






                            The Edgar Allan Poe Murders

AUTHOR:     Bud Lyons

EMAIL:      budlyons2003@yahoo.com

DISCLAIMER: Jonny Quest and distinctive characters copyright by Hanna-
            Barbera and/or Warner Bros.  This work is strictly a 
            fan-created, non-profit work, and is in no way affiliated
            with or approved by Hanna-Barbera or any other copyright 
            holders.  No infringement of any rights, stated or implied,
            is intended.  The story idea and written execution is mine
            alone.

RATING:     G

ARCHIVERS:  Permission granted

NOTES:      I grew up on CJQ and always wished there was more of the
            original.  This story is a bit of wish-fulfillment.  The 
            story takes place in January, the year after the final 
            episode.

PREMISE:    On a symposium trip to Baltimore, the Quest Team discovers 
            a series of murders loosely based on the titles of short 
            stories by Edgar Allan Poe.  A mysterious raven draws them
            even further into the investigation.




"So how do you guys like Baltimore?" Race asked the boys as they ate
lunch at the Rusty Scupper at Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

Jonny Quest and his adopted brother Hadji looked up from their crabs and
swordfish and grinned.

"We love it here, Race," Jonny said. "I'm real glad Dad was asked to
speak here at that Johns Hopkins symposium."

"And I am glad he was able to bring us all along," Hadji added.

Race also grinned and said, "I'm glad too.  It's been years since I've
been in Baltimore.  What's your favorite thing that you've seen so far?"
Race Bannon was the bodyguard and assistant to the world famous
scientist Dr. Benton Quest, the boys' father.  He was also bodyguard to
the boys and in a secondary capacity, their tutor.  So he took the
opportunity to discuss some of the city's history and culture.

"I liked Fort McHenry," Jonny said, "and the Shot Tower, too."

"The Babe Ruth Museum," Hadji answered. "American baseball - Yahoo!
What was your favorite, Race?"

"I like old ships," Race replied, "so I liked the U.S.S. Constellation
tour the best.  I didn't know that it was the only Civil War ship still
afloat."

"I didn't even know it was a Civil War warship," Jonny said. "I thought
sailing ships were from a time long before that."

"The Civil War was strange in many ways," Race declared. "Lots of old
things mixed with lots of new.  How would you boys like to visit the
grave of Edgar Allan Poe this afternoon?  Dr. Quest has the afternoon
off today, and I think he wants to go there."

"Is he the author who wrote those many horror stories?" Hadji asked.

"More than just horror stories," Race said. "He wrote one about a man
flying a hot-air balloon to the moon."

"A balloon in outer space?" Hadji asked.

"A balloon in outer space," Race answered, nodding his head.

"That's weird, Race," Jonny said.

"Yes, it is.  That may a good description for Poe, Jonny.  He was a
writer of the weird more than a writer of horror."

"And he is buried in Baltimore?" Hadji asked.

"Yes, Hadji, in a graveyard on the corner of Fayette and Greene Streets.
So are you up to a visit?"

"Sure!" both boys replied.



They met Dr. Quest at the graveyard later that afternoon.  "Hello, boys,
Race," he said. "How did you enjoy Baltimore today?"

"Just fine, Dad."

"It is a very historical city, Dr. Quest."

"That it is, Hadji.  This graveyard here is part of that history,
holding the final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe.  Although he was
born in Boston and lived mostly in other places, Poe died here in
Baltimore.  Some of his family lived here in Baltimore, so he was buried
here."

"That's kinda sad," Jonny said.

"It's even sadder that we're not sure what he died of," Benton said.  He
added, "We'll probably never know."

"I heard he died from alcoholism," Race offered.

"That's the most popular story, Race, but also the least likely.  Most
men of science believe it was some sort of disease like epilepsy or
rabies.  There's even a new theory that he had a brain tumor."

"Couldn't they tell, Dad?" Jonny asked.

"Not back then, Jonny.  That was 1849, and they didn't know about
cancers and tumors then."

"Do a lot of people come to his grave, Dr. Quest?" Hadji asked.

"Quite a bit, Hadji," the doctor answered. "They have an Edgar Allan Poe
Society here in Baltimore, and lots of people are big fans of the
author's work.  They even have a celebration on Poe's birthday.  And
every year on his birthday, a mysterious man leaves three roses and a
half empty bottle of cognac on Poe's grave.  For over ten years now, he
has carried on this tradition.  At first, it was all a great mystery.
Even now, his identity is still a secret, although people have gathered
to watch him perform the ceremony.  They call him the Poe Toaster."

