The Egyptian Cross Mystery

The yachtsman’s white teeth glistened. “Nothing definite, Inspector. After all, your experience in such matters qualifies you rather than me... But knowing Krosac will come eventually, we have nothing to lose. He wants me, does he? Well, let him have me... I think your continued presence around here has made him lie low. If you stay here for another month, he’ll continue to lie low for another month. But if you should go away, for example, confess yourself beaten...”

“An excellent idea!” cried the District Attorney. “Mr. Megara, you’re to be congratulated. It’s deplorable that we haven’t thought of it before. Of course Krosac won’t strike while the police are infesting the place—”

“And he’ll be pretty damned careful not to strike when we fade out of here all of a sudden,” grumbled Vaughn. Nevertheless, his eyes were thoughtful. “He’s a brainy scalawag, and I’m sure he’d smell a rat... But there is something in what you say,” he added grudgingly. “It’ll bear thinking about.”

Ellery sat forward, eyes gleaming. “Commendable courage, Mr. Megara. Of course, you realize what the consequences of failure will be?”

Megara did not smile. “I haven’t knocked about the world without taking chances,” he said grimly. “I don’t underestimate his slimy cleverness, mind you. But it isn’t really taking a chance. If we work it properly, he’ll try to do me in. And I’ll be ready for him — the Captain and I — eh, Captain?”

The old seaman said gruffly: “I never seen a hard case yet that you couldn’t settle his hash with a marlinspike. That was in th’ old days. T’day I got a nice new gun, and so’ve you, Mr. Megara. We’ll handle the dirty lubber.”

“Stephen,” said Helene; she had withdrawn her hand from Lincoln’s and was staring at the yachtsman. “You can’t mean to leave yourself without any protection at all from that horrible maniac! Don’t—”

“I can take care of myself, Helene... What do you say, Inspector?”

Vaughn got to his feet. “I’m not sure. It’s a big responsibility for me to assume. The only way I could do it would be to make a feint at withdrawing my men from the grounds and the Sound, but to lay an ambush aboard your boat...”

Megara frowned. “Too clumsy, Inspector. He’d be sure to suspect.”

“Well,” said the Inspector stubbornly, “you’ll have to give me time to think it over. We’ll let ’er ride as she is for a while. I’ll let you know in the morning.”

“Very well.” Megara tapped the pocket of his yachtsman’s coat. “Meanwhile, I’m ready. I’m not going to skulk aboard the Helene like a lily-livered yellowbelly for the rest of my life. The sooner Krosac takes a crack at me the better I’ll like it.”

“What do you think?” asked Professor Yardley later, as he and Ellery stood at the eastern wing of the Brad house watching Megara and Captain Swift stride rapidly down the path, in the dim illumination of the house lights, toward the Cove.

“I think,” said Ellery with a scowl, “that Stephen Megara is a fool.”