TWINS OF CRIME ............................................................................................................................................1

Maxwell Grant.........................................................................................................................................1

CHAPTER I. BRAIN OF CRIME ...........................................................................................................1

CHAPTER II. THE BROTHERS MEET................................................................................................6

CHAPTER III. MAN OF MURDER .....................................................................................................10

CHAPTER IV. MEN OF MURDER .....................................................................................................14

CHAPTER V. CRIME'S OTHER HALF ..............................................................................................18

CHAPTER VI. THE WAYS OF THE SHADOW ...............................................................................21

CHAPTER VII. A QUESTION OF ALIBI...........................................................................................24

CHAPTER VIII. MOVES BY NIGHT.................................................................................................29

CHAPTER IX. PAYMENT FOR SERVICE........................................................................................33

CHAPTER X. THE DOUBLE VANISH..............................................................................................37

CHAPTER XI. A QUESTION OF MURDER ......................................................................................41

CHAPTER XII. THE DEADLOCK ......................................................................................................44

CHAPTER XIII. THE SHADOW'S CHOICE......................................................................................49

CHAPTER XIV. CRIME TURNED ABOUT .......................................................................................54

CHAPTER XV. MASKED FLIGHT....................................................................................................58

CHAPTER XVI. THE GAME THAT FAILED ....................................................................................61

CHAPTER XVII. A BROTHER'S VERDICT......................................................................................64

CHAPTER XVIII. LIFE OR DEATH ...................................................................................................67

CHAPTER XIX. MURDERER'S CHANCE .........................................................................................70

CHAPTER XX. THE DEATH THRUST ..............................................................................................74

CHAPTER XXI. CRIME'S CONSEQUENCE.....................................................................................79

FROM the window of his cab, Carlo Sarratin studied the rainpelted street with a gaze as gloomy as the day

itself. At moments his face took on a touch of worry, the kind that a rat would show. For Carlo, with his

When those fits of worry seized him, Carlo turned to his fellow passenger, Leon Grath, and, therewith, his

Carlo Sarratin had confidence in Leon Grath, and with good reason. Of all men in New York, Leon was most

For Leon Grath was recognized as a brain of crime. Those whose side he took, as he had taken Carlo's, could

expect results for a price, of course, but it was usually worth it. Particularly in Carlo's case, because, for a

mere pittance of a thousand dollars, Leon was arranging Carlo's departure from New York, despite the

There was much of the aristocrat, even more of the thinker, in the features of Leon Grath. His tapering face

was dominated by a highbridged nose; beneath were lips that wore a constant down turn, even when they

smiled. It was difficult to tell when Leon was smiling or, for that matter, why he smiled.

Similarly, his eyes were creatures of his choice. They could harden like steel, or go soft with sympathy,

though, when they did the latter, it was often possible to trace a touch of their usual glint.

Leon's entire countenance was dominated by a wide forehead, which gave the impression that it bulged with

brains. His smooth black hair, slicked back from that same forehead, added something of the debonair to his

odd, but definitely handsome visage. When he spoke the effect was curious, for Leon's voice carried silky

"You were new to things in New York, Carlo," spoke Leon in his patronizing way. "You were clever enough,

opening the Club Elite as a front for a gambling house. You should have foreseen, however, that it would

"Quite," agreed Leon, "considering you bought protection from a brace of gentlemen termed 'sharpshooters,'

who would certainly furnish you with personal samples of their marksmanship, if they caught up with you."

Before Leon had finished, Carlo was crouching deeper in the taxicab, as though it were a rat hole and he the

rat. Carlo's fright produced one of Leon's downturned smiles. Looking from the cab window, Leon surveyed

"Nobody in sight," he declared. "That is, nobody like Crimp Gandley or Sheff Halbert. No need to worry,

The logic restored something of Carlo's composure. In his satin tone, Leon added:

"It is two o'clock, Carlo, and by four you will be in your cabin aboard the steamship Tropicola. At six you

will have dinner served there. By midnight the Tropicola will sail, and you will be in Havana in a few days,

A bigtoothed smile appeared between Carlo's rounded lips. It broadened as Leon added a final point.

"And now, Carlo," said Leon, "our task is to arrange the sale of the Club Elite. Let me see that letter again

Carlo produced the letter, and Leon studied it close to the cab window. Upon those evercurving lips

appeared a different sort of smile than any that Carlo had previously noted. It was a smile that Carlo couldn't

quite understand; it carried a scheming touch, but what lay behind it was the question. The smile worried

AS the cab pulled up beside an antiquated office building, Leon handed the letter back to Carlo. They

Stepping into a sumptuous but oldfashioned office, Carlo started to approach a girl who was seated at a

reception desk, drawing the letter from his pocket in order to introduce himself.

