Grant, Maxwell - The Shadow 113 - Partners of Peril by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Detective, Mystery, Crime, Suspense, Adventure, Thriller
Publisher: Street & Smith Publications
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CARDONA grunted, produced a photograph of Blink Dorgan from his pocket. “Was this one of the robbers?”

Todd shook his head. “I couldn’t say. You see, both the thugs were masked. I took Merriweather’s advice and hushed up the whole affair. I don’t want any publicity, because -” His voice lowered for an instant. “It’s not generally known, but Millcote Chemical is under contract to the United States government, producing a new and rather important gas for the chemical warfare service.

“Merriweather and I both think the crooks came here under the impression that the formula for the gas was in my office safe. Which is, of course, ridiculous. The formula is closely guarded in a vault in Washington. Here we merely produce the gas in stated quantities, under the supervision of the war department in Washington.”

“You think,” Cardona asked, quietly, “that the attack on you had nothing at all to do with the deaths of your former associates, Reed Harrington and Arnold Kling?”

“I’ve tried to think of some connection, but, frankly, I can’t,” Todd replies.

“It’s the formula that brought the thieves here,” Merriweather interrupted, positively, “Any other explanation is silly, it seems to me.”

“Thank you,” Cardona said, ironically. He studied Simon Todd. “Miss Harrington and myself thought that perhaps you might be able to cast some light on the motive for the strange deaths of your former partners.”

“I’m afraid I can’t.”

“In each case, the dead man’s safe was rifled,” Cardona suggested. “Yours was attacked, too.”

“Coincidence,” Merriweather murmured from the background.

“What is your opinion of Thomas Porter and his son Ray?”

Todd was silent for a moment. He looked definitely embarrassed. “I’d rather not answer that. It brings up personal prejudice.”

“You don’t trust the Porters?”

“Frankly, no. That was the chief reason why I took over the whole ownership of the plant myself, after Kling and Harrington said they wanted to get out.”

“You think the Porters might have learned of this government contract you obtained after they left, and have hired some one to try to steal it to dispose of it to a foreign power?”

Todd shook his head. “I don’t think the attack on me had a thing to do with the deaths of Kling and Harrington,” he said. “Whether the Porters were responsible for those two murders, I’d rather not say. I know they hated both Kling and Harrington. As for myself, I accuse no one without proof.”

He sighed, and his face became grave.

“I hope that first attack on me was the last. But I’m taking no chances. As you may have noticed, I’ve installed a searchlight on a tall tower, to light the grounds here at night. I’ve doubled the number of my private guards. After sundown, the wall that surrounds this area is electrified with a high voltage of current. That’s why I’ve made no complaint to the police. I think I’ve made myself perfectly safe, now.”

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