Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 286 by Maxwel l Grant

Author:Maxwel,l Grant
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf

CHAPTER XI

THE smooth, steady hum of a motor came from beyond the old door where Shirley Malcolm knocked.

Tapping a prearranged signal, the girl gained quick results. The motor was turned off, but in an odd way.

Its hum increased in loudness instead of diminishing, then ended with a choppy clatter. After that, the door opened, and Victor Brett admitted the girl.

"Hello, Vic." Shirley smiled as she saw Brett peer sharply along the hall. "Don't worry. Nobody followed me, I made sure of that."

Shirley hadn't made as sure as she supposed. Brett had opened the door just too late to see a hunched figure bob from sight, below the level of some stairs. Shortly the figure reappeared outside this small, dilapidated office building and waved a signal to a cab across the way.

A man came from the cab and met the hunched trailer. They formed a sharp contrast in the light: the newcomer was handsome, youthful in appearance, despite the experienced expression that marked him a veteran in this sort of work; while the little man with the tight-drawn shoulders had a wizened face with sharp, darty eyes. Of course, they didn't bother to identify themselves as Harry Vincent, ace of The Shadow's agents and Hawkeye, the cleverest of spotters, who was serving the same cause.

Harry simply queried: "Where?"

"End door, second floor," acknowledged Hawkeye. "Transom open."

With that they parted, Harry going up to take over watch outside of Brett's. It was easy enough, for there was a turn in the hallway by the end door and Harry was skilled at stepping out of sight in such surroundings. Upon arrival, however, he preferred to benefit by the open transom and hear what was

said inside the office with the unmarked door.

"So you told the colonel all about me," Brett was saying in an easy tone. "Good."

"Not all about you," corrected Shirley. "I said I hoped I would be able to reach you."

"That's all I wanted you to say."

"I know. Well, anyway, we were lucky."

"Lucky? How?"

"On account of the accident," explained Shirley. "It seemed so silly using that method to meet the colonel.

Only it turned out that he had dreamed about it the night before!"

Brett chuckled as though he couldn't believe Shirley's story.

"Of course the colonel ties everything in with his dreams," admitted Shirley. "Maybe they are just a form of mental aberration or something else technical. Only he didn't dream what happened after you gave those signals, Vic."

"What did happen?"

"Well," recalled Shirley, "a man dashed into the side alley and rolled through a grating, with one - or maybe two - coming after him."

"Who were they?"

"I think the first man was Gregg, the older nephew. He sneaked around through the dining room and parked his hat and coat. He must have locked the door down to the cellar" - Shirley paused, puzzled -

"but still that doesn't explain what happened to the key."

"You mean it disappeared?"

"Wait now. I'm beginning to get it. Somebody followed Gregg up the cellar stairs and pushed the key out through the lock.

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