The Shadow - The Ribbon Clues Part 5

"I, too, recall that cameo, now that it has been mentioned," stated the importer. "I remember seeing it on Shurrick's watch chain, one of the times I ran into him in the hallway. It was quite conspicuous."

"I've seen it, too," put in Lattan.

"Here's the ring it was. .h.i.tched to," informed Cardona, stooping beside the body. "A little gold loop, hooked around the chain. Dave Callard must have yanked the locket off its fastening."

"We've found a motive, Cardona," declared the commissioner, as the detective arose. "Robbery was in back of murder here to night. This, however, is a matter which we shall discuss later. After a study of your full report, Cardona.

"In the meantime, you can send the witnesses downstairs. Have the body removed to the morgue. I shall hear your report, doctor" - this was to the police surgeon - "and that will conclude your work here. I shall come back to the club later, Cranston" - Weston turned to The Shadow as he spoke - "and I hope that I may meet you there."

"Very well, commissioner," responded The Shadow, with a faint smile that characterized Cranston. "I do not expect to go home until midnight, so I shall probably see you later."

TURNING, The Shadow followed the witnesses, who were already filing from the room. Markham was ordering them down to the twelfth floor, to wait in Dolver's apartment. The Shadow descended the stairs and entered the elevator, which was being operated by a detective.

As he stepped from the car, The Shadow ran squarely into a young man who had just come in from the street. It was Clyde Burke; the reporter mumbled an apology and stepped into the elevator without further notice of his chief.

The door of the elevator slammed. Standing alone in the empty lobby, The Shadow delivered a whispered laugh that came from motionless lips. Playing the part of Lamont Cranston, The Shadow had taken Commissioner Weston's tip and had left the apartment house.

Though he had gained no new clue to the present whereabouts of Dave Callard, The Shadow had no worry concerning further crime. He had learned enough to forestall all coming strokes of doom.

CHAPTER VIII. THE LAW'S SUMMARY.

MIDNIGHT was approaching when Commissioner Ralph Weston walked into the exclusive Cobalt Club. Weston's first act was to inquire for Lamont Cranston. He was informed that the millionaire was in the grillroom. The commissioner made in that direction and located his friend at a table, puffing a cigarette above a half-emptied cup of coffee. "Sorry, Cranston," apologized Weston. "I couldn't very well invite you to remain at Shurrick's tonight.

Too many persons about; and Cardona works better when he has a chance to study things alone."

"I suppose so," smiled The Shadow, with a nod. "Furthermore, I presume that he developed new theories on important points."

"He did," a.s.sured Weston. "I must credit him with bringing up one subject that did not occur to either of us."

"You are wrong, commissioner. It occurred to me after I had come back to the club."

"Occurred to you, Cranston? What do you mean? I have not even told you what the subject was."

"I have guessed it. The question was why the murderer did not kill Dolver as well as Shurrick."

"Marvelous, Cranston!" Weston's exclamation betokened full admiration. "That was the very point that Cardona brought into the discussion. But he carried it further."

"So did I, commissioner. In fact, Cardona must have struck upon the very thought that started my chain of reasoning. Since the murderer killed two men at Ralgood's, he should logically have done the same at Shurrick's."

"Precisely, Cranston. Let me apologize again. I should have had you remain at the penthouse. Your processes of deduction have paralleled Cardona's. But he went further -"

"Let me continue, commissioner. Circ.u.mstances, as you have studied them, point to David Callard as the murderer. He would have had every reason to kill Ba.s.slett, for the secretary might have known something about him. But he had no reason to slay Dolver, a chance intruder."

"You have followed Cardona's reasoning, Cranston. But he brought up one point that you missed. There was another reason why Callard spared Dolver. He was restricting himself to the use of a single gun; the one he had stolen from Ralgood's. He fired all the bullets at Shurrick; hence he had none left for Dolver."

WESTON smiled as he completed this statement. He felt sure that he had scored one on Cranston. The Shadow's quiet reply, however, caused the commissioner's smile to fade.

"Ralgood and Ba.s.slett were both murdered by bullets from a single gun," reminded The Shadow. "Three shots for each victim. I believe the newspapers stated. Since Dolver, by his own testimony, came into the fray before the shots were fired, it seems that young Callard might have reserved some bullets for him, as you believe he did with Ba.s.slett."

