The Death Giver

CHAPTER XVI. ABOVE BROADWAY

AT ten o’clock the next morning, Paul Roderick was eating breakfast in the coffee room of an uptown hotel. The dapper clubman was seated beside a window, and as his eyes noted the somber gloom of the cloudy day, a smile flitted upon his lips.

It was an excellent day in Roderick’s opinion. Not that the weather would interfere entirely with the plans formulated by Thade; but there were certain reasons why a dull morning would be better than either a bright one or a rainy one.

Roderick read a newspaper as he ate. The front page was spread with photographs. Murder was not the theme. The big item in to-day’s news was the welcoming celebration to four men who had just made history in aviation — a quartet of intrepid fliers headed by Commander Allan Hughes, of the United States navy.

The aviators were arriving in New York after a successful round-the-world flight. The parade in their honor was to be one of the greatest welcomes ever. Not only the fliers would ride in review, three governors of large States would also be there, accompanying the mayor of New York. The secretary of the navy was also scheduled to appear, with four well-known admirals.

Last night, Roderick had stayed at his hotel. To-day, he had an important duty at the hour of noon.

Roderick smiled as he appreciated the simplicity of the plans which Thade, The Death Giver, had prepared.

The newspapers had no news of crime to go with their photographs to-day. Tomorrow, however, would be different. Sensationalism would rule then!

Paul Roderick had used the greatest precaution since his departure from Thade’s abode, yesterday afternoon. Such precaution had been included in the plans. A conference with Harlan Treffin — the giving of simple instructions and definite arrangements — that left Roderick free until the proper time.

The only danger lay in the possibility of Treffin encountering trouble during the preliminary preparation.

Roderick could see no chance of any difficulties, however. Treffin, himself, did not know what was to happen! Therein lay the merit of Thade’s master stroke. Until Roderick appeared to keep his appointment at a stated place, Treffin would be entirely in the dark.

Finishing his breakfast, Roderick sauntered from the hotel and headed toward Broadway. Already, crowds were gathering in expectation of the coming event. Airplanes were circling over the city. Even the blase New Yorkers were staring upward to view the massive dirigible Akron as its huge motors purred above Manhattan.

RODERICK was still smiling when he entered the subway at Times Square. Much could happen between the time of the parade’s departure from the Battery and its arrival on upper Broadway.

To millions of people who made up the mass of New York’s population, the parade was to be a gala event. To one — Paul Roderick — it would be an opportunity to display the craft of Thade, The Death Giver.

When Roderick emerged from the subway on lower Broadway, he found the roped-off sidewalks blocked with surging crowds, in readiness for the first sight of the expected parade. There was nearly an hour to wait. Roderick still wore his sophisticated smile.

He entered an office building and took the elevator to the tenth floor. He followed a corridor to a room that bore the number 1028. He rapped three times. A cautious hand opened the door. Roderick stepped in, closed the door behind him; then turned to see the face of Harlan Treffin.

“All ready?” questioned Roderick.

“Everything is here,” came Treffin’s reply. “I picked up the package just as you told me. They are in the little side office.”

“Good,” affirmed Roderick.

He led the way to the office which Treffin had indicated. It adjoined the room which Roderick had just entered.

Several packages lay on the floor, unopened. That was in accordance with Roderick’s instructions. He had told Treffin to pick up the packages at parcel checking stands, and to bring them here intact.

Roderick glanced from the window. The curve of Broadway showed the canyon walls of lighted windows in the sides of teeming skyscrapers. The high buildings cut off the light and made the street quite gloomy. This office, without any lights, was inconspicuous. What might happen here, only Roderick and his companion could know.

At Roderick’s order, Treffin began to open the packages. The man was very subdued. This pleased Roderick. Treffin had performed one duty assigned him by Thade; to-day’s service was even easier, for Treffin had no inkling of its purpose. Under Roderick’s supervision, he was a willing worker.

Roderick recalled the night before. He had visited Treffin then, and had given the man his instructions.

Treffin was proving useful; later, he would be useless. Roderick had hinted of a reward. There was only one reward from Thade. That was death. Roderick smiled.

The contents of the opened packages proved to be a queer assortment of articles. One item appeared to be a fire extinguisher. Several short sections of pipe were there in addition. A piece of hose, two bottles of a greenish color — these were the final articles in the collection.

Roderick fitted the pieces of pipe together until they made a long section. Another pipe went into the center of the lengthy one, extending perpendicularly. Roderick raised the window a trifle and set the long pipe between the sash and the sill. The pressure of the window against the projecting piece prevented the pipe from falling.

