Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 070 by Maxwel l Grant

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

CHAPTER XIV. WITHIN CLOSED WALLS

TWENTY-FOUR hours had elapsed since the murders in the Latuna Museum. The Shadow, guised as Henry Arnaud, was seated at a writing desk in his room in the Wilkin Hotel. Across the street, he could see two khaki-clad policemen on duty near the Hotel Phoenix.

The Shadow extinguished the main light. His hands appeared long-fingered and white, beneath the glow of the desk lamp as they opened two sealed envelopes. The Shadow read reports from Clyde Burke and Cliff Marsland. The agents had left them in Henry Arnaud's box.

That had been in accord with an outlined plan. The two aids, however, did not know that their chief had checked in before to-night.

Meanwhile, another agent had arrived. Harry Vincent, a most competent worker, had seen Clyde's story in New York and had come to Latuna. He, too, had acted on instructions previously given by The Shadow.

Clyde's report laid emphasis upon his visit to Harrison Knode's. It described his trip to the museum and stressed Bart Drury's private interview with Knode, particularly Bart's warning that Knode's appointment with Rubal was not to be made public.

Cliff's report emphasized that all of Konk Zitz's pals had been at the Phoenix Hotel. None of them could have possibly visited the isolated Latuna Museum.

Finished with this report, The Shadow moved from the writing desk. He clicked on the main light; again he appeared as Arnaud.

Seating himself in an easy chair, The Shadow picked up the Latuna newspapers. The Gazette carried the big story. Dunham had printed Grewling's statement; also the testimony of attendants and watchmen.

Theories showed that the law had struck close to the possible details of the crime.

The stumbling block was the clue that Dunham had himself uncovered. Some one had had an appointment with Joseph Rubal at eight o'clock the night before. Speculation was rife as to the identity of that person.

The Enterprise carried a resume of the story in the Gazette. A few added details of the coroner's inquest

failed to add spice.

Harrison Knode had been forced to leave out an announcement that would have staggered Howard Dunham. He could have made a scoop by printing the name of the man who had the eight o'clock appointment with Rubal. He had omitted that name because it was his own.

A SOFT laugh came from the lips of Henry Arnaud. The Shadow was considering the oddity of the case.

Then he noted an item stating that the museum had been closed to the public, pending solution of the murders. Instead of ordinary watchmen, nine picked policemen were on duty, working in three shifts, each of three men.

Reverting to the morning newspaper, The Shadow picked out a statement by the police chief. It stood apart from the murder story. It referred to the lack of criminal activity in Latuna; and stated that the police had been watching all suspected crooks who happened to be in town. This statement, The Shadow knew, was for the benefit of Harrison Knode.

Police Chief Grewling had spiked the crusading editor's verbal cannon.

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