergeant" Vance
had wholly recovered himself, and his
voice was casual "Fingerprints can be
very misleadin', y know. And q few
digital signatures on q lethal weapon
don't mean that their author Is neces-
sarily murderer. It's most important,
d. We see, to ascertain when and under
what circumstances the signatures were
made"
He approached Bliss, who had re-
manned staring at the statue Of Sakhmet
like stricken man.
"I say, doctor"-he had assumed an
easy, offhand manner-"how do you
know these flngerprints are yours?"
How do know" Bliss repeated the
question in a resigned. colorless tone.
He appeared to have aged before our
very eyes, and his white, sunken cheeks
made him resemble a deaths head.
"Because-oh, my Godl Because made
theml made them last night
or, rather, early this morning, before
I turned In. took hold of the statue
around the ankles-exactly where that
gentleman says there are the marks Of
two hands"
"And how did you happen to do
that, doctor?" Vance asked quietly.
"I did 1t without Thoughtful even
forgotten doing it till the fingerprints
were mentioned" Bliss spoke with few
erish earnestness. He seemed to feel
taht his very life depended on his be-
ing believed. when had finished ar
ranging all the figures of the report
early this morning, at about 8 o'clock,
came down here to the museum. I'd
told Kyle about the new shipment and
/ wanted to make sure that every
thing was In order for his inspec-
ton. :. You see. Mr.. Vance, q great
deal depended on the impression the
new treasures made on him. -. I
looked over the items in that end cabi-
net and then redrew the curtain. Just
as I was about to depart noticed
that the statue of Sakhn1et had not
been placed evenly on the top Of the
cabinet-it was not in the exact cen
ter and was, slightly sidewise. So I
reached up and Strengthened taking
hold Of it by the ankles. -. :"
Pardon me for intruding, Vance"
Scarlett, troubled look on his face,
had stepped forward-"but can as
sure you that such an act was quite
natural with DR.. Bliss. He's Stickler
for orderliness-it's good-natured joke
among the rest Of us. We never dare
leave anything out of place; he's con-
stantly criticizing us and rearranging
things after u"
Vance nodded.
"Then, as I understand you, Scarlet,
II q statue was left Q bit askew it
would be practically inevitable that DR..
Bliss, on seeing It, would set 1t right"
"Yes-I think that's reasonable con-
clusion"
MANY thanks" Vance turned again
to Bliss. "Your exclamation Is that YOU
adjusted the statue Of Sakhmet by tax
ing hold of its ankles, and forthwith
went to bed?"
That's the trlth-so help me God!"
The man searched Vance's eyes eagerly.
"I turned out the lights and went up
stairs And I've not set foot In the
museum till you knocked on my study
door"
(To be continued.)