Paul Ernst

Mask of Death Paul Ernst

Book Excerpt: ...then went purposefully back to the table. She went swiftly from one to another of the frozen, stark figures in their life-like but utterly rigid positions, then back to the door. Smiling, she left the room, passing five or six people who were about to enter it for a little gambling. She was almost to the elevator shafts when she heard a woman's scream knife the air, followed by a man's hoarse shout that expressed almost as much horror as the scream had done. Still smiling, utterly composed, she stepped into an elevator--and the elevator boy shivered a bit as he stared at her. He had not heard the scream, did not know that anything was wrong. He only knew that something in this lovely woman's smile sent cold fingers up and down his spine.* * * * *It was a grim, white-faced trio that sat in the conference room of the Blue Bay Hotel at eleven next morning. Chichester nor Gest nor Kroner--none had had a moment's sleep all night. They had been in Doctor Grays' suite with Weem...