The Shadow - 23 - The Shadow's Shadow by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1933-02-01T23:00:00+00:00

“You have been waiting here long?” questioned Zubian, with a smile.

“About fifteen minutes,” responded Carleton. “Tell me—has anything developed?”

“I shall come to that,” said Zubian, still smiling. “What do you have to report?”

“Nothing,” replied Carleton wearily. “Another evening up at Devaux’s.”

“Was Milbrook there?”

“Yes—for a while. Still trying to sell diamonds to Devaux; but it will be a long while before that goes through.”

“And the girl?”

“Virginia? She has a crush on Milbrook. That doesn’t matter for the time. She will find out that it won’t work. There are lots of ways of dealing with that fellow. I think we can take care of him when we are ready.”

“Very easily,” smiled Zubian. “We must allow nothing to interfere with Douglas Carleton becoming the son-in-law of Stanford Devaux. That will prove of the utmost value in the future. I must congratulate you, Carleton, upon planning such an excellent arrangement.”

A SHORT pause followed; then Zubian quietly turned to a subject in which Carleton seemed to be intensely interested; namely, the recent departure of Lamont Cranston from the Cobalt Club.

“The end is plainly in sight,” were Zubian’s opening words. “Everything has worked perfectly. I have just talked to Gats Hackett by telephone.”

“Ah! He is ready?”

“Not only ready—he is on his way, with plenty of time to spare.”

“You are sure your method will work?”

“I do not see how it can fail,” stated Zubian proudly. “It is well-founded upon careful observation. When I told you that I wanted to give instructions directly to Gats Hackett, it was very wise of you to permit me to do so. I also appreciate your willingness to wait until all was under way before learning of my operations.”

“You wanted it that way,” responded Carleton. “I decided you must know what you were about. After all, it was good policy for us to say little to each other. But now -“

“Now,” announced Zubian, “I shall tell you all. I have been watching this man who calls himself Lamont Cranston; but I have not been watching him too closely. Therein lies the merit of my plan. I discovered one particular fact. Every night, when Cranston leaves the club, he goes directly home to New Jersey, driven in his limousine by a chauffeur named Stanley.

“There are various avenues which Cranston’s car might follow; but there is one channel which it is sure to take. That passage, I decided, should be the base of our operations.”

“The Holland Tunnel!”

“Exactly. I have studied it carefully. With my plans completely arranged, I gave instructions to Gats Hackett. He added a few suggestions of his own. As a result, we are prepared to-night— prepared with a method of attack that Cranston cannot possibly suspect.

“In his career as The Shadow, our friend Cranston has met with some difficult situations; but I fancy that in every such instance he has been garbed in the black costume which he prizes so highly. As Lamont Cranston, he lives a prosaic existence, free from the unexpected. That condition will be altered to-night.

It is in the course of alteration now.

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