Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 322 by Maxwel l Grant

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

CHAPTER XXIV

THE MESSAGE FROM GARCIA

THE expressions on the faces of The Shadow's audience were strange, indeed. They showed a mingling of fear, chagrin and hope. June Getty was, of course, the most hopeful; Doug Lawton a close second.

They were the first to whom The Shadow spoke.

"I know your claims," declared The Shadow, his tone calm, yet with just a touch of the sinister. "I also know your stories. However the past may stand, you became victims of the present. Our first question is to decide who is responsible for a series of recent murders. You are both innocent."

That verdict given, The Shadow looked straight at Anjou de Blanco.

"Don't accuse me," Anjou protested, his suave tones shaky. "I'll admit I was getting information from Weasel Clegg, through Perique here. Weasel tipped me off when Lawton was to visit Jeffrey and told me later where I'd find Malloy. I went down to the Havana Exposition office to pick up some papers that were planted to incriminate me, but I didn't play a part in any crime. None - none except borrowing a thousand dollars from Lawton."

The Shadow turned his gaze upon Oswald Harkland.

"I knew Skipper Malloy," admitted Harkland, with a nod. "But I was protecting him, not trying to kill him.

That's why I moved him from one home for old sailors to another and finally established him over the

Green Anchor. He'd been talking to too many people, Malloy had, despite the fact he'd promised me he wouldn't. I had been paying him regularly and handsomely, to keep silent on what he knew.

"Somebody wanted that information, but was afraid to go after it direct. That person planted Jeffrey and framed him at the same time. The idea was to murder him and pin the blame on Lawton or myself." So saying, Harkland paused to glare accusingly at Anjou. "That paved the way for a similar murder of Malloy. From then on, I was hampered, while Lawton was unable to talk to the police. The killer then had everything his own way."

To that, Anjou responded with a sharp, contemptuous laugh.

"If you mean me," declared Anjou, "I was dodging the law, too, and for the same reasons as Lawton."

"You were dodging the law in the first place," reminded Harkland. "I think Belville can testify to that."

Belville started a slow nod, then halted. His eyes went from Anjou to Harkland, back again. Belville shook his head as though he felt unsure.

"Suppose we begin with the tugboat whistles," decided The Shadow. "The man who handled those was Wrecker Chaffin, who later sank the Clementine to cover his part and dispose of the one man who knew about those signals, Douglas Lawton." Turning to Doug, The Shadow added, "When you visited Jeffrey, you arrived there early, by starting ahead of the signals."

Doug gave a nod.

"Therefore," continued The Shadow, "you were not supposed to learn about Skipper Malloy. Jeffrey's death was set for your arrival; being early, you gave Jeffrey time to talk too much. That forced another murder, the death of Skipper Malloy.

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