The Shadow - 260 - The Money Master by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1942-11-30T23:00:00+00:00

“Who sent you?”

Cliff had the answer for that one. He replied: “Wip Jandle.” The door opened and Cliff entered, with Hawkeye right behind him.

They found Shep in the old betting room, putting the third degree on Harry and Clyde in real headquarters style. Slumped on a bench, both agents looked the worse for wear. Propped against a blackboard, they were sagging one way, then the other, only to be punched upright by a pair of Shep’s followers.

Shep’s men were holding lengths of rubber hose, but they hadn’t begun to use them as a form of treatment. Blinking into two strong lights that were glaring into their eyes, the prisoners saw Cliff but couldn’t recognize him because of the glare. As for Cliff, he simply gave the pair a contemptuous glance and asked: “Who are these lugs, Shep?”

It happened that Shep and Cliff were fairly well acquainted, both being recognized as uppercrust of the underworld. It was partly on that account that Cliff had staged his bluff. In his turn, Shep seemed more than anxious to obtain Cliff’s favor.

“A couple of dopes who worked for The Shadow,” informed Shep. “Glad you came along, Cliff. Maybe you can make them sing. They look kind of delicate, so I don’t want to handle them too rough or they’ll pass out and be no good.”

Cliff pushed forward into the light. Coming with him, Shep added:

“Guess you knew Wip when he was a tip slinger in this joint, didn’t you?”

Cliff nodded.

“When did he tell you I was using the dump for a hideaway?” continued Shep.

“A couple of nights before Bert Cowder croaked him,” returned Cliff. “I’d like to meet up with that dirty dick! So would Hawkeye. He was pals with Wip, too.”

It was neat, Cliff’s reference to Bert, since he wasn’t supposed to know that the treacherous detective had teamed with Shep. Particularly neat, considering that Cliff had first looked around to make sure that Bert wasn’t on hand. But it didn’t react with Shep the way that Cliff expected.

The net result was a muzzle of a gun pressed hard against Cliff’s ribs by Shep. Another of his crew covered Hawkeye with the end of a revolver. Their own guns yanked from their pockets, Cliff and Hawkeye found themselves flung to another bench, beside Harry and Clyde.

“So Wip said I’d find you here,” sneered Shep. “He couldn’t have, because he didn’t know the dump was mine. I’d been wondering how The Shadow mooched in on whatever I was doing, and now I know. You guys were keeping tabs on Wip Jandle!”

THUS did the attempt at rescue result in a complete surprise for the rescuers. Caught utterly off guard, Cliff and Hawkeye were in the same plight as their fellow-agents; even worse.

Shep decided to beat them with the hose as a preliminary treatment; partly to prove they weren’t so tough, partly to let the other prisoners view the effect of a treatment with which they might not be familiar.

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