The Shadow Crook

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 601, 1 March 1929, Page 5

The Shadow Crook

I By

Aidan de Brune

(Author of “Dr Night.,** “The Carson Loan Mystery,** “The Dagger and the Cord,” etc.) ' CCOPYSIGHT.)

CHAPTER XXVII. The voice came from the door of the room. Mason sprang to his feet and swung round, startled. In the doorway lounged a tall figure dressed in an old brown overcoat and dark &rey hat, pulled low over the eyes. It was the Shadow Crook! “You?” Mason spoke viciously. “So, I’ve got you. too. The Shadow Crook at last! Put up you ...” His hand came up. to drop to his side. A slight motion by the master criminal had drawn attention to the small automatic he held in his hand, pressed to his side and covering the “I wouldn’t, Inspector. I really vould be more careful if I were you Impulsive actions are most danger°us. Seems I have a rival in the field.” The man moved slightly further into the room and glanced to where tfie Man in the Black Mask stood vithin the cupboard. A contemptuous smile came on his lips and his e -’ e s flashed back to watch the In- - BPector.

So, he can’t open the safe? Well, veil!’* The crook laughed, again. N ’ot much good in our trade, is he, inspector? Why, that sort is dead easy;*

Can you?” Mason was recovering 1118 poise. If he could get this man under his gun and drive him into the with the Man in the Black •uask. if he could force him to open t j Ba^e ‘ “You’ve got a good line of ***+ but what about a little action?” Can you open that safe?” Cnder you gun. Inspector?” the adow Crook appeared to enjoy the Jote. »n oj thank you. I’ve too much ® B Pect for your undoubted abilities, ere are other ways, y’know.” 163?”

Drop that gun!” Mason shrugged his shoulders. He ouid go out with the gun in his nd. if he must; not a blinded h a captive of this crook. His oniv\ Was wor king at top speed. If tenr he could distract this man’s atu tlon * rom him for a single second. mu * Urned a high shoulder to the riink cldm ißal, glancing toward the With an exclamation, he rtSP* forward, peering into the Bla * n terior. The Man in the ck Mask had disappeared. r h*> sudden exclamation startled hi* Shadow Crook. For a moment ®yes wandered to the interior of

the cupboard, for a iracuou ui a, second his automatic wavered from the direct line to the Inspector s heart. Immediately Mason sprang to one side, followed by a wild shot trom the crook's gun. He turned, with an ugly snarl, to look into the vicious, black circle of the Inspector’s automatic. “I score at last, Mr. Shadow Crook!” Mason’s voice was full of triumph. “Drop that gun! Quick, I say. For some minutes the men stood, gazing into each other’s eyes. Masons breast was swelling with triumph. He had the Shadow Crook under Ins gun and no power on earth could release him' He had the secret of the hidden safe. Soon he wolud have that safe

opened and the missing jewels in his hands. With the Shadow Crook in custody : he could finalise the remaining points in the complex mystery. 1-Ie would force the man to tell all he knew. He had ways and methods that would break down the walls of silence the master criminal might erect. The solitude, the ring of trained officials, the repealed well-thought-out questions would sooner or later wring from him something in the form of a confession. The jewels and the Shadow Crook! All he wanted now to complete the tally was Abel Mintos and the murderer of Stacey Carr. The Jew could not evade recapture. With him in custody and facing a long term of imprisonment for the frauds he had practised over years he held much to make the man communicative. Mintos would talk. The Shadow Crook should be compelled to talk. Between the two men the truth could no longer be concealed. But, during the past few days a new character had crept Into the problem —the Man in the Black Mask. Who was he and what did he want? He had discovered the safe, but had been unable to open it. Had the safe baffled him, or had he been fooling the Inspector? Mason watched his new captive with wary eyes. The Shadow Crook was full of guile. Unless he acted quickly, giving the man but little time for thought, he might be up against some trick difficult to counter. He knew he should take immediate steps to obtain assistance; his first thought should be to disarm the crook and place him in a cell, hut . . . He wanted those jewels! Ho wanted to walk up to Police Headquarters with the Shadow Crook and the jewels. He wanted to show those 111 high authority that lone-handed, he was a match for the master-criminal who had for so long defied him. He wanted to show the men of five years ago that it was not wise to take things at face value. That they had sent an innocent man to gaol because they had not possessed the vision to look at a problem from all angles. They had laughed at his theories —his belief in the innocence of Stacey Carr. How they should understand, and believe ! First, the jewels! His hand, holding the Shadow Crook under the automatic, steadied and stiffened. “There’s the cupboard, friend,” Mason made a slight motion with his head. “Show me you can open that safe. Now then, get to it..” For a moment the Shadow Crook hesitated. His eyes wandered from the Inspector's face to the door of the little safe. A slight smile came into his eyes and he stepped to the door of the cupboard. “Right in, please!” The Inspector harked the words. He had not thought to overcome the man so easily. Obediently the Shadow Crook stepped into the cupboard and bent to the door of the safe. For some minutes the long fingers, clad in skin coloured gloves, touched the little dial, delicately, swinging it backwards

