The Red Menace s-4

by Maxwell Grant

  Then he fumbled in his pocket, and counted out some money. After this procedure, he walked up to a

  standing cab.

  Harry heard the address that the man gave to the driver. After the cab pulled away, Harry hailed another

  taxi, and gave the same destination.

  The cab rolled along side streets. Harry noted that they were reaching a district where the houses were

  old and dilapidated.

  They were approaching that section of New York where gangsters convene; and Harry recognized

  places where he had been on previous missions for The Shadow.

  Apparently, some one connected with the underworld was interested in what Stanley Berger was doing.

  Harry was eager to reach his destination; for he foresaw a meeting of those who were on Berger's trail.

  The cab came to a stop, and Harry alighted. He paid the driver, and looked about him.

  There were lights in the second story of the old building before which he stood. The upper floor was

  reached by a stairway that showed in a dimly lighted entrance. Over the door was a sign: "The Pink Rat."

  Harry Vincent had heard of the place. He was not familiar with the dens frequented by gangsters, but he

  knew of this one. It was open to the public; but few persons other than the denizens of gangland entered

  it. He was positive that this was where the unknown man had gone.

  Yet Harry hesitated before entering. He tried to formulate some plan; then decided that it would be best

  to trust to chance. Two men came along the street, and entered the doorway.

  Harry Vincent followed them up the stairs to the Pink Rat.

  CHAPTER VI. THE SHADOW INVESTIGATES

  ABOUT an hour after Stanley Berger had left his apartment—in fact, at the very time when Harry

  Vincent was riding to the Pink Rat— a man alighted from a taxicab not far from Berger's apartment

  house.

  When he paid the driver of the cab, the man stood in the shadow of the vehicle so that his face was

  invisible in the darkness. The taximan looked back, as he drove away, and was surprised to see that his

  passenger had completely vanished.

  "Wonder where that bird went, so quick?" mused the cab driver. "Just dropped out of sight all of a

  sudden."

  The statement was not an exaggeration. The man on the street had disappeared as if the ground had

  swallowed him.

  Had the taxi driver peered in the right direction, he would have observed a clew. For on the sidewalk

  appeared a long, thin shadow—a shadow that seemed to move of its own accord.

  This fantastic shape flitted across the street, and melted into the blackness in front of the old apartment

  house.

  It came into the light of the entry, and for an instant it seemed to assume human form. Then it had gone.

  Two minutes later, the door of Stanley Berger's apartment opened as though the knob had been turned

  by some psychic power.

  The window shades moved noiselessly downward. Then the beam of a flashlight appeared against the

  wall.

  The flashlight was suddenly extinguished as the telephone bell began to ring. A form moved softly across

  the room; the ringing ceased as the receiver was lifted.

  The man in the darkness listened, awaiting some statement from the other end of the line. The word

  came. Then a whispered voice spoke amid the silence of the dark apartment—a low, weird voice—the

  voice of The Shadow:

  "Hello! Burbank?"

  The Shadow received acknowledgment. Burbank was one of his trusted agents.

  "Report!" came The Shadow's whisper.

  The silence of the apartment was disturbed only by the clicking voice that came from the receiver. The

  sound ceased.

  "Good!" said The Shadow. "I understand. You heard him order the theater ticket this morning.

  Downtown. Vincent trailed him to the theater. Where has Vincent gone?"

  A short explanation clicked from the receiver.

  "You did not recognize the man he followed?" The question came in The Shadow's whisper. "What

  address did he give the cab driver?"

  Burbank's information came over the wire.

  "Good work," commended The Shadow. "That is all for to-night, Burbank."

  The receiver was replaced upon the hook. The flashlight beamed upon the desk. A hand appeared in the

  spot of glare, and the hand held a watch.

  "Half an hour to work," came the almost inaudible whisper. "Then to the Pink Rat. There will be trouble

  there."

  THE flashlight glowed constantly, now. It moved rapidly about the room. It stopped upon a table

  drawer.

  A hand tested the drawer and found it locked. A small key glistened beneath the rays of the light. A

  moment later, the drawer was open.

  From the drawer, the hand removed five blank cards. Three of the cards were black; one was gray; the

  other was white. The hand placed the cards upon the table.

  The flashlight remained steadily upon the cards. The entire room had been searched quickly, but with

  amazing thoroughness.

  These were the only objects that had been discovered. Yet the cards were blank. Apparently they meant

  nothing.

  Still, the light was held upon them, as though a mind in the darkness above was studying them with

  concentrated thought.

  The flashlight went out. The room remained black for a few short minutes. Then a lamp was turned on. It

  cast its illumination upon the table, and revealed the cloaked figure of The Shadow.

  With the five cards before him, the mysterious personage produced a sheet of paper, and began to

  express his thoughts in writing. A column of short, terse statements appeared:

  Stanley Berger killed Jonathan Graham.

  Stanley Berger is being watched.

  Why?

  The pencil paused. Then it wrote words that answered the question:

  Because certain persons must know that Berger murdered Graham.

