Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 049 by Maxwel l Grant

Author:Maxwel,l Grant
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf

CHAPTER XV. THE DOOM TRAIL

WHILE secretive men were slinking along streets that constituted the area near Times Square, Felix Tressler was watching events upon the charted wall of his penthouse room.

High above the scenes below, this master who ruled the circle of death held another victim in his power.

Tressler was the spider; the streets within the red-marked circle were his web.

Like colored mercury, a red light was creeping along a neon tube. That extending glow showed the course that Wilton Byres was following in frenzied flight. A white bulb shone. The neon line reached it.

This was a new report. One of Tressler's minions had marked a new location. Tressler, seated in front of the big map, reached for a switch and pressed it.

This was his response. The pressure of that switch caused a methodical blinking of the electric sign that towered near Times Square. Border lights, controlled by Tressler's hand, were flashing their new announcement to skulkers who were on the trail of Wilton Byres.

This was the third locating light that had blinked once, then faded, upon Tressler's map. The neon line, however, kept on. It had turned a corner. It was in another block.

A white light blinked as the line reached it. Again, Tressler pressed a switch that controlled the borders of the big electric sign.

Wilton Byres had passed four location spots. His course was leading him along the line of a secant, cutting toward the border of the huge red circle. He had other spots to pass. Felix Tressler chuckled. The victim was within the web. The final outcome was assured. The circle of death could not fail.

DOWN on a street near Times Square, Clyde Burke was still trailing Wilton Byres. The Shadow's agent was close behind Felix Tressler's secretary. Clyde was ready, at any instant, to give aid should danger threaten.

Clyde saw Byres glance up. Looking in the same direction, Clyde noticed green corners of shining bulbs upon a distant electric sign. Those lights made no more than a passing impression upon The Shadow's agent.

Clyde's concern was for Wilton Byres. He noticed the man leap forward, quickening his pace almost to a frantic run. Byres stopped suddenly at a corner. He turned to look about him. Clyde caught a glimpse of a hunted face.

"Taxi?"

The call came from a cab which swung up to the curb. Wilton Byres heard it. The driver had seen him at the corner; evidently he had thought that Byres was about to hail a cab. The taximan was opening the door. Byres nodded. He leaped into the cab.

Clyde arrived just as the door was slamming. This sudden action on the part of Byres had been unexpected.

Clyde's first thought was to hail another cab and follow on the trail. For the moment, however, he watched. Within six feet of the cab, he could see the pallid face of Wilton Byres as the man leaped forward to give his order to the driver.

"Detective headquarters!" gasped out Byres.

"Where?" Clyde could hear the driver's gruff question.

"Detective headquarters!"

As he repeated the frantic order, Byres leaned through the front window.

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