The Empty Coffins by John Russell Fearn Page B

have that Cruci­fix? See that she can keep it handy. In an un­guarded moment, it might save her.”
    â€œ Day and night?” Peter repeated. “Surely no vampire attack by day is possible?”
    Meadows gave a sigh. “No, of course not. I’m getting too tired to think straight. Guard her from sundown to sunrise. During the day she ought to be safe enough.”
    He began to pack up his bag; then Mrs. Burrows spoke.
    â€œWhy was Elsie given sleeping tablets? She’s in no need of them.”
    â€œI did it to keep her quiet whilst I went out to investigate the cemetery,” Peter said. “And I am not going to argue about it! If you hadn’t slept like a log you could have probably saved Elsie from being attacked tonight!”
    â€œOh?” Mrs. Burrows smiled coldly. “And if you had stayed beside her, as any right-minded husband should, you could have handled the situation your­self. Instead you had to go rushing off to the cemetery on some wildcat excursion.”
    â€œIt wasn’t wildcat, Mrs. Burrows,” Meadows said deliberately. “We discovered George had left his coffin: that is proof that he is a vampire.”
    â€œI don’t believe it,” Mrs. Burrows said flatly. “There’s something about all this that’s peculiar—diabolical, but I do not believe an evil spirit comes into it.”
    Meadows gave her a look and then shrugged.
    â€œI have to be going,” he said. “I’ve had no sleep yet. Do the best you can, Peter, and I’ll be here during the day. If the police want me—as I expect they will—they know where to find me. Good night, Mrs. Burrows.”
    â€œGood night,” she answered indifferently, then she got to her feet.
    â€œYou can go back to bed if you wish,” Peter told her, making himself comfortable on the chair. “I must stay awake somehow to watch Elsie and open the door to the police when they come.”
    â€œI’ll do my share,” she decided. “I’ll rest in the drawing room: you can stay here. And the sooner the police come, the better. If ever there was criminal assault and murder disguised as vamp­ire attacks it is this !”
    She gave another glance towards her silent daughter, tightened her lips, and then went out. The door closed sharply.

CHAPTER FOUR
    KILLER FROM THE GRAVE
    It was towards eight in the morning when a police car swept into the drive of the Timperley resid­ence. From it there alighted Chief-inspector Rushton and Detective-sergeant Mather, both of them in plain clothes and far too schooled in crime and criminals to believe in vampires. With them also were two uniformed constables, a divisional-surgeon, and a fingerprint expert.
    By this time Elsie was conscious again, but her energy was of such a low order she was hardly able to talk. To the Chief-inspector she had little to say. She was not even aware that she had been att­acked, remembering nothing since falling asleep the previous night.
    Peter, worn out from lack of sleep and anxiety, gave the cemetery details and then, a solid const­able on guard, he went to bed. The Chief-inspector picked up the story from that point and the Divis­ional-surgeon and fingerprint man went to work on their respective jobs.
    Rushton, who had handled the earlier business of the two vampire victims, was once again ill-at-ease in investigating this new onslaught. Throughout the day he covered a good deal of ground, question­ing Mrs. Burrows, Dr. Meadows, and then several villagers. The coffin of George Timperley was re­opened and found to be still empty. The grounds of the cemetery were gone over; and those of the Timperley home. Nothing was left undone, until finally by eight in the evening Rushton returned with his sergeant to the Timperley home to report progress. Because of the necessity of Elsie having to be guarded whilst she lay in bed, he told his story in the bedroom, Peter,