Peering through the pane, Roderick noted that a series of small holes were outward along the edge of the pipe that ran upon the sill. That was in accordance with instructions from Thade.

The clubman opened one of the bottles. Tilting it carefully, he poured a gluey liquid into the projecting section of the pipe. To do this, he raised the window a trifle; when the operation was finished, he pressed the sash tight again.

DURING this procedure, Roderick had kept low by the window. The reason for the gloomy day being to his liking was now apparent. His actions could not be observed from windows on the other side of Broadway.

This room, in the dull light of the day, was nothing more than a mass of semiblackness. The pipe beneath the window sash was dull in color, and would never be noticed. Ten stories above the street, this window was but one of hundreds in the same building.

With the gluey substance in the piping, Roderick attached the rubber hose to the projecting tube of metal.

He carried the end of the hose to the fire extinguisher.

This apparatus now proved to be a camouflaged object; for Roderick unscrewed the end and revealed a small tank within. At the bottom of the tank were tiny, sievelike holes, blocked by metal beneath.

Roderick carefully uncorked the second bottle. He motioned Treffin back while he let the liquid trickle into the tank. Seizing the cap, Roderick replaced it on the fake extinguisher.

Roderick then corked the bottle to save the small amount of liquid that remained. With these preparations ended, he turned to speak to Treffin.

“You have been here since nine o’clock?” questioned Roderick.

Treffin nodded.

“That’s good,” asserted Roderick. “I wanted you to be here early. We’re ready for business now, Treffin.

I’m going to make observations from the next window — in the other office. When I give you the signal, turn the valve. This looks like a fire extinguisher, but it isn’t. Actually, it is a compressed-air tank.”

“You put liquid into it,” objected Treffin.

“That’s all right,” explained Roderick. “I’m attending to that right now. The wheel” — Roderick turned it as he spoke — “opens the bottom of the container. The liquid will be absorbed by the compressed air.”

A muffled bubbling came from within the compressed-air tank. Roderick paid no attention to the manifestation. He continued to speak to Treffin.

“As soon as we are through,” he said, “I want you to detach the air tank and hang it on the wall of this room. It will pass as an empty fire extinguisher. We will have no further use for it. Bring in the pipes and detach them. Stow them in the top shelf of the closet in this room.

“I’ve had this office available for a long while, Treffin. I didn’t know what it was for any more than you did. In fact, you didn’t even know about it until to-day. But we’ll have some results here mighty quick. Stand by until you get my first order.”

Roderick picked up the last bottle that he had used. He shook it gently and smiled as he heard the liquid gurgle within. He gathered up the papers that had been used to wrap the packages, and carried them, with the bottle, into the other office. Treffin sat down in a chair to await his return.

Opening the window, Roderick placed the bottle on a table; then peered down Broadway. He did not mind being seen here. He was but one of many other expectant observers.

The gray sky overhead, the drab walls of high buildings — all seemed drab and colorless, until Roderick detected a distant flurry that looked like a miniature snowstorm. Then came the blare of a brass band.

The parade was coming up Broadway!

THE flurry was increasing. The towering walls began to gorge new showers of paper. Blue uniforms of the band players were in view, a few blocks away. Behind them came a line of automobiles.

Stepping back from the window, Roderick tore the paper wrappings into strips. He dropped these fragments on the table, beside the green bottle. He hurried to the door of the other office. He saw Harlan Treffin still lounging in the chair.

“Ready!” ordered Roderick.

Treffin went to the compressed-air tank. He turned the valve. A dull hissing commenced. Waving Treffin to his chair, Roderick gave a last admonition:

“Stand by. Be sure the attachments do not come loose. Keep back from the window until I give you the word to disconnect.”

Roderick saw Treffin nod his understanding. The clubman hurried to the other room to make his observation. When he was gone, Harlan Treffin reached beneath a table and brought forth a package that Roderick had not seen.

The solemn man seemed more interested in that package than in what was going on outside the window.

He paid no attention to the compressed-air tank, for its hissing still continued. A mass of blackness showed within the package that Treffin’s hands were opening.

In the other office, Paul Roderick was waiting at the window. His face was gleaming with an evil smile.

The parade was still a few blocks away. Only the beginning of paper flurries were evident at this part of Broadway.

The plans of Thade, The Death Giver, had been followed. Paul Roderick was here to see their fiendish culmination! Ten stories above Broadway, death was in the making!

Paul Roderick laughed. This was the master scheme of all — and The Shadow could not thwart it!