Free Death out of Thin Air by Clayton Rawson Page B

stones. Perhaps, if the psychic manifestations the Count demonstrates are so remarkable, he also may know how to make diamonds vanish from a locked safe. Some people would consider that a very useful bit of knowledge — a trick really worth knowing.”
    â€œTrick, magic, trick!” Mrs. Saylor stood up with a bright light in her watery blue eyes. “You say Marie was killed in a magician’s dressing room. You say there is a connection between her murder and my missing jewels. I know where my jewels went now! There is only one man who could have made them vanish as they did. Don Diavolo! ”
    She flew excitedly toward the phone.
    Had anyone been standing close to the Maharajah of Vdai-Loo, they would have been surprised to hear him mutter under his breath a peculiarly American exclamation, “Good grief! This is certainly not my lucky day!”
    Ogden Saylor, however, came to the rescue. He did not agree with his wife. He had seen her jump at wild conclusions before. And wasting money on lawyers’ fees did not suit his book at all. He said, “Estelle, if this magician has an alibi, he’ll sue you for libel. And the Saylor name is going to be in the papers enough as it is. I think it would be better if you waited until you had some evidence.”
    He glanced at his watch. “Besides it’s time for the Count’s séance. If the theft of the jewels is in any way connected with Mlle. Zsgany’s death, I think Count Draco’s apartment is the place to look for an answer. I’m going now. Are the rest of you coming?”
    Chandler said that he was, as did Diavolo. Estelle and Inez didn’t seem to relish the idea, but they both nodded. Don had the feeling that they both appeared to be scared to death but that some horrible fascination drew them on. He thought that the feeling in Mrs. Saylor was genuine. Inez puzzled him somewhat — there was something about her that was hard to grasp. Inez was difficult because she was a good actress and one couldn’t be too sure, even offstage, that she was not acting a part.
    The Saylors, Chandler and Miss LaValle went on ahead in a cab; Don Diavolo and Mickey followed in another toward the Count’s penthouse apartments on Fifth Avenue opposite Central Park. Don ordered his cab driver to stay some distance behind the taxi ahead.
    When they arrived at their destination, he waited until the others had gone in before letting his driver stop in front of the apartment building. The reason for this was apparent as soon as he and Mickey had gotten out. Woody Haines came toward them from across the street where he had been stationed on a park bench watching the building.
    He addressed the Maharajah in a fashion Maharajahs are unaccustomed to. “Hello, old sock. You’re quite the handsome devil in that turban, aren’t you? And you, Pat” — he turned to Mickey — “you’re sweet enough to eat, as usual.” He lifted her veil as they entered the lobby and tried to take a quick kiss. He got his face slapped.
    â€œOh, oh,” he said. “Wrong again! Hello, Mickey. How are you?”
    â€œ I’m doing all right,” she said. “And you?”
    Woody grinned. “Not so well, by the looks of it.”
    Don interrupted. “This is no time for horseplay, Woody. Find out anything?”
    â€œNothing around here,” Woody answered. “Everything highly respectable and dull. But the latest papers have a nice story. Seen it?”
    Don shook his head. “No. Let’s have it.”
    â€œThe cops have identified the murdered girl,” Woody announced. “Just in time for the four star final.”
    Don groaned. “And that spoils our party. The cops will be thick as gnats around this place in no time at all. I’m surprised they aren’t here already.”
    Woody said, “Now wait, Don. There won’t be any cops here just yet. They don’t know she