The Shadow - 255 - The Devil's Partner by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1942-09-30T22:00:00+00:00

Swade’s eyes were hard. He spoke brusquely. “Who is this extra house guest of yours?”

“Lamont Cranston. He telephoned me yesterday, practically invited himself. Since I had already invited Cranston numerous times before, it was impossible to refuse him. He is at my estate now.”

“I see,” Swade murmured. The tension went out of his taut lips. He laughed with a relieved sound.

“Lamont Cranston’s presence need not cause us two seconds of worry! I’ve met him occasionally. I think I understand him as well as any man I’ve ever met - and I’m a pretty good judge of character. Cranston is nothing but a wealthy sap with more money than brains. Let him stay. That’s a lot easier than trying to get rid of him.”

It was so agreed. Minter looked years younger when he rose to his feet.

“I’ll expect you tomorrow morning,” he said. “Come out on an early train.”

“I shall. I’ll bring Anthony Kilby with me. Don’t forget to invite him.”

Minter nodded. He left in a daze of delight at his good fortune in having found such a pair of devoted friends.

As soon as Minter was gone, Simon Swade laughed with a metallic sound. He walked quietly to a closed door and rapped on it.

“Come on out, Anthony.”

Kilby was grinning as he emerged from the adjoining room. A practical little wire connection had enabled him to hear every word of the private discussion between Swade and the banker.

“Beat it,” Swade told him jovially. “You’ve got to be home in time to receive your invitation.”

“It won’t be long now!” Kilby chuckled.

LAMONT CRANSTON was playing a game of pool in the beautifully paneled billiard room at Jonah Minter’s Long Island estate.

Minter himself was Cranston’s opponent.

The game was going slowly. Cranston took plenty of time on each shot. That was odd, because Cranston was an excellent player. It didn’t usually take him long to polish off a game with a few brilliantly executed runs.

This evening, however, it suited him to drag things.

Kilby and Swade were in the billiard room, apparently enjoying the game. It was merely pretense.

Inwardly, they were both cursing Lamont Cranston. They wanted to get rid of him.

Ever since their arrival that morning, they had sought in vain for a private talk with their host. The Shadow had foiled that hope. He had clung to Minter’s presence like a leech. On the golf course, inside the mansion, The Shadow was constantly at Minter’s side.

Now in the soft light of the billiard room, with the darkness dense and black in the wooded grounds outside, The Shadow sensed the growing urge on the part of Kilby and Swade to get rid of him.

Events were sharpening toward a climax. Something ugly was in the wind.

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