OUTSIDE, Ed Mallan strolled a half block, then hailed a cab. He spoke to the driver, using a wise-voiced growl. He asked if the taximan knew anything about Brooklyn. The fellow nodded.
“Ever hear of Zemo’s hock shop?” questioned Mallan.
“Yeah,” returned the cabby. “Over near the Whitelight Theater, ain’t it?”
“That’s the place,” replied Mallan. “Well — that’s where I want to go. Zemo’s hock shop. In a hurry. Got some junk I want to take out of hock before he closes.”
Back in the house, the three philanthropists were still in conference. Their discussion ended. Laverock and Kent left; Timothy saw them out of the door. Zurick said good-night to his servant and went upstairs.
Timothy’s actions then became brisk. In quick, efficient fashion, the servant gathered up the wire that connected the ends of the dictograph hook-up. He moved out into the kitchen, opened a closet door and stowed the apparatus in a small bag.
Turning out the light, Timothy rustled in the dark. A few minutes passed; then a tiny flashlight blinked. It showed the servant’s livery hanging in the closet. A whispered laugh sounded. Something swished in darkness. A figure departed from the house.
This was the aftermath of the strange spying on the part of Lucius Zurick’s old servant. It proved that the house had harbored an impostor. A mysterious visitor had deceived Zurick as well as the philanthropist’s guests.
The real Timothy had gone off duty. Some one — lurking here — had heard Zurick’s order to the servant.
That mysterious some one had been The Shadow.
A master of disguise, the secret interloper had borrowed Timothy’s discarded livery after the servant had left. He had made himself up to pass as the servant. In the dull illumination of Zurick’s home, the disguise had proven indetectible.
Before the conference, The Shadow had planted his dictograph. He had heard every word. He had listened to Mallan’s hinted plans and had also caught the comments of the philanthropists before and after the dick’s arrival.
The Shadow had no need to trail Ed Mallan. Nor did he require the aid of agents. He had learned the turn that crime had taken. He knew the one place where new action would be due. The Shadow was on his way to the old mansion wherein the Dolger cousins harbored the treasure that they had gained.
CHAPTER XV. THE SHADOW ENTERS
DULL lights from high curtained windows. The Shadow had arrived at the Dolger mansion. Shrouded in the gloom that surrounded the old building, the silent investigator was making a circuit of the house.
The Dolger home had three entrances; all heavy, well-locked doors. The Shadow found one at the front; a second at the side; a third at the rear. But he chose none of them as a means of entry. Instead, he picked a darkened spot at the back of the house and began a stealthy ascent toward a darkened window on the second floor.
This proved an excellent choice. The Shadow had no difficulty entering and he gained a room that seemed to be seldom used. Stalking out into the gloomy second-story hall, he noted the front stairway that stretched broadly to the floor below. This did not offer a good path for descent. The Shadow looked for a rear stairway and found it.
The flight led to a front kitchen. The room was dark; but a light showed in the rear kitchen which adjoined it. Ghostly in his approach, The Shadow peered through the half-opened door. He saw Rowland, the old retainer, seated at a table reading a magazine. The Shadow studied the servant’s face.
He could see that Rowland was a simple-mannered fellow, whose mentality was limited to obedience of orders.
The Shadow moved through the front kitchen; he reached a pantry; then picked a door that led into a long hall behind the front stairs. He reached a closed door on the left.
There, he paused and produced a peculiar device, like an ear phone fitted to a suction cup. He attached this close to the edge of the door, by the keyhole. Voices became audible as The Shadow listened.
PERRY DOLGER and his cousin Zane were talking together in the library. This room was on the same side of the house as the side entrance; though he could not see into the library, The Shadow had a fair idea of its proportions.
“When I talked to Jackling on the phone” — Perry Dolger was speaking — “he said that he would stop by tonight and take us over to his apartment. I liked the idea, because a chat with him might prove useful to our plans.”
“You mean in reference to leaving town?” questioned Zane.
“Yes,” replied Perry. “That statement concerning the estate speaks of some Florida property on which grandfather had an option. We have sufficient money” — he paused to chuckle — “to buy the Florida place. It would be natural for us to move down there.”
“That’s right,” agreed Zane. “Our known funds — money that Jackling actually turned over to us — are beyond what we need to exercise the option. Your idea, I take it, is to remove our new wealth to Florida.”
“Yes. But there’s a hitch regarding tonight. I asked Jackling to stay here when he came; he said he would be unable to do so. He is expecting a long-distance call at his apartment. He insisted that we would have to come over there.”
“But we can’t go out and leave no one here but Rowland. It wouldn’t be safe, Perry—”
“That’s just it. One of us must stay here. Suppose you go along with Jackling, Zane. I can stay here and see that nothing goes wrong. Of course, you will have to be careful of what you say to him.”
“But what excuse will you give for staying here, Perry?”
“Not feeling well. That’s simple enough. Except” — Perry paused doubtfully — “except that I didn’t say anything about being indisposed when I talked to Jackling on the phone.”
“Did you say anything about me?”
“No.”
“Then I’d better stay here,” decided Zane. “I’ve got a slight cold to begin with; I can fake a thick voice easily enough. It’s raw out tonight, anyway.”
“I guess that’s best,” agreed Perry. “We’ll work it that way, Zane. After all, Jackling knows I came to see him a couple of nights ago. So I can bring up the Florida plan as though it were an idea that I had not discussed with you. Wanted to get Jackling’s opinion on the option, to begin with.”
“That the best stunt, Perry—”
ZANE’S comment ended. The clangor of a bell announced some one at the front door. The Shadow quickly removed the apparatus from the library door. He moved back into the pantry and edged into the dining room just as Rowland’s footsteps came from the inner kitchen.
Passing through the dining room, The Shadow peered into the hall in time to see the servant admit a pleasant-faced, gray-haired man. This was James Jackling, the attorney who had represented the estate of Tobias Dolger.
Perry and Zane arrived in the hallway, coming from a front door of the library. The Shadow heard them greet the attorney; the three strolled back to the library. From the brief conversation, it was plain that Perry was going along with Jackling, while Zane would remain here.
Rowland showed signs of returning to the kitchen. Anticipating this, The Shadow moved across the dining room, through the pantry and gained the rear stairway. He went up to the secluded room that he had first entered. There, he opened the small bag that he had brought with him from Zurick’s.
The Shadow’s flashlight showed the dictograph equipment; also the make-up appliances that he had used to counterfeit the appearance of Timothy. This material, although compact, could enable The Shadow to alter his features in any fashion that he chose.