Some one — a seeker after Elwood Phraytag’s secret — had been waiting in the cemetery until the body had been placed within its tomb. That person sought the secret that had belonged to four men — now to three.
Crime had played its part in Phraytag’s death. Crime would arrive again when the paths of living men had crossed. Such was inevitable. But this time, The Shadow would be present before crime could strike.
CHAPTER XIII. MILLIONS REGAINED
“HELLO, Perry. Did you get it?”
Zane Dolger spoke the words. He was standing in the center of the library when his cousin entered.
Perry’s response was a nod. From his pocket, he produced an object that shone in the light. It was Elwood Phraytag’s signet ring.
Perry placed the ring upon the table. He spoke, half breathlessly, as he began an examination. Zane listened, fully as tense as the speaker.
“You did your part, Zane,” assured Perry. “Sliding into Phraytag’s house early in the afternoon. When you called me over in New Jersey, I was on pins and needles until the hearse showed up.”
“Why? I told you the ring was on Phraytag’s finger.”
“Sure; and I knew it would stay there. But I wanted to be positive that I’d get it; and the longer I waited, the more nervous I became.”
“Did you have to wait long after the hearse arrived?”
“No. It didn’t get there until dusk.”
“Then you had a chance to work quickly.”
“Yes. But it took a while.”
Perry was working at the ring, trying to unscrew the signet. He remembered what Lyken had said — that the ring would turn to the left, not to the right. But he was experiencing difficulty, nevertheless.
“How did you get into the mausoleum?” questioned Zane, still interested in Perry’s story.
There was no reply. Perry was twisting at the ring. Zane repeated the question; Perry stopped work to look up.
“How did I get in?” he repeated.
“Yes,” said Zane. “The door was locked, wasn’t it?”
“Of course. That’s were I might have had a lot of trouble. But I watched the fellow who locked up. He went along a driveway and I followed him. Into a caretaker’s house. Then he went away again. I entered and was lucky enough to find the key lying on a table. So I took it.”
“And simply opened the mausoleum?”
“Yes.”
“How about afterward? What did you do with the key?”
“Sneaked over and put it back on the table. The caretaker must have gone out to dinner. He won’t know I ever had the key.”
ZANE smiled. When Perry, that morning, had proposed his daring scheme of getting Phraytag’s ring, Zane had finally consented to aid. The job was a grave robbery; that had gone against Zane’s grain. But he had been ready to admit that their position, as sole heirs of their grandfather’s estate, gave himself and his cousin a certain right to reclaim their secret.
Zane had reasoned it out. Philip Lyken had been murdered because of this ring. It was probable that Elwood Phraytag also, had been killed because of the secret which he knew. Certain persons — unknown — had sought to thwart the heirs. By gaining the ring, Perry and Zane were working against those ambushed foes.
Perry had settled everything by taking the cemetery job as his own. He had been confident that he would be able to enter the mausoleum. He had gained the success that he had anticipated. Here was the ring, with its hidden secret—
The signet had begun to twist under Perry’s persistent pressure. Zane was agog. He was thinking only of what might be beneath that surface of turning gold.
The signet came free. In the bright light of the table lamp, Perry and Zane were staring at the inner surface. It was scored with tiny marks.
“Nothing!” exclaimed Perry. “Lyken was right about the ring; but there’s no secret here—”
“Wait!” interjected Zane. “Those look like microscopic marks — a special engraving job. There’ve been fifty or more words put on the head of a pin by some of those engraving fellows.”
“That’s it! There’s a microscope somewhere around here. Look in the desk.”
Zane hurried across the room. He found a high-powered reading glass. He handed it to Perry. The two stared through the lens. Tiny words appeared as if by magic. Zane, helping steady the glass, read them aloud:
THE
ENTRANCE
TO THE STRONG
ROOM LIES BENEATH
THE DUMMY ELEVATOR SHAFT
IN THE APARTMENT BUILDING
KEY WORD IS JETTY
COMBINATION IS
3-7-2-1
TURN
“Hold the glass,” ordered Perry. “I’ll write this down, Zane. We can figure it out afterward.”
Perry wrote down the required copy. Zane laid the magnifier and the ring aside. Then the cousins prepared to study the information that they had gained.
“The apartment building,” growled Perry. “That’s not much of a help. What apartment building? Where?”
“I think I know!” exclaimed Zane. “Don’t you remember that statement of assets that we received from Jackling? There was a mention in it of an apartment house.”
“That’s right,” recalled Perry. “The place was mortgaged up to the hilt, wasn’t it? With a special fund — money we couldn’t get — to handle the carrying charges for the next five years.”
“That’s the one.” Zane was on his way to the desk. He picked up a sheaf of papers when he reached there. “Here is the name of the place. Ajax Apartments—”
“Let’s see the address.” Perry took the paper from Zane’s hand. “Say — the place is only about a dozen blocks away. Zane, this is a two-man job. Get your hat and coat; we’re starting.”
“What about Rowland?”
“Where is he?”
“I told him to turn in; I guess he’s gone up to bed. I saw him start upstairs before you came back.”
“He’s in bed then. That chap likes to sleep. Come along; out by the side door. I’ve got a key to it.”
“Why the side door?”
“Because we may be bringing something back with us.”
TWENTY minutes later, the cousins stepped from a taxicab upon a secluded street. They walked along together until they reached a narrow, four-story building that bore a title over the doorway:
AJAX APARTMENTS
The place had a gloomy lobby. The inner door yielded when Perry opened it. The heirs stepped into a deserted hallway and found the elevator. It was one of an automatic type. Perry pressed the button.
Machinery began to buzz as a car descended.
“Look!” whispered Zane. “See the shaft. Perry? It’s double — as if there should be two cars—”
“But there’s only one door,” interposed Perry.
“Yes.” Zane supplied the added comment. “The other shaft is the dummy one.”
The car had arrived on the ground floor. Perry opened the door. The cousins entered. As Perry closed the door, Zane placed his finger on a button marked “B.” He pressed.
“Going down,” remarked Zane, with a grin.
The car stopped at the basement level. The two stepped out into an unlighted passage; Zane held the door open while Perry found a hanging light and pulled the cord. The elevator door went shut as Zane joined Perry. The cousins stared at the second shaft.
Like the first, it had a sliding door; this was held closed by a heavy metal bar. Apparently the house had been designed with two shafts; this one had not been extended for service.
Perry pulled the bar loose; it swung beside the door and hung there. He pushed back the sliding barrier.