The Four Signets

CHAPTER XVI. ZANE’S STORY

DETECTIVE JOE CARDONA was standing in the library of the Dolger home. With uniformed policemen beside him, the detective was quizzing two men who sat before him.

One was Zane Dolger, steady now that the ordeal had ended. The other was Rowland, whitefaced and quivering.

The dead bodies had been removed.

Cardona, summoned from detective headquarters, was again acting as inspector as he gained the details of the fray.

“I was seated here reading,” explained Zane, pointing to an opened book and pipe that lay on the table.

“I heard a sound at the door and thought that it must be Rowland. As I came to my feet, the door opened. I was covered by the three crooks.”

“What did they say to you?”

“One did all the talking. He was the fellow that you say is Steve Lagrin. He stated that they had knocked out Rowland; that I was to come along. I knew that if they got me in the hall, it would be my finish.”

“No doubt about that. They’d have slugged you like they did Rowland. So you put up a fight, eh?”

“Yes. From what Steve said, I figured they had come to get my cousin Perry as well as myself.

Fortunately, he had gone out. I realized that if the thugs dragged me out quietly, they could come back and get Perry when he returned.”

Cardona nodded.

“So I started the fight,” resumed Zane. “I grabbed the big fellow— Steve — and struggled with him. Then came shots and I saw Steve’s hand coming down. I tried to duck, but I guess his revolver hit me.”

Zane rubbed the side of his head as he finished speaking. Cardona looked thoughtful.

“Who fired the shots?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” admitted Zane. “It was like a nightmare. As I pounced on Steve, I heard what seemed like a ghostly laugh. Then the shots — then I was out. I seemed to be groping about. When I realized that I was still alive, I saw the bodies on the floor.”

“And after that?”

“I went to look for Rowland. I found him, half-dazed, by the side door. Right after that, the door came open and these officers appeared.”

“All right.” Cardona had been making notes. “Your testimony is satisfactory, Mr. Dolger. It’s plain that somebody helped you out. Probably other crooks who had it in for these fellows — men who trailed them here.”

“But that unearthly laugh—”

“You probably imagined it. Let’s stick to the fact that you heard shots. In your excited state, Mr. Dolger, you might have imagined the laugh; but not the shots.”

“That’s true,” agreed Zane, with a wan smile. “Then that’s my story, inspector. I heard shots; but I can’t say how many.”

JOE CARDONA smiled also. But the detective had a different reason. He could guess the author of that laugh. The Shadow. Again, the invisible menace of the underworld had stepped in to intervene against men of crime. Joe had figured that The Shadow was on Hoot Shelling’s trail.

But Joe had decided to keep his theory to himself. This report would undoubtedly go to Commissioner Wainwright Barth.

That high official had tabooed mention of The Shadow. He had defined the existence of such a personage as “poppycock” and “balderdash.” Barth, in classing The Shadow as a myth, had followed the course of his predecessor, Commissioner Ralph Weston.

Weston had learned his error. But Weston had temporarily relinquished his post as police commissioner.

So Joe Cardona had gone back to his former practice: that of covering all mention of The Shadow. Wars between crooks were a sufficient explanation when criminals were plucked off while engaged in deeds of evil.

“Let’s hear your story,” suggested Cardona, turning to Rowland.

Before the servant could speak, Zane Dolger interrupted. Something had occurred to the young man. His tone was anxious as he addressed Cardona.

“My cousin knows nothing about what has happened here,” put in Zane. “Wouldn’t it be wise to inform him at once? He is over at the apartment of James Jackling.”

“What’s the address?”

Zane gave it.

“And the phone number?”

Zane added that information; Cardona jotted it down. Briskly, the detective took the telephone and put in calls. By the time he had completed them, all was arranged.

“That was Jackling that I talked to,” Joe explained to Zane, who had caught but one half of the conversations. “He’ll keep your cousin Perry there until Detective Sergeant Markham arrives from headquarters. You heard me call Markham. He’s on his way. He’ll accompany your cousin back here.”