"That's weird, Dad," Jonny said, "but I guess it fits Poe and his
stories."

"We were talking at lunch about how Poe wrote weird stuff," Race said in
explanation.

"Do you want to hear something really weird?" Dr. Quest asked. "After my
lecture yesterday, I heard some students talking in the halls.  They
were pathology students who spent time in the city's morgues as part of
their classes.  They said one of the morgues close to here is sometimes
called the Rue Morgue because of the title of one of Poe's stories, 'The
Murders in the Rue Morgue'."

"That's pretty cool," Jonny said.

"Yes," Hadji agreed.

"There's more.  Last week, two members of the staff were killed in the
morgue, so there really were murders in the Rue Morgue."

"Strange," Race commented. "How are the police handling that, Doctor?"

"Very quietly, I expect.  If the newspapers made a big deal of the Poe
connection, it could interfere with the investigation."

"Of course," Race said.  Then he turned his attention to the boys and
asked, "Any questions about  Mr. Poe?  While I've got the good doctor
here to answer them for me," he added with a grin.  No questions were
asked, so the Quest team paid their respects to Poe and then headed for
their hotel.

As Dr. Quest unlocked and opened their hotel suite, the four of them
heard a great rustling in the hallway.  Benton and the two boys barely
ducked in time to clear the doorway.  Race's reactions were a little
faster, so he got a clear view of what they were ducking.  It was a big,
black bird.  Its beating wings caused the loud rustling.  The bird - a
raven - settled on the dresser inside the room.  As the Quests entered
the room, it shook its feathers and cried out, "Nevermore!"

"Holy cow!" Jonny said. "That's a raven!  Just like in Poe's poem!"

"Where did it come from?" Hadji asked.

"From around a corner of the hallway," Race answered. "It went straight
for our doorway."

"Probably just because it was open, Race," Benton said. "I'm sure it
wasn't aiming for us."

Just then, Jonny's pet dog Bandit roused himself from his nap on one of
the beds.  He barked happily at his family, excited to see them again.
Then he noticed the raven and growled at it, suspicious of what it was
doing in the room.

The raven looked back at the dog with perfect poise and said again,
"Nevermore."

"Who do you think it belongs to, Race?" the doctor asked. "Some Poe fan
must have taught it to say that."

"They really can talk?" Jonny asked. "I thought that was just made up
for the poem."

"No, Jonny, they really can talk, even better than parrots," Race told
him.

"Actually, they're even more talented than that," Benton said. "They can
mimic sounds too, and they can impersonate people, not just repeat their
words."

As if it wanted to prove the point, the raven made a noise like a door
creaking and then imitated a woman's scream.  Then it said, "'The
Murders in the Rue Morgue', Dr. Quest.  'The Murders in the Rue
Morgue'."  The voice was a perfect imitation of Boris Karloff.

Benton tried to keep the dismay he felt from showing in his face.  He
knew, however, that his expression was full of shock.

Jonny was more vocal about what the raven said.  "It called your name,
Dad!  How did it know your name?"

Race checked out in the hallway and around the corner to see if he could
find anything to explain the bird's presence.  He came back into the
room, shaking his head.

"Nothing out there, Race?" Dr. Quest asked.

"Not a thing, Doctor."

The raven spoke again, saying, "'The Cask of Amontillado'."

"What is it talking about, Dad?"

"That is the title of another story by Edgar Allan Poe," Hadji answered.
"But what does it mean?"

"There's a liquor store, near Poe's gravesite, called The Cask of
Amontillado," Race said. "I noticed it this afternoon.  I guess the
owners wanted to use the Poe connection to help promote their business.
Doesn't someone get murdered in that story, too?"

"Yes, Race," Benton replied. "The narrator of the story takes revenge on
someone who insulted him by burying the man alive in a wall in some
catacombs."

"Gross," Jonny said and made a face.

"Is the bird trying to tell us that someone else was murdered?" Hadji
asked. "Remember the two staff people who were murdered at the Rue
Morgue?"

"Hadji may be on to something," Race said. "Perhaps we'd better talk to
the police."

"What'll we do with the bird?" Jonny asked.

"I don't think we can leave it here in the room with Bandit," Benton
said.

"I'll talk to the hotel manager," Race said. "Maybe he knows who the
bird belongs to or where it came from."

As Race opened the door, the bird flew in a rush from the dresser out
into the hallway.  Race ran after it but soon came back, shaking his
head again.

"It was too fast for me," he told the others. "It was almost like it
just disappeared after it went around the corner.  I didn't see it or
any sign of it anywhere."

