The Shadow - 313 - Room 1313 by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1947-04-30T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER VI

WALKING down the long hotel corridor, Lamont Cranston, tired as he was, smiled at the line of shoes that were set in military precision outside the doors of the rooms. He must remember that if he wanted his shoes shined, he’d have to leave them out for Boots.

He must remember too, he thought as he opened his door, to call the elevators, lifts, that gasoline was petrol, that the police were called constables. He was still smiling as he undressed and got into bed.

He realized he was falling asleep. For against that slowness he had to match as much speed as he could. If this case was ever to be solved it had to be fast.

One of the first things that Cranston did after breakfast on the following morning was to wander into a large stationery store near Davenport’s in downtown London. All he wanted was a single piece of carbon paper but he had to buy a dozen. It cost sixpence and he promptly proceeded to get involved in the fantastic monetary system that is Albion’s own.

He wound up with thrupenny bits, farthings and some other odds and ends of currency which baffled him. On the street he hailed a cab and went to the apartment house where the young Earl was living with Yorke.

Marvin, the dachshund, greeted him ecstatically. He jumped up and cavorted around. Yorke looked surprised.

“Never saw him make such a to-do about anyone before.”

“I think the secret of making friends with an animal is not to pay attention. Then they have to do the courting,” Cranston said. He smiled as he watched the dachshund stand up on his hind legs and beg. “I never knew a dachel could do that.”

“Marvin has a whim of iron. He saw a poodle do that one day and came home and practiced till I thought he’d break his back. But he managed it.”

The young Earl, looking considerably refreshed, came into the room in lounging pajamas and a robe. He grinned hello. “What’s on the schedule for today?”

“You sit tight,” Cranston said, “and let me do the worrying. I just wanted to be sure you were all right.”

“Why shouldn’t I be?” Jackie asked in some astonishment. “Do you expect something else to happen?”

“Remember,” Cranston said cautioningly, “the longer the constabulary delay in arresting you, the more upset the plans of those who framed you will be.”

Yorke said, “You mean…”

“I mean they may think that their plan has fallen through. The obvious step to me, would be for them to kill Jackie, plant a fake suicide note and make it look as though he had been unwilling to live in disgrace.” Cranston watched Jackie carefully to see how he’d respond to this bluntness. He took it like a trooper.

“They’ve found it easy to push me around so far, because all the advantage of shock tactics was on their side. But now my eyes are open, they won’t find it quite so easy.”

“Good, keep on thinking that way and we may be able to bobble their plans up at that,” Cranston said.

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