“Good!” commended Zane.

“Ready for your statement,” said Joe to Rowland, the butler. “Give it in detail.”

“I WAS seated in the kitchen, sir,” explained Rowland, wearily, “reading a book, sir — one which I had taken from here in the library. I believe the volume is still in the outer kitchen, sir. It is the third of a set—’The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire’—”

“Never mind the name of the book,” interrupted Joe Cardona. “Go ahead with the story. I want your statement of what happened after that.”

Zane Dolger smiled. He had allowed Rowland to take the book from the library when the servant had apologetically entered, earlier in the evening. What amused Zane was Rowland’s preciseness. The servant seldom had much to say; evidently his anxiety to give every detail had made him loquacious.

“It was after Mr. Perry had gone,” resumed Rowland. “I was in the lower hall when he departed with Mr. Jackling. I went back into the kitchen, sir, to resume my reading. It was then that a slight noise attracted my attention.”

“What kind of a noise?”

“It seemed like a door opening, sir. The side door. I went to investigate. Something struck me from the dark” — Rowland paused to touch the back of his head — “and I remembered nothing for a time.

“Then I seemed to come to my senses when Mr. Zane found me. I–I actually wondered what had happened, sir. It was a surprise, indeed it was.”

“You did not see the intruders?”

“No, sir.”

“All right.” Cardona arose. “We’ll have two men on duty outside the house, Mr. Dolger. That’s for tonight. To-morrow we can decide if further protection is needed. But I doubt that you will require it.”

“Why not?” inquired Zane.

“Because,” replied Cardona. “Those gorillas looked like they were here for a burglary job. They tried threats when they encountered you. Tried to make it look like they had it in for you and your cousin. Unless you expected threats from—”

“Not at all,” broke in Zane, promptly. “I think you are right, Mr. Cardona. Burglary must have been their motive.”

“That being the case,” decided Joe, “their pals will stay clear of here. They’d be dubs to come back to a spot where some of the gang hit trouble. Give me a call to-morrow.”

“Very well.”

Cardona was about to leave; then, as an afterthought, he decided to await the arrival of Perry and Markham. The two came in about fifteen minutes later. Perry listened while he heard Zane’s story.

“My cousin is right,” declared Perry, emphatically. “We have no enemies. He was in business in California; I have come from abroad. Those thugs were here for robbery — nothing else.”

“Then I can take the men off duty in the morning,” decided Joe. “But you’d better give me a call at headquarters.”

FIVE minutes later, Perry and Zane were alone. Cardona and Markham had gone back to headquarters.

The policemen had taken up outside duty. Rowland had retired to the kitchen. The two heirs began a conversation in an undertone.

“You did great work, Zane,” commended Perry. “That was the first thrust. If we had expected it so soon, I would never have left this house tonight.”

“Do you think they have learned that we gained the coffer?” asked Zane, anxiously. “By murdering the two of us, those unknown schemers might have had a clear path to regain our grandfather’s wealth.”

“I don’t know, Zane. Maybe our three enemies — we are assuming there are three — decided that we might know too much. Maybe they wanted to eliminate us to be sure. At the same time, if their signets bear the secret — like Phraytag’s — they may have visited the hiding place, to learn that the coffer was gone.”

“Perhaps they got into Phraytag’s tomb.”

“Like I did? Possibly. Well, we’d better slide up to the secret room and make sure the box is safe.”

“We’ll hold it there, Perry?”

“Of course! That’s the only place. We’ll keep low for a while, Zane. Ready for another thrust. We’re within our rights to put up a fight.”

“But we got the money in illegal fashion.”

“How so? Once we had the ring, we knew that the cash was once our grandfather’s. Possession is nine points, Zane. You saw the answer. Tonight’s attack wasn’t legal, was it?”

“No.”

