The Shadow 285 Fountain of Death by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant [Grant, Maxwell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1944-10-31T23:00:00+00:00

Before Margo could broach the subject, the telephone bell rang. It startled Johnny, even though he was in the security of Cranston’s Manhattan apartment. Answering the call, Cranston found it was long distance, calling from Sapphire Springs.

Gesturing that he wanted no interruptions, Cranston talked to Noble J. Elder and gave an encouraging report regarding Johnny. Hanging up, he turned to Johnny and announced:

“You’re welcome back there any time you want to go. Would you prefer to stay here until matters straighten?”

Johnny nodded, a bit doubtful.

“You could leave tomorrow, if you wanted,” reminded Cranston, “on the same train Kirkwood took.”

“That wouldn’t get me there until after midnight,” declared Johnny. “Still, it would be better than a sleeper trip. Maybe a rest at the Springs would do me good, but I ought to be cleared to some degree before I go there.”

“You will be by tomorrow,” assured Cranston. There was a grim note to his words that worried Margo.

“Well, Johnny, get some sleep. We’ll see you in the morning.”

Accompanying Cranston from the apartment, Margo could hardly wait to pour her flood of apprehensions. In the hallway, Margo undertoned:

“You can’t believe all this, Lamont. I know you can’t, from the way you just spoke. If you don’t turn Johnny over to the police, you’ll be - well, at least The Shadow will be blamed for the Claybourne robbery!”

“That’s better,” said Cranston with a smile. “I’m still in the clear, Margo, and so are you.”

“What has that to do with it?”

“We’re both still welcome at Claybourne’s, which is where you’re going right now.”

“But why?”

“To find out about that girl in blue. She strikes me as someone who might have been invited to the party but didn’t come.”

The logic struck home to Margo. If Johnny had told the truth, Cranston’s opinion was likely. Assuming that the blue girl had sent Johnny the combination to the safe, it could mean that she had been a house guest at Claybourne’s in order to obtain it. Worth testing at least, but there was one point on which Margo couldn’t agree.

“These memory lapses of Johnny’s. They’re just too, too convenient, Lamont. Why you haven’t any proof

-“

“None except the proof you gave me, Margo.”

“I gave you? When?”

“When you told me about Johnny’s telephone call; the one he made from Claybourne’s and couldn’t remember.”

“Maybe Johnny was just smart.”

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