  Those persons do not want the crime to be discovered.

  Those persons must be connected with the crime.

  Another pause—a longer pause. Then:

  Berger was directed by some one.

  He possesses no written evidence.

  He received instructions verbally.

  Where?

  The pencil hesitated a few seconds only. Then it inscribed these statements:

  Instructions were given at some unknown meeting place.

  Berger was summoned to that place.

  Probably more than once.

  The blank cards have special meanings.

  The long, slender hand thrust the pencil out of sight in the folds of a dark coat. It reappeared, carrying a

  fountain pen. It wrote upon a black card, in red ink:

  Come for instructions to-night.

  The hand stacked the three black cards. The writing explained their meaning.

  Stanley Berger had received them at different times. Each card was a summons to attend a meeting.

  The pen poised above the gray card. Then it wrote:

  Meeting to-night. Do not come unless absolutely safe.

  The hand hesitated over the white card; then, as though controlled by a mind that could divine everything,

  it wrote, in words that had the vivid red of blood:

  Your work is ended. No more meetings.

  The revealing words told the meanings of the cards. They remained in view for more than a minute. Then

  the writing disappeared from the black card, as though some invisible hand had swept it away.

  A few seconds later, the writing on the gray card began to fade. When it had obliterated itsel
f, only the

  white card bore its writing. Then those blood-red words slowly vanished.

  THE Shadow glanced at his watch. Half an hour had elapsed since the telephone call from Burbank. The

  man in black arose, and replaced the cards in the table drawer.

  He extinguished the lamp. The flashlight gleamed toward the door; then it was suddenly turned off. To the

  keen ears of The Shadow had come the faint sound of a key being inserted in the lock of the door.

  A man entered the room, and switched on the light. It was Stanley Berger!

  His face was haggard and worried. He walked across the room to a small cupboard, and brought out a

  bottle and a glass. He filled the glass, holding it with a hand that shook unsteadily, and drank.

  Then he began to look about the room. He saw no one there.

  But the drawn window shades suddenly attracted Berger's attention. He began to mumble, as though

  talking in a delirium.

  "Those shades were up when I went out," he said. "I ought to keep them up. Shades down—looks bad.

  Who put them down?"

  He rubbed his hand across his forehead. Evidently Stanley Berger's mind was troubled. He appeared

  restless as he paced across the room.

  "Too many people in the theater," he muttered. "Couldn't stay there. Bad place."

  He walked over to raise the window shades; then he apparently changed his mind, for he stopped short,

  and stood by the table. He looked at the opposite wall of the room.

  A bookcase was there, near the corner. The black shadow of the bookcase seemed to fascinate Berger.

  He became motionless, staring at the spot.

  Then he detected a slight movement. Before his astonished eyes, the darkness of the corner seemed to

  alter.

  There appeared a tall figure, clad in black, its shoulders shrouded in a cloak of sable hue.

  Stanley Berger tried to speak; but no sound came from his lips. This amazing form that had come from

  nothingness seemed to transfix his gaze.

  Berger's body began to tremble as The Shadow moved slowly forward and stood before him—tall,

  black, and ominous—a cloaked form, its face obscured by turned-down broad-brimmed hat.

  "Who are you?" gasped Stanley Berger. "Who -"

  The words died on his lips. A terrible fear came over the man. Perhaps this black being was a phantom

  from another world!

  Ghostlike it had appeared before him. Now it stood, like a medieval inquisitor, waiting for him to speak

  words that would betray him.

  THE figure became motionless. Stanley Berger still trembled.

  "Why are you here?" he asked. "Who are you?"

  "I am The Shadow!"

  The low, sibilant whisper was more terrifying than the spectral form itself. Berger swayed; then gripped

  the edge of the table, and steadied himself.

  "Sit down."

  A long black arm extended toward the chair. Stanley Berger could not ignore the command.

  Automatically, he took the chair; but his eyes were still upon the weird being before him.

  "Turn on the lamp."

  Stanley Berger obeyed.

  The Shadow seemed to glide across the floor. It reached the door, and the ceiling lamp went out.

  Berger stared; he could no longer see the man in black. Then he choked and gasped as The Shadow

  appeared directly above him—looming like a monstrous creature of vengeance.

  The man in the chair looked up. Below the broad-brimmed hat he could see two eyes that gleamed like

  living coals. Dark, burning eyes, that seemed to pry into the secrets of his mind.

  "You killed Jonathan Graham!"

  The whispered words were a statement—not a question.

  "Answer me! You killed Jonathan Graham!"

  Stanley Berger nodded. His personality seemed to have left him. His brain was under the domination of

  this unknown being. He could not withstand the power of The Shadow.

  "Tell me why!"

  The man in the chair made a great effort to fight off the controlling force that held him.

  "I don't know!" he said. "I don't know!"

  "Tell me why!"

  "Because"—the admission came slowly from Stanley Berger's lips— "because I had stolen his private

  correspondence."

  "To what did the correspondence refer?"

  "I do not know."