“That settles it. We know that the people who had the coffer before us must have been crooks. They got it illegally, or they wouldn’t have sent this flock of thugs.”

Zane nodded.

“You used your head, Zane,” complimented Perry, “when you told this chap Cardona that we had no enemies. That made him decide that the police won’t be needed after tonight.”

“Yes,” agreed Zane, “I spoke quickly when the subject came up. But there’s another angle to it. I’m not sure but that it’s a good idea to have the police around. Suppose there’s another thrust? It won’t come while the house is guarded. We hold an advantage — a stalemate — while the police are here.”

“A stalemate is correct,” objected Perry. “That’s just where we would injure our own plans. If we keep the police watching here, Cardona is going to know that we must have enemies.”

“That’s true.”

“And we can’t slide out to Florida with the box. The police would stop us, knowing that something might be up.”

“Yes. They might do that.”

“But if we sit tight, our enemies are going to think that we intend to stay here. They’ll hold back before another thrust. In the meantime, we can find a chance to sneak away.”

“You arranged about the Florida property?”

“Yes, with Jackling. Let’s hold it about three days, Zane. Then make it our business to move out before the crooks strike again.”

“That is best. We can stick here together. And Rowland will be more wary than before.”

Perry was walking toward the door as Zane made this comment. Stopping short, Perry turned to his cousin.

“Say!” he explained. “I’d almost forgotten Rowland. I was just starting up to the secret room to make sure the coffer was still safe. Where is Rowland? Still in the kitchen?”

“I’ll look.”

ZANE went to the side door. As he opened it, he heard footsteps. Rowland was already approaching from the hall. He was carrying the book that he had borrowed from the library.

“Just about to retire, sir,” stated the servant. “Shall I replace the book? Are there any orders, Mr. Zane?”

“No,” replied Zane. “Give me the book. I’ll put it where it belongs. You can turn in, Rowland.”

The servant moved away toward the back stairs. Zane came into the library with the book. Perry beckoned and whispered.

“You don’t think Rowland was snooping, do you?” questioned Perry. “He showed up pretty quick when you went into the hall.”

“I don’t think so,” returned Zane. “He was about midway in the passage.”

“He could have been sliding away from the door. Maybe he turned about to fool you.”

“Possibly.”

As Zane spoke, Perry was moving stealthily toward the door that his cousin had just closed. With a sudden leap, Perry gained the barrier and yanked it open. There was no one in the hall.

“That settles it,” declared Zane, with a smile. “If Rowland had been listening, he would have come back to learn whether or not we suspected him.”

“Maybe,” rejoined Perry. “Maybe not. The fellow may be a bit foxy, even though he doesn’t look it. Come on, Zane, let’s go up. We’ll keep our eyes open on the way.”

The cousins left the library. They passed Rowland’s room on their way upstairs. A light was shining from beneath the door. They could hear the old servant moving about.

Zane seemed satisfied as they resumed their progress. But Perry remained doubtful. The older cousin still held the suspicion that Rowland had listened to the conversation in the library.

But when they returned after making sure that the coffer was safe with all its wealth, they saw that Rowland’s light was out. They went down to the library, chatted a while longer and finally went to bed.

SILENCE came to the old house. An hour passed. Then, through empty, darkened rooms moved a swishing shape. The Shadow was again investigating the mansion. Stealthily, he ascended a staircase.

Searching with his blinking light, The Shadow discovered an oddly made bookcase in an abandoned upstairs study. He noted its position against the wall. He tested its fastenings. A slight click sounded as the bookcase opened. The Shadow stepped into the secret room.

The iron coffer showed beneath the flashlight’s glare. Gloved hands unbound the clamps. The lid came up. Stacks of currency, bundles of security, property deeds and other forms of wealth came beneath The Shadow’s view.

Later, the light went out. The lid descended; the clamps were pressed back in place. Empty-handed, The Shadow left the secret room. He had discovered the contested wealth. He had chosen to leave it in the spot where he had found it.