"We better go visit the police, Race," the doctor said. "We'll talk with
the hotel manager on the way out.  You boys stay here in the room," he
said. "I think Bandit can use some company.  The bird seems to have
upset him."

"Aw, Dad, we want to go too."

"Stay here, Jonny," Race commanded him. "Things are a little too weird
to be taking any chances."

"Oh, all right."

"We will be good," Hadji said. "We promise."



Race and Dr. Quest found the nearest police station and told the desk
sergeant that they had information about the Rue Morgue murders.  The
sergeant was surprised that they even knew about the murders, but
directed the two men to the homicide division.  They were met there by
Detective Bill Morgan, who told them the homicides were being handled
out of another precinct.

"I'll pass along whatever information you can give me, though," he told
the men.

"We're not sure how helpful our info will be," Race told him. "It's
really pretty strange."
Dr. Quest told the detective the story of the raven in the hotel room.
He felt very self-conscious as he saw Detective Morgan smother a smile.
He had to admit that if he hadn't been there, he might not believe the
story either.

He finished by saying, "As strange as it sounds, it really happened that
way.  I don't know if it means anything to you, but we thought we should
report it, just in case."

"Well, we appreciate you taking the time," the detective told him, "but
I think somebody's just playing a big practical joke on somebody.
There's nothing useful there, in any case."

"We're sorry to bother you, Detective," Race said. "Still, you never
know.  I hope you'll pass on what we told you."

"Certainly," Detective Morgan replied. "I'll be sure to tell everything
to the detectives working the case.   Thanks for stopping in."

"Thanks for listening to us," Benton replied. "Here's where you can
reach us if you need anything else."

"Thanks.  I don't think that'll be necessary."

"Like Mr. Bannon said, you never know."

Once they were outside the station house, Race turned to Benton and
asked, "Do you think he'll even tell the other detectives?"

"I don't think so, Race.  But you have to admit, our story is very
strange and probably not helpful at all."

"I would think your reputation as a world-famous scientist would carry
some weight," Race said.

"This might be a case where my reputation for getting involved in
strange adventures actually works against me."

"There is that," the bodyguard admitted. "You know, I think I might stop
at the Cask of Amontillado before I go back to the hotel.  I'm feeling a
little bit thirsty, you might say."

"Hoping to find something not in a bottle, perhaps?"

Race smiled.  "Perhaps," he answered.

"I'm thinking I'll stop at a bookshop on the way back," Benton said. "I
could use some light reading, and it wouldn't hurt the boys to do some
studying."

"I'll meet you back at the hotel, Doctor."

"See you then, Race."



That night, they ate dinner at the hotel's restaurant.  The boys were so
anxious to hear any news, they almost ignored their steaks.

"Did you find out anything at the liquor store, Race?" Dr. Quest asked.

"I sure did," the bodyguard replied. "One of the clerks there talked way
more than she should have.  She told me that they had a holdup there
three weeks ago, two weeks before your murders in the morgue.  She said
it was strange, though.  No money was taken.  Two clerks and one of the
owners were all killed, but the only thing the robbers took was a case
of cognac and the security tape."

"If everyone was killed and the tape was stolen, how do they know the
killers took the cognac?" Jonny asked.

"The police aren't really sure there was more than one killer," Race
said. "But they know he took the cognac, because he left a note where
the case had been.  The girl told me the note said, 'These three are the
first.  His memory will live on.  Nevermore.'."

"Weird," Jonny said.

"You are saying that word a lot, Jonny," Hadji commented.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Jonny replied. "But it all is.  Weird, I mean."

"Between the cognac and the note, the man sounds like the Poe Toaster,"
Dr. Quest said. "He once wrote something similar in one of the notes he
sometimes leaves on the grave."

"The girl said the victims were stabbed and their throats cut," Race
added. "She said it was kind of like Jack the Ripper."

"Perhaps we should find out how the staff members died at the morgue,"
Benton said.

"Do you think it's a mad, serial killer, Dad?  Like Jack the Ripper?"
Jonny sounded a lot more excited than he should have, considering the
topic was so horrific.

"I don't know, son.  But I do think we need to talk to the detectives
who are actually handling this case.  I have another lecture to give in
the morning.  Perhaps we can reach them tonight.  I don't think we
should wait till tomorrow afternoon."

"We can try to reach them right after dinner, Doctor."

"Very good, Race."

Dr. Quest addressed the boys, asking them if they read any of the Poe
stories in the books he bought from the bookshop.

"One was a collection of his poetry, sir," Hadji answered. "I read that
one.  Jonny read some of the stories in one of the other books."

