mg.cityofcrime-第24部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃You'll　have　to　drop　me　on　the　way；〃　objected　The　Shadow。　〃When　we　get　to　the　place　where　I　parked　my　sedan。　I've　got　to　get　out　in　the　country　and　keep　the　old　judge　bluffed。　Tell　Lance　I　made　my　get…away。　Everything　is　jake。〃
　
　
　BORMAN　nodded。　Events　had　worked　out　better　than　he　hoped。　With　Lance　and　Beezer　in　a　safe　hide…out　and　Trig　at　large；　all　was　well　with　men　of　crime。
　Maclare's　surprise　raid　had　made　trouble。　Borman　was　sure　that　it　had　been　instigated　by　The　Shadow。　The　Shadow's　return　had　brought　repense；　however；　it　had　spelled　the　finish　of　the　black…cloaked　warrior；　according　to　Borman's　positive　belief。
　The　Shadow　spoke　as　they　neared　his　parked　sedan。　Borman　ordered　the　chauffeur　to　stop；　he　chuckled　good…by　to　Trig　Callister。　He　saw　his　panion　alight；　but　he　did　not　notice　the　small　bundle　beneath　Trig's　arm。　The　Shadow　was　careful　to　keep　his　wadded　cloak　and　hat　away　from　the　police　director's　view。
　The　Shadow　whispered　a　prophetic　laugh　as　he　boarded　his　sedan。　His　plans　had　worked　tonight。　He　had　slipped　the　trap　without　losing　too　much　time；　and　with　that　exploit；　he　had　left　crooks　confident　that　they　had　bagged　their　greatest　foeman。
　That；　in　particular；　was　to　The　Shadow's　liking。　The　greater　the　confidence　among　men　of　crime；　the　greater　would　be　their　consternation　when　The　Shadow　delivered　the　final　stroke　of　his　campaign。
　
　
　CHAPTER　XXII　
　ESTELLE'S　DISCOVERY　
　DESPITE　his　quick　departure　from　the　toils　of　crooks；　The　Shadow　had　lost　many　valuable　minutes。　He　had　purposely　clipped　the　time　element　to　a　minimum；　that　he　might　plete　his　campaign　while　his　enemies　were　retarded。　The　episode　at　the　garage　trap　had　therefore　been　damaging　to　The　Shadow's　schedule。
　One　vital　phase　of　The　Shadow's　game　was　a　trip　to　the　country　mansion　…
　there　to　meet　Judge　Benbrook　and　bring　him　back　to　town。　That　would　be　easy；　as　Trig　Callister；　The　Shadow　could　pass　the　outer　cordon　of　thugs　without　question。　But　it　was　necessary　to　have　Judge　Benbrook　in　Westford　well　before　the　time　at　which　the　meeting　of　the　Civic　Club　was　scheduled。
　If　all　went　well；　The　Shadow　would　have　another　bombshell　waiting　for　Stephen　Ruthley　when　the　pretended　reformer　arrived　at　the　meeting。　All　could　still　go　well；　but　time　was　short。　A　speedy　ride　to　the　country　and　a　rapid　return　trip　had　bee　essential。
　Delay；　however；　had　already　caused　one　difficulty。　Just　when　The　Shadow　was　embarking　on　a　free；　swift　course；　trouble　began　without　his　knowledge。　The　place　where　it　occurred　was　the　one　spot　where　it　was　least　to　be　expected：　in　Judge　Benbrook's　own　home。　The　person　who　provided　the　chance　element　was　Estelle　Benbrook。
　The　Shadow　had　foreseen　that　Estelle　would　be　worried　over　her　father's　absence。　The　night　before；　he　had　mailed　her　a　letter；　written　by　the　judge　himself。　Estelle　had　received　the　letter　this　morning；　it　had　partly　ended　her　worriment。
　Later；　though；　Estelle　had　read　the　true　item　in　the　Daily　Banner；　stating　that　the　Civic　Club　would　meet　tonight。　She　had　prepared　dinner　for　herself　and　her　father；　thinking　surely　that　the　judge　would　return。
　Judge　Benbrook　had　not　returned。　Ending　a　lone　repast。　Estelle　experienced　a　great　increase　of　alarm。　There　was　only　one　person　in　whom　she　could　confide　her　fears。　That　person　was　The　Shadow。　On　the　faint　hope　that　The　Shadow　had　entered　the　house　while　she　was　eating　dinner；　Estelle　went　upstairs　to　rap　at　the　door　on　the　second　floor。