Leon moved ahead and pressed Carlo back. With a bow and a half smile, Leon said:

The girl smiled in return. Making a note on a card, she beckoned to an office boy, handed him the card, and

"Pardon me," interrupted Leon, "but there is a slight mistake. I am not Noel Grath. I am his brother, Leon

Carlo observed the stares that came from the receptionist and the office boy. When the correction had been

"They mistook you for your brother!" exclaimed Carlo. "Do you mean that you look that much like him?"

"Noel and I are twins," replied Leon. "We look alike, talk alike, act alike, and even think alike. Except"

Leon's smile was whimsical "except that we disagree on matters of ethics. Where Noel gives financial

advice to men of wealth and respectability, I favor chaps like you, Carlo; men who have money at times, but

The boy was returning, to announce that Twildon would see Leon. So Leon entered the private office and, as

They found old Twildon, stoopshouldered and grayhaired, looking up from behind a desk that was many

sizes too large for him. He had sharp little eyes, and they focused curiously on Leon. Then, with a chuckle,

"Ah, the other half of the Grath family!" greeted Twildon. "I've heard your brother Noel speak about you,

"No doubt," returned Leon in his satin tone. "Always something uncomplimentary, I presume."

"Then Noel's sarcasm must have eluded you," interposed Leon. "If Noel ever says anything nice about me,

"Noel complimented your cleverness," he stated. "He said your genius at finance was equal to his own, but

Leon gave a deprecating shrug, as though the statement, itself, proved his comments regarding his brother

Noel's caustic attitude. Then, taking Twildon's words as a reminder, Leon turned, gestured toward Carlo and

"I almost forgot, Mr. Twildon. Allow me to introduce Carlo Sarratin, who would like to complete some

THOSE beady eyes of Twildon's did not miss a trick. He recognized, both from Leon's words and manner,

that Sarratin must have some reason for not coming alone. Catching Twildon's gaze, Leon explained that

Carlo had asked him, as a patron of the Club Elite, if he knew Twildon, and that Leon, replying in the

He intimated, Leon did, that Carlo had reasons for wishing to travel incognito; that certain pressing matters

All the while, as clearly as if in undertone, Leon was practically stating that Carlo would be willing to

sacrifice his property, the Club Elite, at a price which would add another bargain to Twildon's huge

"You see, Mr. Twildon," completed Leon, "a good time is part of my philosophy of life, something which

poor Noel, stodgy and burdened with finance, cannot understand. Getting about as I do, I meet such chaps as

"Of course, Mr. Twildon, I should like to meet those men esteemed by Noel, such as yourself, and conduct

business in their behalf. It merely happens that I seldom have the opportunity."

Twildon's lips pursed in a smile. At present, Leon was conducting business in Twildon's behalf. He was

dropping Carlo's assets to the freezing mark, and Twildon, catching the theme, was quick enough to cover his

"Tell me, Mr. Sarratin," said Twildon. "How much do you want for the Club Elite?"

Solemnly, Twildon shook his head and kept shaking it when Carlo dropped to thirtyfive. Beginning to

understand, Carlo shot an ugly glare at Leon, who accepted it blandly; then, to stop Twildon's negative

headshakes, Carlo went down by rapid steps to thirty thousand. There, Twildon stroked his chin and looked

"I feel that twentyfive thousand is a fair offer," asserted Twildon. "What would you say, Mr. Grath?"

A smirk returned to Carlo's ratlike face, for this was Leon's cue to back the thirtythousand price. Indeed,

Leon gave a preamble that pleased Carlo immensely, as it brought up a point quite as important as price.

"Mr. Sarratin needs funds," began Leon. "If you are prepared to write out a check, which can be cashed

without delay" he paused until he saw Twildon nod "then I am sure that Mr. Sarratin would accept "

Stopping short, Leon looked to Carlo, who gave a nod in his turn, and an eager one. Without an instant's

Totally confounded, Carlo could not stop his nods. Leon turned and gestured toward Twildon's check book,

Gleefully, the old man wrote out a check for twentyfive thousand dollars, payable to Carlo Sarratin. Then,

with machinelike precision, Twildon was summoning secretaries and a notary, to draw up the papers that

CARLO still looked dazed when Leon guided him from the office. He didn't see the nod that Leon gave, back

in Twildon's direction. Instead of taking the elevator, Leon steered Carlo down the stairs. At the second floor,

