The Egyptian Cross Mystery Ellery Queen - Reader's League of America 1932 by Queen Ellery

Author:Queen, Ellery [Queen, Ellery]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery, Classics, Crime
Amazon: B0165T5L4O
Goodreads: 128937596
Published: 1932-06-07T08:00:00+00:00

“What is it?” asked the Inspector slowly.”When I tell you, you’ll understand what to this moment has probably been a deep mystery to you.

The instant you told me about the T’s—that crazy business of the T’s—

the headless bodies and rigid arrangement of the arms and legs, the T’s in blood on the door and the summer-house floor, the cross-roads, the totem-pole”

“Don’t tell me,” said Ellery harshly,”that your real name begins with T!” Megara nodded as if his head weighed a ton.”Yes,” he said in a low voice.”Our name is Tvar. T-v-a-r . . . . The T you see.” They were silent for a moment. Then the Professor remarked:”You were right, Queen, as usual. A literal significance, nothing more. Merely a T—no cross, 110 Egyptology, no garbled religious implication . . . .

Strange. Incredible, really.”

A shade of disappointment tinged Ellery’s face; he watched Megara with unwavering eyes.

“I don’t believe it,” asserted Vaughn out of a vast disgust.”I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Carving a man into the initial of his name!” muttered Isham.”Why, we’d be the laughing-stock of the East, Vaughn, if we let this out.” Megara leaped to his feet, his whole body elastic with rage.”You don’t know Central Europe!” he snarled.”You fools, he’s flinging those T’s—

the symbol of our hated name—in our faces! The man’s insane, I tell you!

It’s so damned clear . . . .” His rage went out of him, and he sank back into the chair.”Hard to believe,” he murmured.”Yes, but not what’s troubling you. It’s hard to believe that he’s been hunting us all these years. Like a movie. But that he’d mutilate the bodies” His voice hardened again.

“Andreja knew!”

“Tvar,” said Ellery quietly.”A triple alias for years.

Obviously for grave reasons. And Central Europe . . . . I imagine it’s vengeance, Mr. Megara.”

Megara nodded; his voice was becoming weary.”Yes, that’s so. But how did he find us? I can’t understand it. When Andreja, Tomislav and I agreed—God, how many years ago!—to disguise our identities, we agreed also that no one—no one, you understand—must learn our old family name. It was to be a secret, and the secret’s been kept, I’d swear. Not even Tom’s wife—Margaret—or her daughter Helene knows that our name is Tvar.”

“You mean,” demanded Ellery,”that Krosac is the only person who knows?”

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