Radio digest (1922)

86 It is Thraff Willcyzinski?" Parks asked thinly. "Yes!" Paul Savoy answered, sure of his answer and emphatic. 'Thank God." murmured Parks, and relaxed with a long sigh. It was a full week later. The inmates of the old House of the Opal were at last prepared for an almost immediate departure, Mcintosh, taking advantage of a lull in the storm, had made his way out to Truckee on snowshoes, and had brought back a party of men and a dog team. Meanwhile Mainwaring Parks, his wor.nd, at least superficially, healed over, and though he complained at times of a stabbing pain through his body, appeared to have passed all danger. Detective Dicks swore himself as good as new now. Andregg, a silent man whose eyes grew wicked with malice when they rested on Gateway and were like a dog's for strange friendly humility when they looked at Savoy, was free to go as he listed. "W^^^' a man'ac 's at tne bottom of things," growled *™ Gateway, "and a fellow hasn't even a clue to make him suspect said maniac's presence, or existence, for that matter, how is one to get straight to the bottom of a murder mystery case without a mistake or so along the road? We all make mistakes, you know," and never higher did a jeer stand in a man's eyes than in his, gone straightway to Savoy. "Yes." said Savoy with a sigh, ''we all make mistakes. Gateway. It would seem that both you and I have blundered greatly. The confession which you secured wasn't worth the paper wasted on it, and you have very considerately thrown it into the fire. But such is likely to be the way of confessions extorted through the third degree — only in so many cases the victim isn't so fortunate as Andregg has been." "That's all right," snapped Gateway, reddening. "Just the same I made but the one error, and the Lord knows everything' pointed the way I jumped. Andregg's a likely bird — and I'll get him for something or other yet, one of these days. As for you and your damn fool theories — " He waved his hands disgustedly. "To err is human, you know," said Savoy, and sighed again. "I did have such a pretty theory, too." "All wrapped "P in violet-blue, ah, pretty!" HPHF.Y were in the living room where the others were A gathering, ready for departure. Thraff Willcyzinski, se curely bound, raved in the room into which they had locked him against conveying him to the insane asylum. The incredible Thraff Willcyzinski was the puzzle which stuck like a burr in all minds. Never could they entirely explain him. To have remained hidden all these years, alone like a wild beast — what mania in his burning brain? They had found entrance to his lair: in Mr. Nemo's room. The window frame itself moved; it had been shoved forward, straight into the room, pivoting on iron strips. As the window frame advanced, there was revealed a narrow passageway in the thick log wall which led down a steep incline and into the basement itself. There they found a small room, in the center of the tiers of furnace and fireplace wood which was piled from floor to ceiling. There were amazing quantities of wood, as LauferHirth had noted when he drove the two Filipino boys down there for fresh fuel. This little box of a place, foul and filthy, gave every evidence of having been the madman's headquarters throughout the long years. They found the bones of the things he had eaten — And they found yet other things. Under a pile of rags, the Great Opal of Nonius. In a dingy corner a thick pad of bank notes in yellow manilla paper. Parks' million dollars. But the Flower of Heaven they did not find. PARKS, as he recovered strength, had but little to tell. That little, however, was significant "I was talking with Dicks through the bathroom door, as he has already told yon. All of a sudden I saw the maniac standing at his back; and for one instant I was struck motionless and speechless. The blow fell and I called out. The poor devil leaped at me, and as he came I saw a knife whipped out from his tatter*;. He struck — and that is about all I know."