The Shadow 051 The Cobra by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant [Grant, Maxwell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1934-04-30T21:56:22+00:00

Smokey had been shot down in one of his palatial gaming rooms, with a dozen witnesses present.

Although the public did not know it, Police Commissioner Weston had received advance notice of The Cobra’s deed. On this occasion, the hisser who spoke over the wire had not invited Weston to be present.

But The Cobra’s action had satisfied the commissioner. Smokey Bragland was an unconvicted murderer.

His warranted death had brought new consternation to the underworld.

The Shadow had not appeared on this occasion. That had caused new comment in the badlands. It produced the general opinion that The Shadow had admitted his own inability to keep up with The Cobra’s prowess.

Night had come to Manhattan, and among the hordes of scumland, The Cobra was again the topic of awed conversations. At the Blue Crow - a hangout where the most disreputable of rowdies met -

uncouth mobsters were speculating on The Cobra’s next victim. While they were talking, a mobster entered. It was “Duff” Berker, a member of Heater Darkin’s disbanded crew.

“Hi, Duff!” called a sweatered gangster. “We was just wonderin’ who The Cobra was goin’ to get next.”

“Don’t talk about that guy,” growled Duff. “He’s going to get the works himself, someday.”

“Yeah?” the first speaker was sarcastic. “Who from? Say - he knowed more about what Heater Darkin was doin’ than you did, I bet. Where was you that night?”

“Outside,” retorted Duff.

“I’ll bet you was,” grinned the gangster. “You oughta have been coverin’ up for Heater. Yeah - that’s where you oughta have been. Then The Cobra mighta handed you the bump, too.”

Duff Berker made no reply. He shuffled from the joint. Buzzing comments followed.

“He’s the guy could handle Heater’s old gang, Duff is.”

“You bet he could, but he’s wise enough to lay low. He ain’t goin’ to get what Heater got.”

OUTSIDE, Duff Berker was shuffling along the street. He come to an old house and entered. He went through a hall to a little back room. He entered, turned on a light and closed the door. A pay telephone was on the wall. It bore a placard: “Out of order.”

Duff picked up the receiver. He turned the mouthpiece with his other hand. A hissing sound reached his ear through the receiver.

“Fang Eleven,” reported Duff.

A hissing voice responded. Duff spoke in reply. His conversation ended, Duff twisted the mouthpiece and hung up the receiver. He shambled from the room and left the obscure house.

Duff Berker’s action was a justification of Crawler Gorgan’s theory that The Cobra had gained the services of mobsters in the underworld. More than that; it showed how The Cobra had been able to move more swiftly than The Shadow.

The Cobra’s agents were minions of the big shots whom The Cobra had eliminated. Thus had The Cobra kept exact tabs on the movements of his prospective victims!

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