"That's true," admitted Weston. "You've jumped ahead of Cardona. He missed that point, Cranston. I shall have to discuss it with him."

"He may have an answer, commissioner."

"What could that be?"

"The killer used a strange gun tonight. It was an antiquated weapon, one that he might consider less effective than his own. Moreover, it had only five chambers, whereas his previous gun had six. One less bullet might worry a killer who seems to rely upon a minimum of three."

"Good logic," laughed Weston. "Jumps ahead of Cardona, yet it brings us back to where we were."

"Not quite," remarked The Shadow. Weston looked puzzled.

"We have the matter of the rope," explained The Shadow, flicking his cigarette, in the fas.h.i.+on of Cranston. "We must find a reason for its presence."

"That is easy," a.s.sured Weston. "He brought the rope along to tie up James Shurrick."

"Then you believe that he did not intend to murder the old man?"

"I don't think he did, Cranston. He wanted the locket that he stole. He knew that revolver shots would be heard. He probably intended to overpower Shurrick. Remember, Cranston: Dolver said that young Callard was wearing a mask. He did not expect Shurrick to recognize him. Gunfire was a risky process."

"And yet the murderer pumped five bullets into Shurrick -"

"Because he had to, Cranston. He had two men to deal with after Dolver intervened."

"Very well. He knew that gunfire was risky; he wanted to avoid it because it would hamper his get-away.

Yet he deliberately took out time to truss up Dolver."

"He had to do that since his revolver was empty. He had no more cartridges for that borrowed gun."

"He still had the revolver -"

"But how could he use it, I ask you? Without ammunition?"

"It would have served him as a bludgeon. It would have been quicker, easier, to batter Dolver's skull than to tie him up. Particularly, it would have been preferable, if we consider the first theory that Cardona presented. A theory with which you agreed, commissioner."

"You mean the theory that Callard was trying to cover his ident.i.ty?"

"Yes. Wherever Callard may be, he has known since this morning that the police were searching for him.

You issued such a statement to the newspapers. They mentioned that he had been a sailor."

WESTON pondered. He seemed to recall former discussions that he had held with Lamont Cranston, concerning certain crimes. His globe-trotting friend had a peculiar penchant for beginning a circle of facts, each statement bringing the discussion back toward the starting point.

"I'm beginning to be puzzled, Cranston," admitted the commissioner. Then, his face a trifle annoyed, he added: "Well, perhaps you can give an opinion on one point that we haven't settled. About that locket of Shurrick's."

"State the question," suggested The Shadow.

"Did Callard want the locket for its own value?" quizzed Weston. "Or did he take it because it was the only thing of value that he had time to steal? It's one thing or the other; either he knew the locket was a rare piece of jewelry or he took the one item that he saw."

"That question cannot as yet be answered."

"I didn't think it could be. I knew it would stump you, Cranston. I suppose you would have to see the locket to venture an answer, wouldn't you?"

"Not necessarily, commissioner. I would prefer to see something else that the murderer may have gainedfrom Shurrick."

"What else could he have taken with the locket?"

"Some object that the locket may have contained."

WESTON gaped. This time he had been presented with a possibility that he had not even considered.

The contents of the locket! Those who had seen the cameo ornament had remarked upon the fact that it was large and conspicuous.

"You see, commissioner," observed The Shadow, "there are many points at issue. Each factor leads to another. Theories conflict - theories that you have not yet considered deeply. Take the murderer himself as an example.

"One moment, you credit him with craft. The next, you imbue him with traits of extreme stupidity.

Because he steals a locket from the body of James Shurrick, you think that his motive is robbery; that he would have taken much of value had he possessed the time.

"Yet he had time to steal anything he wanted at Ralgood's; the place, however, was not rifled. Again, he murders ruthlessly; then spares a man's life tonight. He seeks to overpower a victim because shots will spread an alarm; he follows that by trussing up another man after the alarm has already been given.

"According to Dolver, this killer was too slow to get out of sight upon the fire tower, prior to his crime.

Yet when his get-away was limited to the minimum allowance, he tied up Dolver in rapid order and made an amazing getaway twelve stories down the fire tower before your police closed in upon him.

"I cite these facts, commissioner, to impress you with a point that you have not considered. You are dealing with these crimes from the wrong angle. You are accepting what appears to be the obvious. That is a mistake."

