Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 294 by Maxwel l Grant

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

CHAPTER XI

The Shadow hadn't missed much at Frost's. He'd been there in the darkness of the steps leading down into the basement workshop, during the period of Pete's visit. With the door ajar he'd heard enough of what was said.

Blended with darkness, The Shadow had stepped aside to let Varno pass when the slinky sleight man had made his surreptitious departure. He'd also seen Zito go the opposite direction, as he had that night at Cigam's.

With Frost closing the shop when Pete left, all three of the promising candidates for double murderer now were at large. That was a definite reason why The Shadow should pick up Demo's trail as soon as possible. Lacking a present trace of Demo, the only compromise was a trip to the Hotel Chianti.

Nearing the hotel, The Shadow saw a truck with the name UNICORN STORAGE marked conspicuously on its side with a picture of the fabled beast for which the name stood. Some men on the sidewalk were gesturing to the truck driver and it wasn't good policy for Shrevvy's cab to help block traffic. So The Shadow ordered Shrevvy around the block and there the cloaked investigator dropped off.

When The Shadow came back around the corner, the truck had moved. It was nearer the corner and the truckers were just loading on Frost's pagoda and Zito's scales, which they must have found ready for

them. Seeing an open doorway, The Shadow glided into it and promptly found another thing that suited him.

This was an empty service elevator. So The Shadow took it and rode straight to Winstrom's penthouse.

There was just a chance that Demo might have gone there, for having evidenced a sudden interest in old-time magic apparatus, he would have a reason to look over some of Winstrom's.

Like wispy black smoke, The Shadow glided through a service door and along a hallway that led him into the big living room. Hearing voices, he could tell that Winstrom was in the dining room, having dinner with some guests. Hence living room, library and poster room were all empty. The Shadow made the rounds.

Among the playbills framed on the wall of the living room were some pertaining to Savanti. The Shadow noticed them because of their reference to the Pagoda Illusion and among them was one that closely resembled the bill Demo had shown to Pete. In scanning it, The Shadow noticed the names of the assistants in fine print at the bottom.

One name was significant. It was D. Elward. What the initial "D" stood for didn't matter; The Shadow was more interested in the entire name. It didn't take much imagination to transfer D. Elward into Del Weird. This fitted with two features that were fairly common in magic.

The first was that magicians' assistants quite often became performers themselves; the second that a stage name was often adapted from an actual one. The Shadow was quite sure that some research into Del Weird's early history would prove that he had gained his training under the Great Savanti.

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