A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, April 1950 — page 90: what you’re looking at

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

90 A. MERRITT’S FANTASY CHAPTER 19 The Mask That Vanished NTERING the dining room, Tott saw Gees sitting by the fire with a cigarette, gazing at Inspector Per- ry. Tott said: “We shall not wait for tea, waitress,” and Perry turned toward him. “And you, Mr. Green—Oh, well, you've been in it all along.” The waitress went out with the tray. “Tve just been talking to Crampton, and he’s tied up the Ernest Parkoot mur- der with Miss Kefra’s flat. He wants her and the man Saleh held for questioning— I told him I’d give you the message, Perry.” “Not arrest?” “Questioning first. I expect arrest will follow.” “Crampton’s coming here, then?” Gees put in. “At once—he'll arrive in about three hours’ time, I expect. Meanwhile it’s up to you, Perry, to see that those two don’t move elsewhere.” “T’d better get going,” said Perry. “It’s a good three miles—”’ “T’ll drive you,” Gees offered. He re- membered Kefra’s prophecy regarding Saleh, and felt that he must see if it won to fulfilment. “Your inquest verdict goes west, now,” and, dropping his cigarette butt in the fire, lighted another, while Perry shook his head emphatically. “Oh, no!” he said. “You think it was Saleh both times?” “No,” Gees answered, unenlightening- ly. “Miss Kefra?” “No,” Gees said again. “Then if it was that cat, the verdict vas correct.” “No,” Gees told him for the third time. “Then what on earth are you talking about?” Perry demanded. ; “Offering to drive you to Barnby _ Grange.” Perry looked at his watch. “Very good of you,” he said. “You'll come along, Mr. K, ‘Tott? Crampton can take over when he gets here.” Gees led the way toward the door. “Half a minute—my coat is up in my room, I'll run up and get it.” “Just as well to let him drive us,” Perry observed to Tott as they went out to the Rolls-Bentley. ‘Miss Kefra’s got a big black sedan that looks as if it could move, and if that Saleh got going in it he might take some finding. The sooner I pin him down for Crampton, the better— and I’ve done enough today without walk- ing to the Grange.” The still, sunlit afternoon was nearing its end as Gees drove off ; not more than an hour of daylight remained. They passed out from the village and went up over the rise, to begin the long descent to Barnby. “T hope that worm Drake doesn’t spot us,’ Tott murmured; and Perry, beside Gees, suddenly pointed ahead. “Her car!” he exclaimed. there.” It was drawn up beside the road, nearly opposite the place on the grassy open land where the dead girl’s body had been found. From that place, a man walked toward the black limousine, and beside him was someone in a black fur coat who held him by the shoulder. Gees peered intently through the wind- shield as he neared them, and saw that the man walked stumblingly: it seemed that his companion almost held him up, and impelled him toward the car. They were fifty yards or so away from the limousine when suddenly a flock of “* Ahead . sheep began surging into the road by way of an opening ‘in the high brick wall, and beyond the wall they could hear a dog barking as he rounded up his charges, and the voice of a shepherd urging both him and the sheep. With the road completely blocked by the crowding animals, Gees pulled to a standstill some thirty yards from the sta- tionary car before him. And now he could see, with the light from the setting sun striking on that black fur coat, five- grouped markings on its—black panther skin, that he had seen once before. He could see, too, the head that rose above the coat collar, tawny, furred—it turned toward him, and he saw the great, bared and pointed teeth, its very fierce, yellow eyes, *Tott stood up in the back of the car with a shout that was almost a shriek. The thing” in the panther fur coat was Comicbooks.co