"I read 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue'.  The book said that was the
very first detective story ever written.  The book also said Poe used
the same detective character in two other stories, so I read them, too.
They were 'The Mystery of Marie Roget' and 'The Purloined Letter'.  Then
I read 'The Tell-Tale Heart'.  That story was better than the movie
was."

"You boys did well in a short time," Benton said.

"Poe's a good author, Dad," Jonny said. "It wasn't like it was hard
work.  It was fun to read his stuff, except it's a little dark and
creepy."

"Well, your steaks aren't dark and creepy.  Eat up, boys."



As they entered the elevator to go back to their rooms after dinner, a
raven again flew past them and landed on the floor in a corner.  The
bird might have been the same one or an altogether different one.  No
one on the Quest team could tell.

"I don't like this," Jonny said. "I don't want to be stuck on an
elevator with a bird."

"I think it's alright," Race said. "It's not doing anything."

The raven spoke then.  It imitated Vincent Price and said, "'The Tell-
Tale Heart'."  Then it made a sound like the beating of a human heart.

Jonny and Hadji crowded into the opposite corner from the bird.

"That's too weird," Jonny said. "Make it stop."

"Yes," Hadji agreed. "I do not like this at all."

Just then the elevator arrived at their floor, and the doors opened.
The raven flew out and cried, "Nevermore."  Then it turned a corner and
disappeared from sight.  Race did not even try to follow it.

"Okay," Dr. Quest said. "We have to tell the police, no matter what they
might think of us.  What do you think the tell-tale heart means?"

"Another murder," Race answered, "Beyond that, I really don't know.  I
can't even guess."
They went back to their rooms, and the boys settled in with the Poe
books while Benton and Race went to visit the police.



"Good evening, Dr. Quest, Mr. Bannon," the detective in charge said.
"I'm Chief Detective Sam Spade, and please no jokes.  You know I've
heard them all."

"I'm sorry about that, of course," Benton said, "but we're not in a
joking mood in any case."

"We've heard about the murders at the so-called Rue Morgue and the
liquor store," Race told the detective. "We have information that might
help."

"How did you hear?" Spade asked. "We've been keeping these murders very
quiet, especially since we're still not sure they are related."

"I heard about the Rue Morgue murders by accident," Benton said, "Some
students were talking about the incident."

"And a loose-lipped salesclerk in the store told me about the murders
there," Race added.

"But we've also had some very strange help," Dr. Quest said. "We've seen
a raven - twice now - that quoted the titles of Edgar Allan Poe stories
that were related to the crime scenes."

"The second time," Race said, "it said 'The Tell-Tale Heart'.  Does that
mean anything to you?"

"Not so much," the detective admitted. "The bird means something,
however."

"Oh, really?" Benton asked.

"Yes.  One of our detectives owns a raven.  He calls it Edgar as a
matter of fact.  Edgar is very smart and highly trained.  I wonder if
Detective Andy Frank is using his bird to draw you in."

"Why would he do that?" Race asked.

"He believes there is a connection to the murders," Detective Spade
said, "and he may be using your team and its reputation to force his
slant on the case."  Detective Spade stood up and shook the visitors'
hands.  "That's nothing that you have to worry about, though.  I'll
speak to him and have him - and the bird - leave you alone."

The dismissal was polite, even friendly, but nevertheless the two men
were firmly turned away.  They left without argument.

As they were leaving the station, another police detective approached
them and introduced himself as Andy Frank.

"Dr. Quest," he said, "are you and Mr. Bannon here about the Rue Morgue
murders?"

"We were," Benton said, emphasizing the past tense.

"And the Chief turned you away.  I heard a buzz that you have
information that might help."

"We gave the information to your Chief," Race said. "He didn't seem to
think it was helpful."

"In fact, he seemed to think that you were manipulating us with your pet
raven Edgar."

"What?"

"We told him that a raven had appeared to us apparently to give clues to
the murders," Race told him. "Chief Detective Spade figured that was
your bird."

"Not at all," Frank replied.

"You didn't send your raven flying after us?" Benton asked.

"Edgar can't fly," the detective said. "His wings are clipped, like the
ravens at the Tower of London.  That must have been another bird."

"Curiouser and curiouser," the doctor said.

"Our raven imitated the voices of Boris Karloff and Vincent Price," Race
stated. "He said 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue', 'The Cask of
Amontillado', and 'The Tell-Tale Heart'.  References to the first two
murders and a third one perhaps?"

"The first two cases are out of order," Frank said. "The Amontillado
murders happened first.  A week later, the Rue Morgue murders occurred.
Um, let's go someplace where we can talk, shall we?"



