The Shadow 141 The Crystal Buddha by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant [Grant, Maxwell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1937-12-31T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XIII

CROOKS TAKE A HAND.

WHILE The Shadow was finishing his check-up of Bela Singh, another investigator was handling a different angle in the case of the Crystal Buddha.

Oddly, this investigator had never heard of the mysterious idol that reposed in Rex Lancott’s apartment.

The investigator was Joe Cardona, ace inspector of the New York police. Joe was on his way to talk with Zimmer Cougal.

The law’s viewpoint was a simple, direct one. There had been gunfray in Central Park, one night; another battle at the Starlight Club, the next.

Captured thugs admitted that the same mob had mixed in both affairs. There was a chance that Zimmer Cougal was the big-shot behind the double trouble.

What the law did not know was that the entry of hoodlums had been a sheer coincidence. Zimmer Cougal, whatever else he might know, had never heard of the Crystal Buddha.

The Shadow had reasoned that point from the circumstances. He pictured exactly how and why the thugs had come into it. They were on The Shadow’s blacklist; he intended to handle them later, if the law ran into obstacles.

Meanwhile, The Shadow was leaving that angle to Joe Cardona. In fact, he had already received a confidential report that Cardona was looking in on Zimmer Cougal.

The Hampstead Towers was an antiquated apartment hotel; Zimmer’s suite occupied a sixth-floor corner. Cardona had no trouble reaching the racketeer.

Zimmer had apparently expected the inspector’s visit. He greeted Joe with an affable nod; waved the ace to a big chair, that creaked when Cardona seated himself in it.

“Take a gander at this joint, Joe,” suggested Zimmer, sourly. “Looks pretty cheesy, don’t it? I just got dough enough to pay the rent. Can’t worry about new furniture. That ought to convince you that I’m out of the rackets.”

Cardona eyed Zimmer stolidly. They had met often in the past. Joe Cardona, the swarthy, poker-faced police inspector; Zimmer Cougal, the flat-nosed, rat-eyed racketeer. Joe knew that Zimmer had a reputation for persuasive argument; but that didn’t go far with the ace inspector.

“Sure, you’re out of your old rackets,” agreed Cardona, looking about. “That probably means you’re building up for a new one!”

Zimmer’s ugly smile showed the glitter of gold teeth as he questioned:

“So what?”

“Just this,” emphasized Cardona. “You needed trigger-men once; maybe you think you’ll be needing them again. The best way to hold them is to keep them on the pay roll.”

Zimmer rasped a laugh.

“If I had the dough for that,” he declared, “I’d send the boys out to the sticks. They wouldn’t be around town chasing taxis in Central Park. I’m telling you, Joe, that mob was working on its own.”

Cardona was still doubtful. He shot a few questions regarding members of the captured gun crew. In every case, Zimmer had the right answer. By the time he was through, the ace decided that Zimmer was actually what he appeared to be—a broken-down racketeer.

When he left, Cardona paused at the doorway, to leave a blunt reminder.

“I’m giving you a break, Zimmer,” he declared. “We’ve bagged that one crew, so we’re satisfied for the present.

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