“He’s helped me out of some difficult places. He’s not only a good bodyguard; he seems to have some instinctive power that enables him to see danger before it arrives. His only fault is that he talks very little. He keeps his knowledge to himself.”
THE two men entered the lobby of a Broadway hotel. Bruce led the way to the hotel cafe. The head waiter recognized him.
“I have a table for you, Mr. Duncan,” he said.
“There will be three of us,” announced Bruce.
They sat at the table, and puffed at cigarettes. Bruce Duncan’s eyes were toward the door. Suddenly he arose, and left the dining room.
He returned a minute later. Harry looked up to see him approaching with a young woman as his companion. Rising from the table, Harry turned to meet the new arrival. It had never occurred to him that Bruce Duncan’s friend might be a girl!
“Miss DeLand, may I present Mr. Vincent — “
Harry was staring in amazement before Bruce Duncan had completed the introduction.
The young woman was the one who had come to his assistance last night, in the Pink Rat!
He had seen her at a distance then; now, at close vision, she appeared more beautiful than before. Harry was positive of her identity; and he fancied that he saw a gleam of recognition in the girl’s eyes.
Harry quickly regained his composure.
“Haven’t I met you before?” he questioned.
The girl shook her head. She no longer betrayed a look of recognition.
As they sat at the lunch table, Harry Vincent was thoughtful. The tone of the girl’s voice, her smile, and her manner left no room for doubt.
She was the girl who had rescued him. Why did she pretend not to recognize him? What was her purpose with Bruce Duncan?
Was she a friend or an enemy of The Shadow?
CHAPTER XI
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
IT was early in the evening. The old building on Twenty-third Street was dark. All the occupants of the dingy offices had gone home a few hours before.
A single light gleamed in a room on the second floor. But any one going through the building would not have observed it; for the room in which it appeared was thoroughly curtained. A black cloth hung over the glass door on which the name “B. Jonas” appeared.
Beneath the shaded light was a table, and there hands were at work. Like a creature of the night, The Shadow was going over the data which he had received from his agent, Claude Fellows.
The insurance broker’s report was one of definite information. It referred in part to Harry Vincent:
Vincent called at five o’clock. Followed Berger last night. Left him at theater. Followed man who had been trailing Berger. Was lured to place known as Pink Rat. Learned name of man whom he followed. Volovick.
Vincent attacked by Volovick and gang. Rescued by a girl who helped him hide in secret compartment behind the wall of room. Girl disappeared. Vincent opened panel of wall by accident. Escaped through aid of an unknown man who fought Volovick and his gang.
Vincent received a letter to-day. Forwarded it unopened. Letter inclosed herewith. Vincent also met girl again. She was with Bruce Duncan. Has known Duncan only a few days. Her name is Arlette DeLand. Pretended she did not recognize Vincent. She lives at Hotel Paragon.
Data regarding Whitburn difficult to obtain. Have located several Whitburns. Professor Arthur Whitburn seems most probable. Formerly head of engineering department, Hornell University. Now retired. Lived on island in Lake Marrinack, Connecticut. Have traced inclosed advertisement to him.
A clipping lay on the table. The hands raised the slip of newspaper, which had been cut from the Morning Sphere. It read as follows:
WANTED: Young Man, single, college graduate, to assist in experimental work. State qualifications, age, et cetera. A. W., care of Sphere.
The moving hands discarded the newspaper clipping. Then they turned to another task. They lifted the envelope which Harry Vincent had received in the morning mail. It was addressed in the writing of Stanley Berger.
Slowly the hands opened the envelope, and spread the letter upon the table.
For two full minutes the hands remained motionless. The fire opal, glimmering beneath the brilliant light, sparkled as though it were alive; yet it seemed attached to a waxwork hand.
The message written by Stanley Berger was perplexing to the mind that was invisible in the surrounding darkness. It was in the suicide’s writing, yet the facts which it stated were not what had been expected.
The simple announcements that Berger was “miserable and unhappy”; that the “shock had left him helpless”; and that when the letter was received he “would be gone” carried no semblance of a murderer’s confession. Instead, these statements were ones which an innocent man might have written.
THE letter dropped to the table. The hand that wore the fire opal picked up the envelope. The fingers of the other hand carefully peeled the stamp from the corner where it was attached.
The envelope was discarded. Producing two sheets of paper, and two pencils, each hand poised as though ready to write. Finally the left hand inscribed these words:
Berger began to write a complete confession. His mind was directed to that channel.
The right hand took up the task, forming words that seemed to come from another mind:
The letter received by Vincent is not a confession. It was dictated by another person.
Then, right and left hand writing in rapid alternation, these sentences quickly filled the two papers:
Berger first addressed the envelope. Unknown to him, that envelope was marked in the corner. The stamp was placed over the mark.
There is no mark on the envelope received by Vincent. This is not the envelope which Berger originally addressed.
Berger’s mind was directed to mail the original envelope. His mind, acting upon the suggestion given it, would not have remembered the address. Vincent’s name would have been unknown.
Some one intercepted the letter of confession. That person now knows that Harry Vincent is connected with this matter.
The amazing hands held the two sheets of paper side by side; then crumpled them together.
Now the right hand, as though inspired by the comparative thoughts, began to write alone; and it showed that a master mind was at work, piecing together bits of evidence.
The words were scattered, and obscure in their meaning; but at last the hand became methodical, and compiled a list of names, with statements following them. The first was:
Stanley Berger. Member of a powerful organization. Attended meetings. Ordered to obtain correspondence between Jonathan Graham and man named Whitburn. Berger succeeded. Murdered Graham to cover up trail. Received notification to stay away from future meetings. Did not know exact nature of correspondence which he stole.
A second name appeared upon the list:
Volovick. Another member of the organization. Deputed to observe Berger. Saw Vincent. Led him into a trap. Sought to kill him.
The third name would have interested Harry Vincent:
Arlette DeLand. Saved Harry Vincent temporarily. Is a friend of Bruce Duncan. Now fails to recognize Vincent. Has some purpose in making Bruce Duncan’s acquaintance.
The moving fingers became motionless. The directing brain was considering the next person on the list. Finally the hand wrote; but this time it inscribed no name. Instead, it used the letter X to denote an unknown factor.