The Shadow 295 by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XII

MEN like Shenrich revealed their dubious pasts in one sweeping flood, whenever they faced The Shadow. If a movie camera had registered Shenrich’s reactions in slow-motion, the film would have been worth a prolonged analysis later.

Every bit of swindlery, conspiracy, even thievery and certainly extortion that Shenrich had used to spice his business career, was reflected from the man’s mind to his face. If Shenrich could have talked, he would have gulped names, blaming certain people for putting The Shadow on his trail, and winding up with pleas for mercy.

It was rather ironic from The Shadow’s viewpoint to have come here in behalf of a man whose caliber was on display and proving worthless.

Shenrich must have realized this, but with it he guessed the cause behind The Shadow’s visit. Putting two and two together, Shenrich nullified them and made zero. Plead he did, but on a score wherein he was safe.

“I didn’t murder Adalbart!” he finally blurted. “Honestly, I didn’t! Our deal was straight - we went through with it - no matter what Adalbart told you. I gave him money, yes, but I was making mine. Adalbart was entitled to his, where I was concerned.”

Encouraging, this. The further Shenrich went with such talk, the less questions The Shadow would have to put. Spontaneous information always carried fine points of detail that mere questioning would not bring out.

“Look, here it is!” Shenrich let the piece of paper shake of its own accord. “The receipt that Adalbart gave me for fifty thousand dollars. I wouldn’t have taken it if I’d been going to kill him.”

The Shadow throbbed a whispered laugh that made the paper quiver like a poplar leaf. Tightening his hand with an effort, Shenrich squinted a shrewd look from his pasty face. His own laugh came hollow.

“Maybe I’d have taken the receipt,” Shenrich admitted, “but I would have destroyed it sooner. Only there’s more than one reason for getting rid of something. One reason is you don’t want it; the other, you don’t need it.

“I don’t need this receipt, now that Adalbart is dead. I wouldn’t like it to get around that I’d had dealings with him, because I wouldn’t be safe. But maybe I’m safer if I depend on you, Mr. Shadow. You can keep this for me.”

Stretching his hand forward, Shenrich let the paper flutter from his hand. The Shadow caught it with gloved reach, but at the last moment, he was forced to stoop. Profiting by that fact, seeing also that neither of The Shadow’s hands contained a gun, Shenrich showed himself a rat and more.

Whipping back, he yanked a revolver of his own, aimed it for The Shadow and thrust his finger for the trigger. If he’d used the gun only as a threat, he could have justified it later, where The Shadow was concerned; but Shenrich’s purpose was a kill.

The swiftness of The Shadow’s counter was amazing. The whip back of the plucking hand that caught the paper was outmatched by the wrist-swivel of the gloved fist that had come against his cloak front.

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