Death Sleep

CHAPTER XII THE BIG SHOT PLANS

ONE hour after the fray at the house on Long Island, Spud Claxter arrived at Wolf Barlan’s apartment. Spud’s face was glum. When Wolf received him in the lighted living room, he knew at once that disaster had been encountered.

“Well?” snarled the big shot. “Did you fliv the job? What happened out at Currian’s?”

“They got the swag,” returned Spud. “Skeet and Zug — the two guys with them — knocked out Currian and the others who were in the house. What happened after that was the trouble.”

“Let’s hear it,” growled Wolf.

“Well,” reported Spud, “there was a lucky break to begin with, Skeet must have got the glim before I showed up with the outside crew. Any way, he and the bunch were in before we got there.”

“Skeet got the signal all right,” acknowledged Wolf. “I told you I had a good guy planted in there. It don’t hurt if you know his name now. His part of the job is done. It was Tully Newel, working in Currian’s as a servant. He scrammed as soon as he flashed the glim. Gave me a call and hopped a rattler to Buffalo. Well — that’s that. Go on with your story.”

“We covered the house,” related Spud. “Seen the inside crew come out. Then somebody fires a shot alongside the house. Wings one of the bunch with Skeet. That started us.”

“It ought to have. What did you do? Close in?”

“Yeah. We knew the guy was by the house. We was out to get him, Wolf. Then all of a sudden we hear a laugh. Handed me the shivers, that laugh did. Somebody spots the front porch with a flashlight — and there he was.”

“Who?”

“The Shadow.”

Wolf Barlan had paused to pluck a cigarette from the box on the table. His fingers relaxed when he heard Spud’s statement. The cigarette struck the table and bounced to the floor.

“The Shadow!” exclaimed Wolf.

“Big as life,” responded Spud. “Up on the stone rail of the porch, giving us the ha-ha.”

“And I suppose you dummies took it on the lam, eh?”

“No. That’s where we made our big mistake. Those gorillas I picked wouldn’t run from nobody. They began to open up with their smokewagons. The Shadow did a nose dive.”

“Clipped him!”

“That’s what they thought” — Spud’s tone was rueful — “until they barged in on that porch. Then the boys got theirs. The Shadow had pulled a stall — that was his trick. Up he comes and gives the outfit the works.”

“Yeah?” barked Wolf. “What was the mob doing? Standing by and giving him a college cheer? Where was their gats? Did they throw them away?”

“They used their rods,” retorted Spud. “But they couldn’t do no more than knock off hunks of rock from that porch wall. The Shadow was behind it, picking off every gazebo that fired at him. I saw what was happening. I ducked around the house with a gorilla named Luke Gonrey. Tried to plug The Shadow from in back. Luke took a pot shot at him and missed. Then The Shadow crippled Luke.”

“So you scrammed?”

“Yeah, dragging Luke with me. There was one other gorilla managed to get back to the cars. We beat it in a hurry.”

WOLF grunted. The big shot’s face was troubled. Wolf was picturing the events that Spud had related. He realized that Spud’s mob had at least covered the getaway of the raiders who had the swag. Spud caught the thought.

“I came in to the hideout,” he stated. “Found Skeet and the others there. They had the guy that The Shadow wounded. He ain’t bad off. But Luke Gonrey and that other gorilla — well — we got to get them somewhere.”

“Where’d you leave them?”

“The other side of the bridge. Lucky I did, too. There’s cops on the bridges looking over all the cars that are coming in. Guess The Shadow scrammed and after that the bulls showed up at Currian’s.”

Wolf Barlan paced back and forth across the floor. He was worried; but his mental state seemed to spur his planning. A fierce leer showed on his ugly face.

“Figuring on something, Wolf?” queried Spud.

“Yeah,” returned the big shot.

“Don’t forget them two guys,” reminded the mobleader. “You ought to know some place where I could lug them. There’s a sawbones I know down on the Bowery; I don’t think the bulls have been watching him.”

“Leave that to me,” assured Wolf. “I got a couple of places where I could send them. Used to have plenty of gorillas get in trouble when I was handling that night-club racket. I’m just thinking of the best place.

“But I’m thinking of a lot besides. I’m thinking of The Shadow. He’s trying to crimp the game. That means we’ve got to shift our plans. Sit down, Spud, while I go over this. I’m working it out.”

Spud seated himself in an easy-chair and watched Wolf pace back and forth. At times the big shot’s expression denoted worry; at intervals it cleared, finally it showed a triumphant grin. Wolf took a chair opposite his henchman.

“Listen, Spud,” announced the big shot. “When you deal with The Shadow, you’ve got to be smart. That’s why I’m making new plans. First of all, I’m trying to figure out how he got wise about tonight’s job. There’s only one way he could have.”

“Trailing my mob?”

“Yeah. It’s a cinch he don’t know about the hideout; but he probably knows you’re in the game. That worries you, eh? Well, it worries me just as much; but I see an out for both of us. I know a way that’ll fix everything.”