They settled in a diner down the street from the station and ordered
coffee.

"The first set of murders was considered unplanned," Detective Frank
said. "A box of bottles of Cognac was stolen.  The Chief figures the
store owner then did something accidentally that set off the thief.  The
thief killed the owner, and then he killed the clerks - no witnesses.
End of story, pretty much.

"But then we have the Rue Morgue murders a week later.  No apparent
reason, no motive that we can divine.  But the M.O. is exactly the same
- the victims are all stabbed through the ribcage and then have their
throats cut."

"How do you know it was in that order?" Race asked.

"Lots of blood from the wound to the ribs and very little from the
throat," Andy answered. "We figure the victims were already dead when
the murderer cut their throats.  Almost like the punctuation mark at the
end of a sentence.  It was like that at the liquor store too.  And then
the coup de grace - a half-empty bottle of Cognac is left among the
corpses."

"We didn't hear about that," Dr. Quest said.

"That's why some of us think the murders are related," Andy said. "A
half-empty bottle was left at the liquor store too.  One theory even
likes the Poe Toaster as the perp.  They say he's gone off the deep end
and is killing people just like Poe killed everybody in his stories."

"So how does the tell-tale heart fit in?" Race asked.

"I don't know," Detective Frank answered. "I haven't heard of any murder
victims with missing hearts."

"Maybe it's not an actual human heart," Benton suggested. "Maybe the
heart is a symbol of something - life, love, something like that."

"Or maybe it's not a heart with an 'E', but a hart - H-A-R-T.  You know,
like a deer" the detective said. "There's a bookstore in the area called
Tales of the Hart.  It sells a lot of fantasy and romance stuff, both
new and used.  Maybe I should check over there."

"Well, I hate to think there's been another murder," Race said, "but if
there is, I hope the information we gave can help."



The next day, Detective Frank called Dr. Quest and told him the news.
"I checked out that bookstore," he said, "and found out that the owner
had been missing for a day or two.  So I checked her address and found
her body, killed the same way as the others.  Oh, yeah, and a half
bottle of cognac left at the scene."  He added, "That bird of yours is
not just a weird accident."

"I'm sorry that the owner lost her life," Benton said. "If we can help
anymore, let me know, please."

"Well, if the raven gives you another clue, get it to me right away.
Maybe we can prevent the next murder.  As it is, they're not making any
sense to anybody.  There's no kind of pattern that anybody can see.
Except for being related to the titles of Poe stories."



The Quest team extended their stay in Baltimore, but they did not see
the raven again for days.  On Saturday, when they were visiting the
Science Museum for the second time, they saw a large, black bird
circling outside.  Eager to see if it was their raven, the team ran
outside.  The bird - it was a raven - landed on a tree limb and cried,
"Nevermore!"

"Are you here to give us another clue?" Hadji asked the bird.

"Talk to us, raven," Jonny said. "What do you have to tell us?"

"'The Masque of the Red Death'," it said.  Then it laughed in a
chilling, deep voice and flew away.

"What was that laugh about?" Jonny asked in a whisper. "That was
creepy."

"That was from an old radio show called 'The Shadow'," Race said. "That
was the voice of the actor who played Lamont Cranston, the Shadow."

"Oh, yeah, I remember now," Jonny said.  He deepened his voice in
imitation of the radio show and said, "'Who knows what evil lurks in the
hearts of men?  The Shadow knows.'"

"And then the Shadow laughed just like the raven did," Dr. Quest stated.

"But what about 'The Masque of the Red Death', Dad?"

"Yes, Dr. Quest," Hadji added, "what does it mean?"

"It means we have to get in touch with Detective Frank."



"A masque is a fancy dance or ball, often a costume affair," Detective
Frank said. "Most everyone knows that."

"In Poe's story, everyone at the dance died of the Red Death which was
sweeping across Europe," Dr. Quest said.

"Our murderer can't be so confident as to think he can kill hundreds of
people at a dance and get away with it," the cop said. "Besides, that
wouldn't fit his M.O. of stabbing his victims and cutting their
throats."

"So what dances are coming up soon?" Race asked.

"Well, appropriately enough, the Poe Society is having their annual
celebration of the author's birthday of January 19th.    The celebration
takes place on the Saturday closest to his birthday.  And this year, the
celebration includes a costumed masquerade."

"Do you think the serial killer would attack there?" the doctor asked.
"What reason could he have?"