  The Shadow was silent. Berger's last statement had come with a spontaneous relief. It was obvious that

  he had spoken the truth.

  "With whom did Jonathan Graham correspond?"

  Stanley Berger could not overcome The Shadow's control. His lips seemed automatic as they framed the

  reply:

  "With a man named Whitburn."

  "Tell me his first name!"

  "I do not know it."

  The glowing eyes burned steadily before the entranced gaze of Stanley Berger. There was a sharp click,

  as though The Shadow had snapped his fingers. The man in the chair started, and rubbed his forehead.

  "Look at the table," came the whispered voice.

  Berger obeyed. A hand came before his eyes, carrying the five cards from the table drawer.

  Upon the third finger of the hand was a ring with a large gem that glowed with crimson depths. It caught

  Stanley Berger's attention, fascinating him.

  "Look at those cards," said The Shadow. "I shall tell you what they mean. Answer each statement that I

  make. Black signifies: 'There is a meeting to-night.' That is correct?"

  "Yes."

  "Gray signifies: 'Meeting to-night. Do not come unless absolutely safe.' Correct?"

  "Yes."

  "White signifies: 'Your work is ended. No more meetings!' Correct?"

  "Yes."

  "Where were the meetings held?"

  The reply that was forming on Stanley Berger's lips suddenly died away. He fought against the control

  that held him in its merciless grip.

  "No! No!" His exclamation came in short, nervous gasps. "I cannot tell! I must not tell!"

  He fell forward on the table, and buried his head in his arms.

  THERE was complete silence for a few tense minutes. Then a distant clock chimed ten times.

  A low, fraughtful hiss came from The Shadow. It was well past the half hour that he had allotted. His

  voice whispered gentle, soothing words:

  "Look up."

  Berger raised his head.

  The slender, white hand appeared before his eyes, and he found himself staring into the glowing depths of

  the crimson fire opal.

  Then an envelope appeared beneath it. A pen was placed in Stanley Berger's hand.

  "Write this address."

  The sibilant voice carried a gentle persuasion, which came as balm to Stanley Berger's troubled mind. He

  was conscious of the envelope. But the burning fire opal held him beneath its spell. He placed the pen

  upon the paper to inscribe:

  "Harry Vincent. Metrolite Hotel. New York City."

  With automatic precision, Stanley Berger wrote the address. The envelope was drawn to one side. A

  sheet of paper took its place.

  "Write your full story. Tell everything."

  The voice, despite its uncanny whisper, seemed friendly and helpful.

  "Sign your name beneath, when you have finished. Mail the letter. Then you can forget."

  The man at the table placed the pen upon the paper. He seemed to be engaged in deep thought, his mind

  groping in the past.

  The hand moved away. The fire opal was no longer before Stanley Berger's eyes. Yet its glow still

  persisted. He imagined that he saw the mysterious crimson gem upon the white paper in front of him.

&nb
sp; As he slowly began to write, the fiery blotch followed the point of his pen.

  Stanley Berger was a man in a trance, still governed by the dynamic presence of The Shadow, which he

  could feel beside him. He could do nothing other than obey the commands he had received.

  Yet The Shadow was no longer there. Silently, noiselessly, like a phantom of the night, the man of

  mystery had left the apartment.

  CHAPTER VII. AT THE PINK RAT

  THE main room of the Pink Rat was a dingy, sordid place. It was dimly lighted, and was furnished with

  old tables, and cheap, unpainted benches.

  Yet, despite its uninviting appearance, the Pink Rat was well patronized. Clustered about its tables were

  as many as twenty men, and a few women.

  The bottles that stood on the tables were mute evidence of the Pink Rat's attraction. The den was a

  booze joint, run in open defiance of the law.

  Harry Vincent saw all this at a single glance. He took his place in an obscure corner, and surveyed the

  crowd.

  A sharp-eyed waiter spotted him, and came over to his table. Harry was in a quandary. He must make

  some pretense of being familiar with the den. Rather than betray himself by a mis-statement, he simply

  handed the waiter a five-dollar bill.

  The man looked at him quizzically. Harry showed no concern.

  The waiter went away and came back with a flask, a glass, and four dollars and twenty-five cents in

  change. Harry tipped him the quarter.

  Mechanically, Harry poured out a glassful of the liquor. With his hand upon the glass, he looked about

  him.

  The dimness of the room, which was thickly clouded with tobacco smoke, made it difficult to observe the

  persons present. But at last Harry spotted his man, talking with another at a corner table.

  A full hour of waiting went by. Unobserved, Harry managed to empty the liquor into a cuspidor by the

  wall. This enabled him to order a second bottle when the waiter came his way again.

  The Pink Rat was filled with men whose minds were swimming from the effects of bad liquor, and Harry,

  by maintaining his alertness, held a position of advantage.

  His thoughts reverted to Stanley Berger, and he glanced at his watch. Not yet ten o'clock. It would be

  another hour before Berger would leave the theater —so Harry supposed.

  He did not know that at that very moment, Berger was in his apartment.