Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 154 by Maxwel l Grant

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

CHAPTER XII

ALL-SEEING BIRD

AT the Bland residence, Harry Vincent, Joe Cardona and Eric Dix were astounded.

Marna Bland had just walked in to confront them!

"Where have you been?" Eric Dix demanded, eagerly.

The girl glanced at them.

"I have not been out of the estate grounds," she explained. "I had an astounding experience! A man came to me in my room, a mysterious, black-clad figure. He seemed to have strange powers, because I found myself doing what he told me to do."

"But the radio -" Dix muttered.

"I spoke into that from a microphone in the shrubbery outside the window,"

said the young woman. "The words I spoke were written out for me, with certain words underlined to be emphasized."

Dix passed a hand over his forehead. "This sounds very queer to me."

Marna Bland eyed him levelly. "Don't you believe me?"

"Of course I do!" Dix insisted, hastily. Then he made a rueful face.

"Marna, I am afraid we have terrible news for you."

"My father -" the young woman gasped.

"Is dead," Dix said.

"Oh!" Marna Bland sobbed, and slumped into a chair. Her eyes glistened with

tears. Dix put a comforting arm about her shoulders. After a bit, he came toward

Harry and Joe, a hand outstretched.

"I hope you will let me work with you to apprehend this monster, the Golden

Vulture," he pleaded, frankly. "I will do anything - anything - to bring the fiend to justice!"

"Of course," said Cardona, secretly wondering if the fellow was making a grandstand play for Marna Bland's affections.

"What will we do first?" Dix questioned, eyeing Harry Vincent.

Instead of answering, Harry Vincent asked curiously: "I wonder what became

of Tikewell O'Hallihan? What made him disappear so quickly?"

Marna Bland gave a low cry: "He disappeared?"

"He did," said Cardona. "Right after your voice came over the radio."

"I can guess why he left," the young woman ejaculated. "That fake radio message was to make the Golden Vulture think I knew his name and was in the Bernardina Hotel. I didn't understand it at the time. But it was to deceive the

Golden Vulture into coming to the hotel to - to murder me. That means Tikewell O'Hallihan must be the Golden Vulture!"

Eric Dix sat down heavily, gulping: "To think we didn't know! When you found him in his car, Vincent, he must have been playing possum to fool you, to

make us think the kidnapers of Bland had overpowered him."

"And that explains the swamp trap I fell into," Cardona grunted. "He tipped

his gang that I trailed them."

At that moment, the telephone rang. Harry Vincent answered it.

"This is the telegraph company," a voice murmured. "Is there someone there

who can take a message for Joe Cardona? We have called everywhere and one of the

officers of his firm, to name him, a Mr. Ware, said he was at the Bland House."

"Yes," replied Harry, "I understand. Mr. Cardona is here. But I had better

have him call you in person."

Hanging up, Harry repeated the emphasized words under his breath, making them a sentence: "Take Joe Cardona and officers to warehouse."

Orders from The Shadow!

HARRY VINCENT turned to Cardona. "I've got a job for you.

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