Grant, Maxwell - The Shadow 173 - Death's Harlequin by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Detective, Mystery, Crime, Suspense, Adventure, Thriller
Publisher: Street & Smith Publications
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

BLACKIE turned on his heel and went away in the opposite direction to that taken by the car of his employer. Harry Vincent followed him.

The tailing job continued for several blocks on foot. Presently, Blackie entered the ground-floor doorway of a cheap rooming house. He vanished swiftly without a backward glance. It looked like a spot where he could hole up in a furnished room.

Harry waited a few seconds, to give Blackie a chance to climb the stairs; then he hurried in after him. He was eager to find out before it was too late on which floor the crook had his room.

Caution would have served Vincent better than haste. As he entered the hallway, he discovered that the light had been turned out. A plunging figure sprang murderously at Harry from the darkness.

Blackie had not been fooled by the tailing job. He was ready for trouble - with a keen-bladed knife!

The point of the knife ripped at Harry’s throat. All that saved him was his own startled recoil when he had perceived that the hallway was in darkness. He went to one knee and Blackie, with a grunt of murderous triumph, stabbed downward with the knife.

His wrist was caught in an iron grasp. Harry’s flop had been done purposely. He knew he had to disarm the killer swiftly - or feel the sharp agony of a knife deep in his vitals!

His quick heave sent Blackie flying over his bent head. The thug struck the stairway post and rebounded. The knife fell from his bruised hand.

Blackie was up like a flash; his heavy shoe swung backward in a vicious kick. Harry jerked to one side, but not far enough. He felt a crashing impact against his stomach. He dropped to the floor, temporarily paralyzed. Footsteps raced away. The vestibule door slammed. By the time Harry’s muscles reacted and he was able to stagger out to the sidewalk, there was no sign of Blackie.

The brown envelope had vanished with him. Harry gritted his jaw obstinately. He had made a bad blunder, but there was still a chance to redeem himself, in an entirely different direction.

He decided to make a quick trip to the mansion of Colonel Standish.

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