The Shadow - 88 - The House That Vanished by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant [Grant, Maxwell]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1935-09-30T22:00:00+00:00

“She took it upon herself to give you a vague warning. You became suspicious and discovered Blissop’s body. Even then we would not have dealt roughly with you if Goodling had not started the attack.

“After we had overpowered the pair of you, I felt that there was no time to be lost. Doctor Claig agreed.

He realized who you were. That was why we turned out the lights before he came in to administer the hypodermic.

“Croy took you both to the edge of the creek. He left you in the coupe. He came back and helped us complete packing. After that, he replaced the sign where it belonged. We came here and brought Blissop’s body with us. Our intention was to make everything known the day that Myra becomes of age.”

Kermal stopped. It was Doctor Claig who added the finishing touch to the story.

“There was a trunk at the old house,” explained the physician, dryly. “Blissop had put it away somewhere. We overlooked it when we packed. When we checked up on everything here, we remembered the trunk.

“Myra thought it must be under the stairs. We decided to send Croy to find it, since I had learned, downtown, that the location of the house was still a mystery. But Croy could not go until after the search was ended.”

“I sent him out this evening,” added Kermal. “He met you while he was driving through the outskirts of the town. You recognized him; and Croy saw nothing else to do but bring you here.”

“And now,” put in Claig, “the house has been located. The trunk is in Goodling’s office. The hunt is beginning for Myra Dolthan as well as for you, Lanford. But” - the physician chuckled - “they will never suspect this house as the new hiding place.”

“Not until we reveal it,” declared Kermal, seriously. “We intend to do that, Lanford, within the next few days. As soon as Myra is twenty-one and has made her new will. That is why we have decided to be frank with you.”

KERMAL arose, stepped forward and clamped his hand on Lanford’s shoulder. His entire action was friendly.

“You can help us, Lanford,” declared the lawyer, in an emphatic tone. “You can help us by staying here, as a guest, rather than as a prisoner. You can act as witness to documents. You can aid us in protecting Myra.”

“How?” questioned Lanford.

“By writing a letter,” replied Kermal. “A letter to Goodling. I shall mail it to New York and have a friend there send it, in your envelope, to Goodling.

“You can explain that everything is all right. That you have met Myra Dolthan. That will carry the search away from here. We shall be unmolested until the all-important day when we can make our complete story public.”

Lanford nodded momentarily. Then his fists clenched in challenge. Rising, the young man faced Kermal.

He blurted out his doubt.

“Why should I accept your story?” he demanded. “Why should I even believe in Doctor Claig? You have tried to explain a murder. Perhaps your story is true.

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