The Shadow - 253 - The Vampire Murders by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant [Grant, Maxwell]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1942-08-31T22:54:22+00:00

But Throck didn’t matter; nothing but clicks came from his antique gun.

He’d unloaded it with those shots in the air. The Shadow had counted six of them while the revolver was spouting in volcanic fashion.

Turning at Throck’s cry, Cedric and Warren saw only a blank house corner, so didn’t waste their last few shots. Throck was emphatic, though, in stating that he’d seen the vampire disappear in that direction, and Clabb gave a corroborating nod.

Thus was the way paved for a most astounding mystery to follow. At the doorway, Harry could see the men on the balcony plainly, because Sabbatha was beside him with the candelabrum. He observed the nods and heard Sabbatha state profoundly:

“It was Varney that they saw. Varney Haldrew, the vampire of our generation, not his namesake of a century gone -“

And then, two hands that had a bony press within their padded surface were

resting on the shoulders of Harry and Sabbatha, moving them apart. Harry wheeled

and Sabbatha, stepping back, raised the candles into the room. Others spun from

the balcony, while Gail made a half shriek from the hallway door.

Standing there, an inquiring expression upon his smug face, was the gaunt man who hoped some day to own this mansion - Varney Haldrew!

NO longer did Varney wear the shroud that Harry had seen upon his shoulders. He was attired in his usual dark suit, and he appeared quite unperturbed. If anything, Varney’s manner was curious. His voice had a cackle, rather than a hiss, as he inquired what had happened.

To Harry, of course, the only mystery was how Varney had arrived here -

though he might have gone past Gail, who was standing half within the door. To the others, who had mistaken The Shadow for the vampire and supposed him to be Varney, the only absentee, the thing was quite incredible. For only a few seconds had intervened between The Shadow’s vanish and Varney’s arrival!

It was Harry who answered Varney’s queries, with a silent nudge toward the

bed where Frenton lay. Varney stepped toward the prone man, but Clabb pressed him aside. Stooping beside Frenton, the physician made a brief examination, then declared that Frenton was dead.

Varney looked truly unhappy when he heard the news. His expression didn’t change when Clabb decided that Frenton had died from heart failure, induced by some new shock that had followed his earlier fright. The others credited Clabb’s verdict, and nodded further when Harry and Throck told their story in detail.

They were still puzzled about Varney, though from the way they eyed him, most of them - even Throck - were coming to the opinion that Varney must have gone from the roof, or outside wall, sooner than they supposed. So interested were they in Varney, that they forgot Frenton’s body.

Harry noticed it, particularly the neck. There, at Frenton’s throat, he saw two tiny reddish marks, like pin pricks - evidence of a vampire’s bite!

Swinging toward Gail, Harry looked for the token that Frenton himself had described.

Yes, Gail bore the same marks,

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