The level tones were impressive. Yet they made Weston boil. The commissioner came to his feet, his face red with anger. Then he delivered a challenging demand.

"I am going to ask you some direct questions, Cranston," barked Weston. "Will you answer them yes or no - with none of these twisting changes that lead nowhere?"

"Certainly," returned The Shadow, calmly. "Except in those cases where I can give no answer."

"All right. First of all, we have the goods on Dave Callard. He ducked Cardona and Markham at the dock. He lied to Mallikan about the s.h.i.+p that brought him here. Callard said he came in on the Zoroaster.

We know that he was aboard the Tamalpais. We know also that he intended to go to Ralgood's immediately upon his arrival. His letter from China, the one we found at Ralgood's, was proof of it."

WESTON paused; he had forgotten his questions temporarily. Since he was hearing no objections, he continued with his present subject.

"Dave Callard could have murdered both Ralgood and Ba.s.slett. He could have taken Ralgood's revolver. We know that the old gun was used to kill Shurrick. Dolver's description of the murderer tallies with that of Callard. We know also that Shurrick's locket was stolen; that Callard had the knowledge and ability to truss up Dolver as we found him."

Another pause. Weston remembered his questions. He put the first one: "Do you believe that Callard is still in New York?" "Yes."

"Do you believe that we shall eventually find him?"

"Yes."

Weston smiled. The definite answers seemed to please him. He started to ask a question; then checked himself. When he spoke, he did so carefully.

"I was going to ask your opinion about Callard as the murderer," said the commissioner, with a note of sarcasm. "But in your present mood, Cranston, you would probably start a roundabout argument by doubting Callard's guilt on the ground that the evidence against him is somewhat circ.u.mstantial.

"So to avoid such argument, I shall speak impersonally. We will refer merely to the murderer. You say these cases are complicated. Very well, do you think that one man murdered all three victims: Ralgood, Ba.s.slett and Shurrick?"

Weston paused, waiting impatiently for the answer. The Shadow spoke deliberately.

"Yes," he replied, his tone one of conviction. "I believe that a single murderer was responsible."

"And that he trussed up Dolver?" questioned the commissioner, quickly. "After he killed Shurrick?"

"Yes," returned The Shadow. "The murderer was responsible for Dolver's bonds as well as for the deaths."

"Do you believe he had accomplices to aid him?"

"No. He needed no accomplices."

"Very good," chuckled Weston. "Well, Cranston, we agree on some points at least. Particularly the last one. Without your advice" - there was a tinge of sarcasm in the commissioner's tone - "I have ordered the release of the witnesses. The clerk and the elevator man are going back on duty. I have stationed officers at the apartment house, to watch the screen of crime.

"Timothy Lattan and Courtney Dolver are back in their own apartments; of course I have placed men on the twelfth floor for tonight. Lattan intends to remain in the apartment house; Dolver is going out to his Long Island residence tomorrow. Meanwhile we shall continue our search for Dave Callard."

THE SHADOW was rising with Weston. Together, they walked from the grillroom, up to the lobby, where they shook hands at the door. It was then that The Shadow put a quiet statement; one that made the commissioner start.

"You did not ask me," observed The Shadow, "where crime is next due to strike."

"You mean," gasped Weston, "that Callard will be bold enough to come out of cover?"

"I do," replied The Shadow. "I also believe that a new murder may be attempted!"

"What is your basis for such a theory?"

"There may be more men at large who knew Milton Callard. Men who might prove to be important factors in the matter of his missing millions."

"You think that is the issue at stake?" "It is the issue!"

Weston spluttered. The thought of further tragedy appalled him. While the commissioner stood in his dumfoundment, The Shadow nodded good night and strolled leisurely toward a limousine that had pulled up from across the street. The waiting chauffeur had recognized the figure of Lamont Cranston.

"Home, Stanley," ordered The Shadow.

As the tail-light swung the near corner, Weston uttered a half contemptuous snort; then chewed his lips as he walked off in the opposite direction. Despite his bravado, the commissioner was troubled.

Not alone by the statements from the lips of his friend Lamont Cranston. After that had come a sound that had made the commissioner wonder. It had reached his ears as the whispered echo of a trailing laugh.

Another man might have believed himself the victim of delusion. Not so with Commissioner Ralph Weston. For he had vague recollections of having heard that laugh before. The laugh of The Shadow.