"Motive," Andy said. "We call it motive, and it doesn't always have to
do with reason.  And he might not be a serial killer.  I still think
that he may have had just one victim in mind all along, and the liquor
store murders were an accidental or opportunistic beginning to a spree.
He might be trying to cover his real victim's murder with a slew of
others just to make it look like a serial killer."

"That's twisted," Race said, "but I can see how it might make sense.  He
might be someone easy to suspect for one person's murder, but never
thought of if you're looking for a serial killer."

"Exactly."

"Do you still think it could be the Poe Toaster?" Race asked. "It
wouldn't make sense to kill somebody at a place where everybody knows
you're going to be."

"If he is over the edge, he might be thinking that the whole celebration
would give him good cover.  But, no, I don't think it's him.  I never
did.  I think the murderer is using him as a red herring just like the
serial killer thing."

"That reasoning makes a bit of sense," Dr. Quest said. "If everyone's
looking at the Poe Toaster, they could miss the real criminal."

"Exactly," Detective Frank said again.

"Who do you think the victim might be?" Race asked.

"Could be any number of dignitaries, or it could be anyone at all.
Sometimes there are even celebrities at the celebration.  We won't be
able to watch them all, but I don't know how we could narrow the list
down."

"There was a name in the story, wasn't there?" Benton asked. "The name
of the prince who hosted the dance?"

"Prince Prospero," Andy answered, "but that's not exactly a common name
nowadays."

"Prospero," Race muttered under his breath. "Like prosperous.  Could the
killer be going after the richest man at the dance?"

"I'll have to talk with the people at the Poe Society," the detective
said. "See if they have a guest list to work with.  But the dance could
be the wrong way to go, too.  'The Masque of the Red Death' might be
referring to another bookstore for all we know.  Dr. Quest, Mr. Bannon,
thanks for your help.  I think the police will have to take it from
here."

In spite of what Andy said, the Quest team decided to attend the dance
in order to follow through and perhaps see the end of the mystery.
Tickets to the dance were hard to get because of the late date, but Race
managed to scrounge enough for everyone on the team.  Saturday evening
found them all mingling with the small number of people to watch the Poe
Toaster perform his ceremony at the grave of Edgar Allan Poe.  The Edgar
Allan Poe Society discouraged large crowds at the ceremony and actively
tried to keep people away, but they allowed the Quest Team to stay.
They also had to allow a number of policemen and detectives.  The Quests
moved over to greet Detective Frank when they spotted him.

"Good evening, Detective Frank," Race said. "I assume you're on duty
tonight."

"Yes," Andy replied. "A lot of the cops that are here right now are to
watch the Poe Toaster, but I'm keeping an eye on a possible victim."  He
nodded his head in the direction of an older man dressed in a tuxedo and
wearing an expensive coat and hat to keep him warm.  "That's Mr. Aidan
Templar, high on the managing staff of a major publishing company here
in Baltimore.  The dance committee people tell me he may be the richest
man in attendance tonight."

"So you think he may be the killer's target?" Benton asked.

"I don't know.  If he is, then I can protect him.  If he's not, then the
real target may be helpless against the killer.  Shoot, the real target
may already be dead, and we just don't know about it yet."

"Does anyone else on the force agree with your theory?" Race asked.

"They don't really agree," Andy answered, "but they know they have to
check out all the options.  We're keeping tabs on other rich folk in the
crowd too.  And we're checking out other ways to read the clue."

"We still have no idea what the killer looks like, though, right?" asked
Jonny. "He could be anyone in the crowd, couldn't he?"

"That's right, young man," the detective said. "It'd be nice if your
raven would show up and just land on his shoulder to point him out for
us."

"I don't think we can count on that," Benton said with a sigh.

"I don't think so either," Andy agreed.

"There's the Poe Toaster," the detective suddenly said. "After the man
is done at the gravesite, some detectives will quietly separate him from
everyone and bring him in for questioning.  The big brass didn't want to
spoil the ceremony or create any rumors among the fans.  If the people
had any idea of what may be going on, we couldn't even try to do our job
properly."



Once the Poe Toaster had disappeared, the fans moved into the hall for
the dance.  Jonny and Hadji commented on the number of Black Cat and
Raven costumes that were in abundance.  Several men were dressed as Poe
himself.  And several were dressed in Red Death costumes like the
antagonist in 'The Masque of the Red Death'.  The police seemed to be
watching those men very carefully.