SPUD managed a sickly grin. Wolf’s words had actually worried him; the assurance that the big shot had some scheme began to give him restored confidence.

“The Shadow don’t know you’re hooked up with me,” stated Wolf, in positive fashion. “That’s something that he’s not going to know. I was wise when I picked you” — Wolf paused to chuckle — “on account of your having worked for a lot of guys that were running rackets. How’s The Shadow going to know which one you’re with? Get that idea?”

“But if he trails me here, Wolf—”

“He won’t. You’re not coming here. You’re not going round the hideout, either. Leave that to Skeet and Zug. Say” — something important occurred to the big shot — “did you look over the swag?”

“Yeah. A couple of hundred grand, mostly in securities.”

“Including the bonds that Throckmorton brought with him?”

“Yeah. Skeet grabbed them first.”

“All right. We’ll leave them lay at the hideout. You stowed them in that hidden safe, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“Either of us can get them when we want them. They’re hot right now; we’ll let them cool. When I say you’re not going round to the hideout, I mean not unless there’s something special that’s got to be done. Don’t chance it unless you’re sure The Shadow’s not on your trail.”

“I get it.”

“We’re going ahead with the next job,” assured Wolf. “Skeet and Zug work from the hideout. They’re safe enough. But you keep on the move; never let nobody track you.”

“I got to get a new mob,” reminded Spud.

“Yeah,” agreed Wolf, “to do the cover up on the outside. But you can do that on the quiet. Be careful of the gorillas you pick. Don’t get any more than you have to. Send messages to them, like you did before. And pull that stunt of having them start out from the garage and come across you on the way.”

“I did it tonight, Wolf. But The Shadow wised—”

“Maybe he’ll wise again. All the better. You and the mob will be watching for him. If we’ve got to blot out The Shadow, we’ll do it. Anyway, the big point is that no matter what he does, he can’t find the hideout through you and he can’t trace me.

“You’re safe, too” — Wolf was prompt in adding this assurance — “if you use your noodle. Let the gorillas do the heavy work. Stand back and keep the old skull working. You used good judgment tonight. Say, Spud, maybe you’ll get The Shadow.”

The thought seemed to please the mobleader. Wolf grinned, satisfied that he had aroused his chief henchman’s eagerness for new combat. The big shot arose from his chair. He walked over to the door. Spud arose and followed.

“Scram,” advised Wolf. “Phone me, but don’t come around. Be careful, all the time.”

“What about Luke?”

“I’m thinking of him. Give me a call when you get back to where he is. I’ll tell you where to take him and that other gorilla.”

“We may have to dodge the cops at the bridges.”

“Don’t worry about that until you hear from me.”

As soon as Spud had gone, Wolf went to the telephone. He put in a call and held a short, cryptic conversation. That completed, he settled in his chair, to await telephoned word from Spud.

THE mobleader had been wary when he left the apartment house where Wolf lived. Spud had parked his coupe half a block away. He reached the car and drove eastward. He crossed a suspension bridge and noted bluecoats still on duty, inspecting westbound cars that looked suspicious.

Spud reached a small cluster of stores that fringed a portion of the boulevard. He stopped the coupe and alighted. He entered a store and put in a call to Wolf’s apartment, hoping that by this time the big shot had decided what to do with the wounded gorillas.

“That you, Wolf?” queried Spud, speaking into the mouthpiece. “Yeah… This is Spud… Over on Long Island. Say, about those two fellows. Yeah, they’re right near here…”

Spud paused. He was listening to the orders that clicked through the receiver. His eyes began to blink; his mouth opened as he heard the unexpected instructions which came from the big shot. When Wolf was through, Spud could not find his voice for the moment. Then he blurted his understanding.

“I get it, Wolf,” were Spud’s words. “Say. That makes it soft… Sure… I’ll have Louie and Gabby boost the two of them in my coupe… Yeah, I’ll send Louie and Gabby in with the empty touring cars… That’s right, they won’t have no trouble passing the bulls at the bridge…

“That’s right. I won’t have no trouble either… This makes it a cinch… Luke and the other mug? Say — they won’t have no idea what I’m going to do with them… No. They won’t know where I’m taking them… Sure. I’ll tell Louie and Gabby that I’m looking after the two gazebos… Yeah. That’s all Louie and Gabby need to know.”

Spud hung up the receiver. He left the store, chuckling as he went. He drove his coupe from the boulevard and took a side road that led to the spot where he had left Louie and Gabby with the wounded men in the touring cars.

From now on, Spud would look after Luke Gonrey and the second gorilla who had been dropped by one of The Shadow’s slugs. Spud was elated by the cleverness of Wolf Barlan’s orders. He had gained new confidence in the big shot’s craft. For of one thing, Spud was sure.

The mobleader felt positive that when he had followed Wolf Barlan’s instructions, the two wounded gorillas would be safely stowed in a spot where not even The Shadow would think of finding them.