　There　was　no　response。　Estelle's　spirits　sank。　She　felt　hopeless　and　confused；　for　once；　her　usual　self…confidence　was　gone。　The　girl　pounded　wildly　upon　The　Shadow's　door。　At　last；　in　desperation；　she　opened　the　door。　She　entered　the　room　and　turned　on　the　light。
　Hopeful　that　she　might　find　some　message　from　The　Shadow；　Estelle　looked　about　the　room。　She　saw　a　bureau　drawer　that　was　slightly　open。　Peering　into　the　drawer；　Estelle　glimpsed　a　flat　box　that　she　mistook　for　a　writing　case。
　Thinking　that　it　might　contain　a　notebook　or　some　written　memoranda；　Estelle　nervously　drew　the　box　from　the　drawer。　She　opened　the　box；　stared　with　wide…opened　eyes。
　
　
　THE　box　was　a　make…up　kit…one　that　showed　signs　of　recent　use。　It　explained　to　Estelle　why　The　Shadow's　face　had　seemed　so　masklike。　The　girl　remembered　that　The　Shadow　could　not　have　carried　this　make…up　kit　when　he　first　came　to　the　house。　She　realized　that　it　must　have　e　in　the　package　that　had　been　delivered　long　after　his　arrival。
　Hastily；　Estelle　looked　in　the　closet；　there　she　saw　a　dark　suit；　with　torn　coat　sleeve。
　It　struck　Estelle　that　The　Shadow　must　have　received　new　clothes；　certainly　the　package　had　been　large　enough　and　sufficiently　heavy　to　contain　a　suit。　But　why　had　The　Shadow　needed　the　make…up　outfit？
　Estelle　was　intuitive；　moreover；　her　mind　was　concerned　with　her　father's　disappearance。　For　the　first　time；　she　felt　a　sudden　doubt　of　The　Shadow；　for　she　remembered　that；　last　night；　he　had　expressed　but　little　concern　over　her　father's　disappearance。　Her　mind　was　strained　to　the　point　where　she　could　connect　only　a　few　definite　thoughts；　in　that　state；　Estelle　pictured　two　persons：　The　Shadow　and　the　man　named　Callister；　who　had　induced　her　father　to　leave　the　house　last　night。
　A　horrified　gasp　came　from　Estelle's　lips。　Through　a　chance　thought；　inspired　by　her　discovery　of　the　make…up　kit；　the　girl　guessed　the　truth。　The　Shadow　and　Trig　Callister　were　one！
　Reasoning　from　a　false　assumption；　Estelle　concocted　a　theory　that　she　promptly　accepted　as　fact。　She　thought　of　The　Shadow　as　a　man　of　crime；　one　with　a　lone　game；　who　had　run　into　trouble　the　night　that　Prescott　Dunson　was　slain。　True；　The　Shadow　had　saved　the　girl's　own　life；　but　there　were　many　crooks　who　might　have　been　as　gallant；　under　similar　circumstances。
　Perhaps　The　Shadow　had　foreseen　how　useful　that　rescue　would　prove。　It　had　enabled　him　to　avoid　the　law；　by　entering　the　house　with　Estelle。　It　had　won　Estelle's　confidence；　later；　The　Shadow　had　found　sanctuary　in　this　house。　As　Estelle　saw　it；　he　had　pretended　friendliness　in　order　to　gain　her　father's　confidence；　as　well　as　his　own。
　Ready　for　some　crooked　game；　The　Shadow　had　e　here　as　Callister。　He　had　taken　her　father　as　a　hostage。　He　had　some　reason　to　keep　Judge　Benbrook　from　Westford。　It　all　seemed　a　scheme　of　double　dealing；　even　though　Estelle　could　not　fathom　its　full　purpose。
　Firmly；　Estelle　resolved　upon　some　move。　While　she　tried　to　find　some　possible　way　of　counteracting　purposes　which　she　thought　were　evil；　the　girl　heard　the　doorbell　ring。　For　a　moment；　her　worries　vanished；　she　almost　dropped　the　theory　that　she　had　built　up　against　The　Shadow。　Estelle　was　hopeful　that　her　father　was　back；　hurriedly；　she　dashed　downstairs　and　opened　the　front　door。
