A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, April 1950 — page 84: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

84 A. MERRITT’S FANTASY sociated with the work of the ordinary criminal branch.” Tony thought it over, and put his ring back into his pocket. “I suppose I have rather jumped to conclusions about you,” he confessed. “Naturally,” Gees admitted in the pause, “put I’d have thought you—”’ He broke off abruptly, remembering Drake. The reporter had drawn quite enough conclusions alrready; if he saw Tony here, in addition to Gees and Tott, there would be no holding him. “Vd go back to town, if I were you,” Gees said. “You'll be more likely to learn something that way—when Miss Kefra gets back to London, I mean—than by hanging around here. Yes, in your place I'd go back.” “Are you going back too?”’ “Since you've got your own car, I needn’t offer to drive you,” Gees said. He avoided direct reply because of a doubt as to whether he would go back, know- ing as he did from Tony that Saleh was still at the Grange. He wanted a word with Saleh, in Kefra’s presence, if pos- sible, about the message on the card he kad received the night before. “Ves, I'll start back after lunch,” Tony decided. “Tf Tott should happen back for lunch,” Gees observed, “both he and you might feel a bit awkward.” All he wanted was to get Tony out of sight before Drake ap- peared. “T don’t see—” Tony began—and left it incomplete. “Considering how early it is, you could make Witney in time for lunch,” Gees said. “T hate going back without seeing her,” Tony said irresolutely. “You'd hate it still more if the door is slammed in your face a second time,’ Gees pointed out. He left the room and made for the _ staircase. Pausing on the landing, he saw Tony go along toward the entrance, and a minute or so later heard the grinding of a self-starter. Then he went downstairs again, and Tott over-took him on the way. “Gone, thank heaven! Mr. Green, sup- _ posing that Drake had spotted him, toe. Steam cranes wouldn’t have pried him loose from this place.” “The reason he stayed so long down at the Grange,” Gees said, taking no notice of the remark, “was that he saw Saleh there.” “You mean—Saleh must have been there when you went over the house?” Tott paused grasping the dining room door handle to ask. “Somewhere—or hiding out at the back. Mr. Briggs saw him and asked for Miss Kefra. Whether or not she was there too we have no means of knowing. But ’m going looking for Saleh again.” “With all respect for your brains, Mr. Green—”’ Tott opened the door, and stood back for Gees to precede him into the dining room—” I can’t subscribe to this theory of yours. I’ve thought it over, and I just can’t.” Puen why did Saleh bring that card to get me out last night?” Gees interrupted him. ‘‘Why was that develish animal just where the card asked me to wait? Why was a rug taken up in that room at Gravenor Mansions and scrubbed to get rid of stains? Why was a man named Saleh just outside Cairo? Oh, I know that last is a new one on you, but it’s gospel.” ‘If you’re definitely accusing Saleh of murder, you’ve got to produce evidence,” Tott insisted. “And evidence is what that card isn’t.” Gees turned toward the door and said: “Evidence or no evidence—” Then he had passed the doorway, and Tott failed to catch the end of the sentence, but the tone of those first four words gave him a good idea of what the rest would be.” Tott saw the Rolls-Bentley pass the window, headed for Barnby, and saw, too, grim determination on Gees’ face. “It’s a pity,” he said to himself. “Fine intellect, too. But if you let yourself get tangled up believing in things of that sort you lose all sense “of proportion—which is what he’s done.”’ Outside Hedlington Village Hall Drake waited, realizing > “that he had come up from Barnby a quarter of an hour too soon. Others waited with him until the door of the hall, opening, revealed Inspector Perry already inside. Then Drake moved for- ward, and exhibited a card. “Ah!” Perry sounded . cbooks.cor