Maxwell Grant - The Shadow 121 by Death Token

Author:Death Token [Token, Death]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-11-14T23:23:01+00:00

a bad venture. The Shadow, himself, might have ignored it under other circumstances. He was banking, however, on Celeste’s statement regarding the back door that led to safety. The strong door that The Shadow saw was the only one that offered a special route from the house.

Edging to the low doorway, The Shadow tested the heavy knob. It was rigid,

apparently latched. The very tightness of the knob, however, was proof to The Shadow that it was not latched from the inside. Latched knobs usually clicked slightly. The Shadow’s assumption, therefore, was that the tightness depended upon some construction of the outside knob alone.

A deft gloved hand manipulated the knob, found that strong inward pressure

made it yield in plunger fashion. There was a slight click within the door; the

knob twisted loose. A slight outward pull of the turning knob, and it engaged the latch in normal fashion. The Shadow opened the door and entered.

WITH the door closed behind him, The Shadow stood in the thick darkness of

a narrow-walled passage. He inspected the inner knob with a flashlight; found that it was quite ordinary. The big key hole was a fake; but there were large bolts on the inside of the door. The purpose of this special entrance was obvious.

Through this door could come privileged persons who wished to see Radbard privately - provided the supercrook had told them the secret of the tricky outside knob. If Radbard wished to bar such visitors, he could do so by fastening the bolts on the inside of the door. The passage itself offered only one route inside the house. It led up a short flight of steps, then along an inner wall. It made a sharp turn and terminated with a blocking door.

The Shadow found this route with a tiny, probing flashlight. He extinguished the torch as soon as he reached the door.

Carefully, The Shadow opened the door inward. He stepped into a lighted room: Radbard’s office. The room was empty; but it was apparent that occupants would soon arrive. A lamp was glowing from Radbard’s desk. Papers were stacked there, awaiting the shipping magnate’s inspection. The big safe in back of the desk was wide open. So was the door of a small, square corner closet.

Looking across the room, The Shadow saw the door to the library. Closing the door by which he had just entered, he crossed the room and tried the far door. The Shadow peered into the library; saw that it was empty. He entered, closing the door of the office behind him.

He saw the route to the front hall, but did not take it. Instead, The Shadow sought the shelter of a deep alcove between two bookcases. Just as he blended with darkness, two men appeared from the hallway.

One, The Shadow knew, was Courtney Radbard; for he had seen the man in the

past. The other was Sideling; The Shadow recognized the secretary’s bespectacled

face as the frightened one that he had seen peering from a beleaguered taxicab on Tenth Avenue.

A

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