Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-23
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and threw It open. Hanf stood
W lust outside in the hall, with
' folded arms, silent, watchfu
sentinel.
HAS the doctor left the study'"
Vance asked.
Good" Vance started down the hall.
"Come Markham. Let's see what bit
Of extra-legal persuasion will do"
Markham and Heath and followed
him. He did not knock on the study
door, but threw 1t open un-
"on. sayi Something's amiss"
Vance's comment came simultaneously
with our realization that the study was
empty. Dashed queer" He went 70
the steel door leading to the spiral
stairs, and opened 1t. mo doubt the
doctor is communin' with his
treasures" He passed through the
door and descended the steps, the rest
Of US trailing along.
Vance drew up at the foot Of the
stairs and put his hand to his forehead
Wen never interview Bliss again IN
This world" he said in q low voice.
There was no need for him TO explain
In the corner opposite, IN aimoSS tne
exact place where we had found kyies
body the preceding day. Bliss lay
Sprawled face downward In q pool OF
blood. Across the back of his crushed
sklll streatched the hfe-Sized statue OF
AnlIbis The heavy figure Of the under
world god had apparently fallen on him
as he leaned over his precious items IN
the cabinet before which he had muir
dered Kyle. The coincidence was SO
staggering that none OF us was aole
To speak for several moments. We
stood. in q kind of paralyZed awe, look
ing down on the body Of the great
Psychologist. r ~.
sIt's incrediblel" His voice was
strained and unnatural. Theree
divine retribution In this"
"Oh. doubtless" Vance moved TO the
fact OF the statue and bent over. How
ever. I don't 20 In for mysticism myself.
I'm an impiriciSt-Same like Wenlnger
said the English are" He adjusted his
n,onocle. "Ahl Sorry to diSappoint you,
and an that. But there's nothing super
natural about the demise Of the doctor.
behold, Markham, the doctor was lean
ine over his treasures, he Jared the
statue in some way, and it toppled over
on him"
N the statue Of AnubiS stood where IL
had been when we first saw It; but the
figure, from the ankles up, had broken
lyon see" Vance was saying. point
ing 10 the base, "the ankles are very
slender, and the statue Is made OF lime
stone-a rather fragile substance. the
ankles no doubt were cracked IN snip
ping, and the tremendous weight OF the
body weakened the flaw"
Heath inspected the statue closely.
''That's what happened, all right, ne
remarked, Strengthening up. Il ainT
had many breaks in my life, Chlet, ne
added to Markham with felgneo
iauntineSs; "but never want petter
one than this. Mr.. Vance mighta
mred the doc into confession-ano ne
mighta failed. Now we got nothing 70
"01ite true" Markham nodded
vaguely. He was still under the in
fiuence of the astounding change In the
situation. "I'm leaving you In charge,
sergeant. You'd better call the local
ambulance and work is finished. III
take care Of the reporters in the morn
ing. The case Is on the SHELL tnanA
God!" j,
He stood for some time, his eyes fixed
an the body. He looked haggard, but
I knew q great. weight had been taken
OF Of his mind. BY Bliss unexpected
0 si'Il attend 10 everything, sir" Heath
assured him. But what about break
ing the news to Mrs. Bliss?"
"Hani viii do that" said Vance. He
put his hand on Markhams arm;
sleep. Let's stagger round to my
humble abode and m give you q
brandy-and-soda. stil have some Ma
poleon '4s left"
As we emerged into the front hall
Vance beckoned to HAM.
very touchin', but your beloved en-
ployer has gone to Amentet TO join tine
shades Of the Pharaohs."
"FIe is dead?" The Egyptian lifted his
eyebrows slightly.
"Oh. quite, Hani. Anubis fell on him
as he leaned over the end cabinet A
most effective death. But there was a
certain Justice in 1t. DR.. Bliss was
guilty Of Mr.. Kyle's murder"
"You and knew that all along, ell
fendi." The man smiled wistfuny az
Vance. But I fear that the doctor
death may have been my fault. When
unnacked the statue Of Anubis and
set it in the corner, noticed that the
ankles were cracked. did not tell the
doctor. for I was afraid he might &C
cuse me of having been careless or OF
having deliberately injured his treas
ure''
"No one is going to blame you for
DR.. Bliss DEATH" Vance said casually.
''We're leaving you to inform Mrs. Bliss
of the tragedy. And Mr.. Salveter will
be returning early tomorrow morn
ing. Es-salamu alei-kum."
ma es-salam, effendi."
Vance and Markham and / passed out
into the reavy night air.
Lets walk" Vance said. TITS only
q little over a mile to my apartment,
and I feel the need Of exercise"
Markham fell In with the suggestion,
silence. When we had crossed Madi-
son Square and passed the Stuyvesant
Club Markham spoke.
"It's almost unbelievable, Vance. It's
the sort Of thing that makes one SUI
perstitious. Here we are, confronted Dy
an insoluble problem. We knew Bliss
was guilty, and yet there was no way
to reach him. And while we were de-
batting the case he stepped into the mu-
scum and was accidentally killed by
a falling status on practically the same
spot where he murdered Kyle.
Damn it, Such things don't happen In
the orderly course Of the worlds events
And what makes it even more fantastic
Is that you suggested that he might
meet with an accident"
Eyes, yes. Interestin' coincidence
Vance seemed disinclined to discuss the
matter.
~And that Egyptian" Markham rum
aled on. "He wasn't in the least as
konished when you informed him Of
Bliss death. He acted almost as II M
expected some such news"
He suddenly drew up short. Vanct
and I stopped, too. and looked at him
BIS eyes were blazing.
HAM killed Bliss!"