and forwards. The head of the crook bent to the safe, the whole figure merged in the two senses of hearing and touch. “Well?” Mason spoke impatiently as the Shadow Crook straightened himself. “If I open this?” The man’s voice held no note of defeat. “What then?” “Nothing! Not a damned thing!” The Inspector’s voice rasped loudly. “You’re going to have the pleasure of one legitimate job of safe-opening before you go to gaol. I want to see if you’re as clever at your damned work as they tell me. Get that?” “And if I refuse?” “Then I’ll take you at once to headquarters, your curiosity regarding that safe and the jewels in it, unsatisfied.” The detective laughed. Somehow he rather liked this man who faced him, undaunted, at the end

of a successful career of crime. “That’ll hurt, I guess.” “I'll hear there.” The Shadow Crook shrugged his shoulders and moved toward the door of the room. “Coming, Inspector?” Mason sprang forward, fury in his eyes, a menace in his hoarse voice. “Get hack.” The steady gun halted the man. “Get into that, cupboard and open that safe.” “And if I don’t will you shoot?” For the moment the crook waited, then turned to the cupboard and entered. “Oh, hell! What’s the good of butting you phiz-gigs. Suppose I’d better open it.” Again he bent to the little dial, listening intently. Mason moved slightly and the crook swung round, angrily. “How the hell’s a man going to work with you making all that noise. If you want this safe opened, keep quiet. Oh, I’d better shut this door.” With a sudden move he kicked the Inspector’s penknife from the floor and sprang back into the cupboard, pulling the door closed behind him. Mason sprang forward with a cry of rage. He slung himself sidew'ays as a bullet bored through the door, past his head. Instinctively his finger tightened and his gun answered the challenge. “Stop that, Mason.” The Shadow Crook spoke from within the cupboard. “You didn’t know I carried another gun.” “You fool!” Mason sprang to the door between the room and the shop, -watching the two doors of the cupboard. “You can’t escape. The door into the shop’s fastened.” “Good enough!” The light lilting laugh of the master criminal rang I through the shop. “Then, for the time I it’s a stalemate. Now we’ll both think ( about it. Any ideas, old man?” It was a stalemate, as the Shadow Crook said. Mason dared not go to the doors of the cupboard he dared not leave his position between the shop and the workroom. He could only wait and watch. Yet. the Shadow Crook was safely imprisoned. There was no possible hope of him getting from the cupboard to the door of the shop. Mason silently vowed that at the first sign of an attempt to escape he would shoot. He dared not allow the man to get away. Time was on his side. He glanced down at his wrist-watch. It was not after ten o’clock. A little more than an hour and a-half and Swartz would come down to the shop to relieve him, if the lights in the place did not attract the attention of the patrolman first. He would send for help. With a number of men thronging the place the crook’s position would be hopeless. The time passed slowly. Mason stood leaning against the lintel of the door, watching the doors of the cupboard. He longed for the patrolman to come down the lane; the action was wearisome. A slight sound at the shop-door drew his attention. He looked round to see Norma Etheringham standing on the doorstep. She knocked on the glass, then as the Inspector did not move,

turned the handle and pushed open th» door. Mrs. Etheringham!” Mason spoke sharply. “For God’s sake, be careful' The Shadow Crook’s here!” “Where?” Norma looked round the room, fearfully. “In the double-doored cupboard.” The Inspector gave a quick glance toward the doors. “Come over here to me.. Quick! He can’t shoot toward here, and I’ll get him if he comes Out of the cupboard. So! That’s right. What did you come here for?” “I tried to get in touch with you this evening. Inspector.” The girl spoke hesitatingly. “You were not at headquarters when I telephoned and ... and I was afraid to wait longer.” “To wait longer?” A second and the Inspector’s face cleared. “Oh, I understand. You had discovered a clue to the secret safe.” “Yes.” The girl lowered her voice, glancing fearfully toward the cupboard. “Can he hear us?” “What if he does?” Mason laughed quietly. “He’s bottled up in the cupboard —and the safe's there. I drove ; him in there to open it.” I “You found the safe and set the

Shadow' Crook to open it.” The girl j gasped in surprise. “Why did you do that?” “Thought I had him safe.” Mason’s j laugh held a vein of ruefulness i “There's been happenings here, tonight. I came down to watch and another crook entered the shop and discovered the safe. While I was: attending to him the Shadow Crook held me up and the first man escaped. Then I managed to get the upper hand of the Shadow Crook and drove him into the cupboard to open the safe. I was too dam. . . beg pardon, clever. ! But he can't get away, if I can’t get I him. Now', Mrs. Etheringham what I did you come here for?” “I found the clue to the safe in | dad’s letter and tried to get to you over the telephone, but you were away from your office. I became fearful , for the safety of the jewels and deter- ] mined to come here and get them.” j “Then you know of the sliding j panel concealing the safe?” “Yes. It lies in the second shelf I from the bottom of the cupboard.” “Now, how did the Man in the Black Mask know that?” The

J detective frowned thoughtfully. “By j jove, I've got it. The Man id the | Black Mask was Sydney Warton.” I “Sydney Warton? But .. . but .. .” j “That's it.” The Inspector spoke j excitedly. "Sydney Warton found j the hidden safe but could not discover the combination to release the lock, j Looks as if he’s not known of the , safe for long. Anyway, when he escaped from Wilbraharrs he waited another opportunity to .ave another go at the thing. “Yes, that’s right!” | “And the Shadow Crook?” (To be continued.)