The first hours of the dance passed without trouble.  As the clock
neared twelve, one of the Red Death costumers accosted the president of
the Poe Society, arguing loudly about something.  Detective Frank looked
over at Mr. Templar and saw that he was conversing with someone dressed
as Poe.  The conversation looked peaceful, so Andy drifted over to join
the policeman surrounding the noisy Red Death.  The man was not calmed
by the police presence.  In fact, the police presence was the very thing
that was troubling him.  He was angry that the police had 'invaded' the
dance.  He grew angrier and noisier as the detectives tried to quiet
him.  Finally, he assaulted a uniformed policeman, and they were forced
to haul him away.

Detective Frank returned his attention to Mr. Templar, but could not
find him in the crowd.

"He was over there just a moment ago," Race said. "He was talking with
one of the costumed Poes."

"They went through that door into the hallway, Race," Jonny said.

They all rushed to the door at which Jonny pointed.  The hallway was
empty, but voices could be heard from around the corner on the left.
The adults headed that way, but Jonny grabbed Hadji's arm.  "Let's you
and I go the other way, Hadj," Jonny said. "I just have a feeling about
this."

The boys went to the right.  At a door going to the outside, they saw
Mr. Templar being dragged by the ersatz Poe.

"There he is!" Jonny yelled. "Hurry, Hadji!  Let's go!"

But Hadji hung back long enough to call the adults on the Quest's two-
way communicator that he had carried just in case.  He told them what he
saw and where they were headed.  Then he ran after Jonny and followed
him outside.

Mr. Templar was struggling with the Poe figure.  Poe had produced a
knife from somewhere in his costume.  Just as Jonny and Hadji caught up
with them, the costumed Poe stabbed Mr. Templar in the stomach.

"Nooo!" Jonny yelled.  He rushed forward and used a side kick on the
attacker before the man could do any more damage.  When the Poe
stumbled, he dropped the knife from his hand.  Jonny struck at him with
his other leg in a roundhouse kick that sent the man to his hands and
knees.

Hadji raced to Mr. Templar and placed pressure on the wound to slow the
bleeding.  He spoke to Aidan in a soothing monotone voice, hypnotizing
the victim into a relaxed state to slow the bleeding even more.

The Poe figure broke away from Jonny and ran out into the graveyard.  He
disappeared from the boys' sight behind a mausoleum.  A minute later
they heard an awful scream.  Jonny had often heard the word
'bloodcurdling' used to describe a scream, but until that night, he had
never fully realized what 'bloodcurdling' meant.



When Race, Dr. Quest, and Andy Frank caught up with the boys and Mr.
Templar, Jonny and Hadji just pointed in the direction that the Poe had
gone.  Race and Andy ran that way.  Dr. Quest took over the first aid
from Hadji, telling the boy to find a phone and call an ambulance.
Jonny, with shock covering his face, followed slowly behind Race and
Andy.  He found them hunched over several items lying on the ground.  As
he got closer, he saw them going through the jacket from the Poe
costume.  In front of the two men were a wig, a fake moustache, and a
bag containing a bottle of Cognac and a book of poetry by Poe.  He could
see no other sign of the man who had worn the costume.

"What happened to him, Race?" Jonny asked in a whisper.

"We don't know, Jonny.  Did you boys hear anything?"

"Just an awful scream, Race.  Bloodcurdling.  That's the word for it."

Andy spoke into his walkie-talkie.  He was organizing a search party
among the policeman at the dance.  In a low voice to Race, he said,
"Although I don't really expect to find him.  We don't know who he was
or what he really looked like.  We may never know where he went."



Later at the hospital, when Mr. Templar was allowed to talk with
Detective Frank, the old man explained the attack to his visitors.  "I
don't remember the man's name," he said. "But I remember the problems he
caused.  He had written a biography about Poe which was controversial at
best.  Bald-faced lying is what I would call it.  My company refused to
publish it.  No other company would publish it either, after we turned
it down.  The author swore revenge of course.  He swore to get me
personally.  I never thought he'd really go through with it."

"And we, the police, would never have guessed it was him," Detective
Frank said. "We would have been looking for a mad serial killer.  Or the
Poe Toaster.  Or even the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe himself.  All because
of the other deaths and the ritual way in which they were all killed.
It was only because of the Quest Team and their mysterious raven that we
were able to stop him.  I only wish we could have stopped him sooner.
Too many people died on his wild spree."

"At least you weren't killed, Mr. Templar," Dr. Quest said.

"Thank God for that," Aidan said. "I only hope the newspapers don't
print any horror story nonsense like they usually do.  It was a simple
case of revenge and murder, but I guess anything to do with Poe has to
have a touch of the darkside and the macabre added to it."

"Mr. Templar," Andy said, "I need to ask.  Does your company have any
records on your dealings with this man?  Something the police can use to
track him down?  We still need to find him."

