Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-21
The Scarab Murder Case
BY s. 8. Van Dine


your study at The same time e ths
report"
slowly. in o hoarse whisper.
Maybe 10 fell outA your necktae."
Heath suggested antagonistically, thrust
ing his jaw forward.
What do you mean7" The DOCTORS
tone was dull and frightened. II dldRt
have It in this necktie. left II IN the
"eereeantl" Vance gave Heath 0
look Of stern reproval. lets 10 a1 this
thing calmly and with discretion"
"Mr. VAnce"--Heath's aGNfUasivenen8
dIa not relax-"1'm here TO ana cut
who croaked Kyle And the person Who
had every opportunity 10 % Il h this
Or. Bliss. On top Of that fact We 6Na
= financial report and 2 stickpln thas
And there's those footprtnSs-"
All you say Is true, sergeant" vance
cut him short. But bAIlyrAgKang She
doctor viii not give " the explanakion
Of this extr'ordin'ry situation"
Bliss had shrlnk back into his chair.
"Oh, my Qodl" he TaoAned. - 80
what you're getting 81. You think !
killed hirnl" He turned his eye =
Vance in desperate entreAty. II teN
you I've been asleep since . o'clock. !
didn't even know Kyle was hsrc: =
Vance, you can't believe"
There was . sound Of angry voAoe
at the main door Of the museum, eAA
we all looked In that direction. AZ tAe
head Of the stairs stood HenneeeeV, Ra1
ar1mS wide. protesting voluhly. On the
door-sill was q young woman.
This Is my house." abe said b .
shrill, angry voice. How dare yOu ell
me can't enter here :"
Scarlet at once hurried toward tAnA
stairs.
"fts my wife" Bliss informed @.
why Il she refused Adrnittanee. N.
Before vance could answer, EsasA
was shouting:
That's en- right, Hennsssss. IL u"
Mrs. Bliss nastened down the Stair,
and almost ran TO her husband.
"Oh, what Ia Il, Mindrunn7 what
has happened" She dropped to aer
knees and put her arms about the dos
tors shoulders. At that instant che
caught sight Of Kylee body ana, with
o gasp and q Shudder, turned her eyOs
away.
She was q striking looking woman.
whose age surmiSed, was about 2S OK
a. Her large eyes were dark and
heavily lashed. and her skin wa D
deep olive. Her Egyptian blood va
most marked In the sensual f1llnese g
her lips and In her high, prominent
cheekbones, which gave her facs de-
cidedly oriental character. There was
something about her that recalled %
my mind the beautiful reconstructed
painting made Of Queen Nefret-iu ~
Winifred Brunton. She wore powder.
blue toque hat not unlike the head
dress Of Nefret-iti herself; and her
gown Of cinnamon brown georgette
crepe chung closely to her slender, vel
rounded body, bringing out and empha-
sizing It's sensuous curves There were
both strength and beauty In her supple
figure, which followed the lines OF Ao
old Oriental ideal such Is We ma N
fngres' pain Tirc."
Despite her youth she possessed .
distinct air Of maturity and poise--
there were undeniAble depths TO her
nature; and I could easily imagine. o.
I watched her kneelinS beside BlAa,
that she might be capable Of powerfN
emotions and equally powerful deeds.
Il learned subsequently, from scar.
lett that Mrs. Blies' mother had been
. Coptic lady Of noble descent Who
traced her lin.age from the last SAite
Pharoahs, and who, despite her Chris
tan faith, had retained her trAditionAl
veneration for the native gods Of her
country. Her only child, Meryt-A Amen
("Beloved of Amun'O, had been named
In honor Of the great RAnses II, whose
full title as Son Of the Sun-0od wAs
Ra-moSe-su Mery-AfnuYl.
Bliss pAtted her shoulder IN An e.
fectionAtely pAterna1 manner. Ais
eyes, though, were abstrActAd.
Kyle IL dead, my dear" ne told hsE
in q hollow voice. "He's been killed /.
and these gentlemen are accusing me
Of having done it.
her feet. For q moment her great eyes
stared uncomprehendingly ct her hus-
band: then she turned on Ia In Q nAsa-
ing rage. But before she could speak
Vance stepped toward her.
"The doctor Is not quite accurAeeD
Mrs, Bliss" he said In q low, even
tone I'VE have not aecsued him. We
are merely making an investigation o.
this tragic affair; and IL hAppene Mat
the doctors scarab pin WA found near
"what Of III" She had become
strangely calm. ANY enc might have
dropped it there"
Exactly, madam" Vance returned
with friendly assurance. "Our main
object in this investigation Il 10 aseer-
tain who that person was"
The wofna11's eyes were half closed,
and she stood rigid, As II trAnshxed BY
q sudden devastating thought:
Eyes yes" She breAthed. some
some one" Her voice died out, ana
. cloud. a. Of pain, came over her face.
But quickly she drew herself together,
and, taking q deep breath, looked resoA
lutely into vanceB eyes.
whoever 1t was that did this terrible
thing, want you to ind him." Her
expression became set ana hard. "Ane
I win help you: Do you understand
I viii help you"
plying. -.
/ shall call on you for that kelp" he
you can DO at this moment. A few prs
1iminary routine things must be done
| first In the meantime would appre-
clAte your waiting for US in the draw.
ing room-there win be several questions
we shall want to ask you presently. HAM
may accompany you"
I had been Watching the Egyptian
with one eye during this little scene.
| When Mrs. Bliss had entered the TiAU-
scum. he had barely turned in her d.
rection, but when che had begun speak
ing to Vance he had moved silently
toward them. He now stood, his arms
| folded, Just behind the irlaid oolaer,
with his eyes fixed upon the woman, IN
an attitude Of protective devotion.
Come, Meryt-Amen," he GAid. IT
viii remain with you till these gentle
men wish to consult you. There Il moth
ing to fear. SAkhmet has had her Just
revenge, and she II beyond the mundane
I power Of Occidental law"
The woman hesitAted q moment
Then, going TO Bliss, she kisee6 him