His notations came from other sources than the actual newspapers. On his desk was an envelope delivered by Clyde Burke when the reporter had stopped by on his way to the Classic office. The Wise Owl had been getting material. He had been hearing more than rumors from the lips of mobsters.
Finishing his work, Rutledge Mann pasted up some clippings and stuffed them in an envelope. He dropped them in the office marked B. Jonas, while en route to the Cobalt Club. After a heavy dinner, Mann lighted a cigar and strolled about. Once again, the plutocrats were discussing Double Z.
“The man’s a maniac!” he heard Barnaby Hotchkiss say. “He’s dangerous! It is outrageous, the way the police continue to fail! Why, we’re all in danger! First Farmington was killed; now Bodine.”
“No analogy there,” declared Blaine Glover. “One was a banker — the other a crook.”
“Both had money.”
“But this man called Double Z did not profit thereby,” Glover persisted.
“How can you tell? I assert that no one is safe! He will strike again, and one of us may be the victim!”
“That would be interesting,” commented Matthew Wade. “I hope it isn’t worrying you, Hotchkiss?”
“Just as much cause for you to worry, Wade,” came the reply. “You are no safer than any of the rest of us. I tell you again, the man is out to make trouble. He has a mania that causes him to attack those who have wealth — no matter how they may have acquired it.”
A murmur of agreement followed. Even Glover admitted that Hotchkiss might be correct in theory. Wade seemed noncommittal. Rutledge Mann noted that Lamont Cranston was in the group, but silent. He went along to the library. When he returned, Cranston was gone.
A few hours later Mann stopped back at his new office. He found a letter on the floor. He opened it and read it quickly. The writing faded away, but Mann had perused the entire coded message. He sat by his desk and softly repeated the words that he had read.
“Jake Dermott,” he said. “Jake Dermott and Tony Marano. That’s right. Burke said they were only gunmen, not typical gang leaders. Marsland must be cautious; but if he can follow Dermott, he may gain information. Burke must be posted, too. Vincent on the usual job — no results as yet—”
None of these thoughts had occurred to Mann when he had forwarded his data to The Shadow. But since then, the Double Z problem had been studied by The Shadow. Mann knew that the master mind had been at work, for he had just become acquainted with the findings. Facts that Cardona had never suspected were seen by The Shadow’s keen vision.
“Cliff Marsland’s report,” murmured Mann. Here he was on a trail which Cardona had not even seen.
“Who sent Clipper Tobin on the job? Does that man know Marsland? Well — Marsland can trace back Tobin’s actions. Perhaps he may discover their source—”
SOMEWHERE in New York a man sat in a small, darkened room, a pair of earphones clamped to his head, a mouthpiece before him. He was at one end of a conversation. At the other end, in the back room of a secluded dive, sat Sneaks Rubin. The pale-faced gangster with the fanglike teeth was talking with his master — Double Z!
To Sneaks, Double Z was no more than a voice — but he dreaded that voice to the depths of his evil heart. In this conversation, Sneaks was pouring out all he knew — and his words told of a looming danger. For Sneaks Rubin had not been inactive during the exciting moments that had followed his departure from Arnold Bodine’s apartment.
“Clipper was double-crossed,” he was saying. “The guy that went with him on the job was a phony.”
“What was his name?”
The question came in a deliberate, monotonous voice. It was that same singleness of tone that had constantly perplexed Sneaks Rubin.
“I don’t know who he was,” admitted the gangster. “Clipper figured he was O.K.—”
“You did not follow my instructions,” said the accusing voice. “I told you to obtain a reliable man.”
“Clipper said he was reliable—”
“That is not sufficient,” came the interruption to the protest. “You should have been positive, from your own observation.”
“I played it safe, Chief,” said Sneaks. “I tagged along to see that the job was done. When I got to Bodine’s, I found this guy had covered Clipper. I stepped in back of him an’ cracked him. That gave Clipper the chance to plug Bodine.”
“Then what happened?”
“I don’t know. I scrammed. I heard Clipper shoot. I run down the fire tower. I waited at the bottom. Then Clipper falls out the window!”
“What about the man you struck? Was he unconscious?”
“I knocked him cold. It was some other guy that heaved Clipper out. That’s why I’m worried, Chief. This other guy musta come in after I was gone, an’ I know who he was. The Shadow!”
SNEAKS blurted the fearsome name in a hoarse whisper. He listened intently, wondering what the response would be. But the voice of Double Z betrayed no emotion.
“How do you know he was The Shadow?”
“When I see Clipper flop in the alley, I slides up to him. He was pretty near gone, Chief, but he knew who I was when I spoke. He says: ‘The Shadow got me. The Shadow. Get him, Sneaks—’ Then he passes out.
“I didn’t wait no longer. I got away just a few minutes before the cops showed up.”
“What do you know about The Shadow?”
“Nothin’, Chief! That’s the worst of it. I figure he had this guy fixed — the guy that was with Clipper.”
There was silence. Then Double Z spoke slowly.
“You must find The Shadow.”
“I don’t know how to find him, Chief—”
“There is one sure way. Look for the man who went with Clipper Tobin.”
“But if I don’t find him—”
“You do not need to find him. He will find you!”
The suggestion brought a shudder to Sneaks.
“When he finds you,” resumed Double Z, “lead him to Loy Rook’s.”
“I can get Jake Dermott to bump him off—”
“I need no suggestions,” reprimanded Double Z. “I order. You obey. Lead him to Loy Rook’s. He will be captured there. We do not want him dead.”
“But he double-crossed Clipper.”
“He shall die for that,” announced the voice. “His death will come later. When he has been captured at Loy Rook’s, have Dermott and Marano in preparation. For you may be sure of this: The Shadow came to his rescue once before. The Shadow will come again.”
There was a click. The earphones and mouthpiece were laid aside in the darkened room. Sneaks Rubin, his mouth gaping as he understood the scheme, sat at the end of a dead wire. His orders had been received; he would hear no more from his master tonight.
“I’ll find the guy,” muttered Sneaks, with a malicious grin. “Find him by lettin’ him find me. Then it’s curtains for him — an’ The Shadow!”
The scrawny gangster was confident as he sauntered from the dive to keep an appointment with Tony Marano. The Shadow, scourge of the underworld, was to meet his match. Double Z had plotted — and Double Z would win!
CHAPTER XV. AT LOY ROOK’S
THE office of Loy Rook was located in one of the newer buildings of Chinatown. There was nothing Oriental about it. It might have been the office of any American business man. For Loy Rook handled his affairs in Occidental fashion.
He was a powerful figure among the Chinese. He stood well with all the tong leaders, and pursued his business unmolested. He affected American attire and mannerisms.
Loy Rook was the owner of several Chinese restaurants and shops. His office was on the second floor of the building, beneath which was a tea shop. There were living quarters on the second floor, where certain trusted employees roomed in comfortable surroundings.