　On　the　threshold　stood　Louis　Wilderton。
　
　
　THE　district　attorney　was　anxious…faced。
　〃Where　is　Judge　Benbrook？〃　he　inquired。　〃I　must　see　him　at　once；　Estelle。〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　gasped　the　girl。　〃What　has　happened；　Louis？〃
　〃Lieutenant　Maclare　has　raided　the　Club　Adair。　This　time；　he　found　a　gambling　room　in　operation。　He　has　pinned　crime　on　Lance　Gillick…〃
　〃But　father？　Where　is　my　father？〃
　Estelle　fairly　shrieked　the　questions。　Wilderton's　eves　popped。　He　stammered：　〃Your…your　father　isn't　here？〃
　〃No；〃　replied　Estelle。　〃Something　has　happened　to　him；　Louis！〃
　〃Just　before　this　important　meeting？〃
　〃No！　It　was　last　night！　But　it　began　before　that。　I　have　to　tell　you　the　whole　story；　Louis。　There　was　a　man　who　came　here…a　man　cloaked　in　black…he　was　wounded…〃
　〃When　was　this？〃
　〃The　night　that　Adam　Woodstock　mitted　suicide。　That　was　the　second　time　I　saw　him。　That　was　the　night　that　he　was　wounded…〃
　〃You　mean　Shaw！〃
　Estelle　nodded。
　〃You　took　him　in　here？〃　demanded　Wilderton。　〃The　man　who　was　wanted　as　an　acplice　of　the　murderer；　Dorsch？〃
　〃This　man　talked　to　father；〃　explained。　〃He　convinced　father　that　he　was　not　engaged　in　crime。　He　persuaded　father　to　e　from　retirement。　He　acted　as　a　friend…until　last　night。〃
　〃And　then？〃
　〃He　dropped　his　masquerade。　He　came　here　as　another　person；　a　man　named　Callister。　He　persuaded　father　to　leave　with　him　for　Washington。　He　wanted　to　keep　father　away　from　here　tonight。〃
　Wilderton　raised　his　hand　to　halt　Estelle's　excited　utterances。
　〃You　have　told　me　enough；〃　he　said。　〃The　man　has　two　aliases。　He　calls　himself　Shaw；　also　Callister。　He　has　abducted　your　father。　This　is　a　matter　for　the　law；　Estelle。〃
　〃You　will　notify　Washington？〃
　〃After　I　have　talked　with　Director　Borman。　The　local　police　should　act　first。　Borman　will　send　out　the　Flying　Squadron；　to　see　if　your　father　is　still　somewhere　in　Westford。〃
　Estelle　started　an　objection。　Again；　Wilderton　halted　her。　The　girl　tried　to　blurt　out　a　fact　that　she　had　just　remembered：　the　envelope　that　The　Shadow　had　given　her　father。　Her　words　were　confused。
　〃This　man　left　an　envelope　with　father；〃　exclaimed　Estelle。　〃One　that　contained　some　sort　of　evidence…〃
　〃Evidence　of　what？〃　demanded　Wilderton；　hoarsely。　〃No　crook　would　leave　a　trail　behind　him。　We　can　e　to　that　later；　Estelle。　The　pressing　matter　is　to　see　Director　Borman。〃
　〃You　can　call　him　from　here。〃
　〃No。　I　shall　see　him　personally；　and　e　back　here　later。　I　know　where　he　is　at　present；　both　Director　Borman　and　Mayor　Marclot　are　at　Stephen　Ruthley's　apartment。〃
　
　
　DASHING　down　the　steps；　Wilderton　jumped　aboard　his　car　and　drove　away。
　Estelle　stood　wearily　at　the　door；　then　went　back　into　the　house。　She　decided　to　find　the　envelope　herself。　To　obtain　it；　she　needed　a　key　to　the　music　cabinet。
　There　were　keys　in　a　table　drawer　near　the　music　cabinet。　As　she　rummaged　among　them；　finding　none　that　she　wanted；　Estelle　discovered　a　。32　revolver。　It　was　a　loaded　weapon　that　her　father　had　long　ago　put　away　and　forgotten。
　Nervously；　Estelle　gripped　the　gun；　she　glanced　toward　the　hallway。
　The　tension　had　given　her　unusual　alertness。　A　sound　reached　Estelle's　ears；　it　was　a　key；　turning　in　the　lock　of　the　side　door。　Acting　upon　sudden　inspiration；　the　girl　hurried　upstairs；　there；　she　stepped　into　a　side　room　and　waited。　Soon；　her　ears　again　caught　a　slight　sound。　It　was　the　opening　of　the　door　to　t