The Shadow - 336 - Blackmail Bay by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1979-12-31T23:00:00+00:00

“That reminds me! Miss Madge always has me take note of anything special on the board.” Turning over his bundles to Hobbs, Blake made a notation on a pad, stopping, a bit puzzled, when he came to Kroft’s cryptic notice; then writing it down in detail. Hobbs began honking the jitney’s horn, so Blake hurried over and they took off together. That gave Margo a chance to stroll the

waterfront, keeping a casual eye on the few customers who went in and out of the

store. All seemed already familiar with the board, for none looked at it.

Margo was still strolling when Hobbs came back in his jalopy, just in time

to meet the ‘Priscilla’ as she loomed up beside the wharf on the dot of 12:45.

As passengers came from the lower deck, Hobbs shook hands with the man who was obviously the mechanic he expected, but Margo was more interested to see Lew Barton come ashore. He was chatting with a man she recognized as Clyde Burke, who represented the New York ‘Classic’. Margo kept a straight face while Barton

introduced Clyde as a feature writer who was doing a story about Cobosco Bay, because she knew that from now on, Clyde would take over and keep tabs on people who stopped too long at the bulletin board, even interviewing them to get their names and opinions regarding Cobosco Bay and Spruce Island.

While Margo was being interviewed by Clyde, Barton went over and spent a long time studying the notices on the bulletin board, a point that Margo undertoned to Clyde, who responded with a nod. Then Margo strolled away and increased her gait to a brisk walk until she reached Kroft’s and found the judge waiting to have lunch with her on the veranda. After lunch, she resumed work in the library, checking the available tape for clues to those that were missing - or stolen.

Down by the landing, things were going not only as Margo hoped, but even better. All afternoon, Clyde Burke had been checking on all patrons of the general store, going and coming, by playing the part of what he really was: an inquiring reporter, no more and no less. That fact was proven late in the afternoon, when the ‘Priscilla’ was ready for her six o’clock sunset trip back to Baxter Harbor. Just then, a speedboat pulled in below some steep steps beside the wharf and two men clambered their way up to the top.

One was a big, bluff character, who looked like he either owned everything

in sight, or could buy it, which was true in this case. He was Wilby Weldon, who

owned Round Island outright and could easily buy Spruce Island for half the price. The other was Harry Vincent, a personable chap who, like Clyde Burke, was an agent of The Shadow.

As Clyde stepped up and asked Weldon for an interview, he was shoved roughly aside in the very manner he expected from such a character. So Clyde settled for Harry Vincent and both smiled as they watched Weldon stride over to

the general store.

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