"I'm sure there must be," Aidan replied. "Check with my secretary.  I'm
sure she'll be able to find a name for you.  Maybe a phone number and an
address too."

"Thank you, Mr. Templar," the detective said. "We'll be in touch."



The night before the Quests were scheduled to fly back to Florida, the
boys were awakened by a raven beating its wings against their windows.

"Do you see that, Hadji?" Jonny asked.

"I do, Jonny," Hadji answered. "Look how it beats on the window and then
flies away a little bit and then comes back to beat on the window some
more."

"It's like it wants us to follow it," Jonny said.

"Do you think we should?"

"Yeah, let's go."

"Should we tell Race and your father?" Hadji asked.

"No, let them sleep.  We'll be all right," Jonny stated.

They dressed and left the hotel, following the bird as it flew.

"It's going to Poe's grave, Hadji."  The raven landed on top of the
marker and sat there as still and quiet as if it were a part of the
stone.

"What is it doing, Jonny?"

"It's just sitting there," Jonny answered. "I don't know."

They watched the bird for a long time, but nothing happened.



Someone quietly shook Jonny's elbow.  He had fallen asleep, and he
wasn't waking up very well.

"Jonny?" a voice whispered. "Jonny!  Are you awake?"

"Huh?  Ummm, what?" the boy mumbled through a sleep-numbed tongue.
"Hadj? Is that you?  Did you fall asleep, too?"

"Yes, I did," Hadji replied, still whispering, "but I am very awake
now!"

"Hummh, what's happening?"

"There is someone standing over the grave of Mr. Poe.  It looks like a
man."

Jonny rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, desperately trying to wake up.
He saw the man that Hadji was talking about, but the figure was dark and
all in shadows.  When the man turned to face the boys, Jonny got a quick
glimpse of his face before it went back into the shadows.

"Ahhh!" he cried sharply, grabbing Hadji's arm in a panic.  Jonny
thought the man looked just like Edgar Allan Poe, but it could have been
just his imagination and the dark shadows.  "Did you just see what I
saw?" he asked his best friend.

"No, I could not have," Hadji answered, but then he added, "I think I
did.  Are you scared, Jonny?"

"Naw," Jonny replied with disdain, but then he added, "Yeah, I sure am."

"Me, too," Hadji said.  His eyes were wide with fright.

Then the raven flew down from the night sky to roost again on top of the
headstone, and both boys jumped in their skins.  Jonny gave another
strangled cry.

"Do not be afraid," a soft and gentle voice said.  The voice must have
belonged to the man at the grave, but neither boy could see his lips
move, although they could just make out his face in the dark. "You
youths and your adult guardians have done me a great service.  You have
protected my name and my reputation from a villainous injury.  The evil
miscreant who killed so many would have used my character and my works
as a smoke screen to cover his unpardonable sins.  You exposed his
darkness in the light of truth.  The villain will suffer his punishment
for all eternity.  I am grateful, and I thank you."

The raven flapped its wings suddenly.

"And the spirit of the beyond also thanks you."

"Nevermore!" the raven said.

Both the man and the bird disappeared as a dark cloud of shadow
overwhelmed the spot where they were standing.

"Holy cow, Hadji!" Jonny cried out. "Did you see that?"

"I did, Jonny."  Then he quoted from Poe's poem "The Raven", saying,
"'Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary ...
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping ...'  I
think, Jonny, that we just heard a tapping from what that man called the
beyond."

Suddenly a voice cried out from behind them, "There you are!"

The boys jumped and yelled and spun around to find Dr. Quest and Race
rushing towards them.

"What are you doing here?" Dr. Quest asked. "Why did you leave the hotel
without telling us?"

"Your father's been worried sick since we discovered you missing," Race
said. "Why in the world did you come out here?"

"We followed the raven, Dad," Jonny said.

"Yes, the raven led us here," Hadji said. "It led us here so that the
spirit of Edgar Allan Poe could thank us for saving his name from the
man who would use it for evil."

"Are you boys telling me you saw a ghost?" Benton asked. "The ghost of
Edgar Allan Poe?"

"It's hard to believe, Dad, but ..."

"I do not know if it was a ghost or just a dream," Hadji explained, "but
we were tapped - touched - by something here in the night.  I do not
think I could ever explain it, whatever it was, but I do believe it was
real."

"Well, at least you boys are all right.  'There are more things in
heaven and earth, Horatio ...'" Dr. Quest quoted.

"That's not Poe, Dad," Jonny said.

"I know, son," Dr. Quest said. "Let's go home, people.  I think we've
spent enough time in Baltimore."


                        the end