"You doublecrosser!" he snarled at Leon. "You played in with Old Millionbucks and did me out of five

grand, maybe more! You knew I was helpless; that's why you did it! Look at this check "

Leon interrupted by brushing away the check that Carlo was flapping against his nose. Smoothly, he said:

Squinting at the check, Carlo kept muttering to himself until suddenly he exclaimed aloud:

"Of course!" expressed Leon. "I knew it would look like that, from the moment you showed me the signature

of Samuel Twildon on his letter. Look at that curlicue 'S,' and that fancy script 'T.' You can hardly tell them

apart. If you read the 'T' in twentyfive as 'S,' the 'w' that follows becomes 'ev' in small letters. What else

"They won't be," returned Leon, "if you cut off the tail from that blocky '2' and make it into a '7.' I'd

recommend a careful job, Carlo, with that sharppointed knife of yours. Just the easiest of touches. No deep

By then, the knife was out of Carlo's pocket. Stopped beside a window ledge, he was working on the check,

confining himself to the little line that formed the tail of the figure "2." He finished with a chuckle, and Leon,

"Quite good, Carlo!" said Leon. Then, reaching in his pocket, he produced a styptic pencil. "Moisten the tip

of this and apply. Good for scratches, you know, but he careful not to let it touch the ink."

Carlo smoothed the job with the styptic pencil, folded the check and put it in a thickly filled wallet. Before

"I've added fifty thousand to Twildon's payment," reminded Leon. "I think ten thousand, cash, would be

about right for the idea. I guess you begin to see why I pulled the sale down to twentyfive, don't you,

Carlo certainly saw. Without a word he made up ten thousand from his own cash and handed it to Leon, who

"Take that cab we left outside," said Leon. "Get to the bank, cash your check, and then hop over to the boat.

Standing on the stairs, Leon watched Carlo's departure. Then, his lips set in an inverted smile, Leon turned

As a master of finance, Leon Grath considered himself quite the equal of his twin brother, Noel. With this

difference: Leon's brain was crooked, whereas Noel's mind ran to the legitimate.

And in that brain of his, Leon was quite sure that, contrary to all the arguments of his twin, Noel, he, Leon

NOT until late that afternoon did Leon Grath leave old Twildon's office. When he left, Leon went arm in arm

All the way uptown Twildon kept repeating that he would pay fair commissions for Leon's style of work.

Any good buy in real estate that Leon could further to Twildon's advantage would be profitable to Leon, too.

Finishing his twentieth handshake with Twildon, Leon stopped off at his hotel, strolled through the lobby and

stopped at the desk to ask for the key to his room. The hotel was a sidestreet establishment that could hardly

be called fashionable, a reason why Leon liked it, because his offtrail friends were more at home in a place

Of course, there were often curious characters around the lobby, and they usually eyed Leon as they did

tonight. They were the sort who might be spotters, working for fellows like Crimp Gandley and Sheff

Halbert, which didn't bother Leon in the least. Such spies hadn't been trailing Leon today, and that was all

With Carlo Sarratin safe on the steamship Tropicola, Leon could give anyone the runaround just as long as

he wanted. He'd bought Carlo's ticket to Havana, Leon had, and now he was free to write his own ticket.

In his room, Leon ordered dinner sent up, and ate while attired in a lavish dressing gown. After the meal he

attired himself immaculately in a tuxedo, added a dressy blackandwhite scarf, an expensive topcoat and a

Thus equipped, Leon went out, took a cab and drove directly to an old brownstone house that stood on a side

street in a very respectable but oldfashioned neighborhood well south of Times Square.

Paying the cabby, Leon tipped him a dollar and suggested that he stay around as he would be needed later.

The cabby agreed to stay, and Leon went into the house, which happened to be his brother Noel's. One

advantage that Leon had over Noel: when he wanted a cab in this forgotten neighborhood, he usually

managed to have one available. The front door was open and Leon entered as though he had a half share in

the house, which was no longer the case, since he had long ago sold his interest in the family homestead to

But Noel, always the generous brother, had told Leon to treat the home as his own. It wasn't to Leon's credit

that he had not abused the privilege. His visits here were comparatively rare only because he had no love for

All that Leon wanted, this evening, was to play chess, and, much though he detested Noel, his twin was the

only chess player of Leon's acquaintance who could match his giant intellect at their favorite game. In the

lower hall, Leon saw the counterpart of his own hat, coat, and scarf, for Noel's tastes were identical with his

own. The twin on the silverheaded cane was standing in the corner, which produced another smile from

Instead of leaving his own attire downstairs, Leon wore them up to Noel's study, just so his brother could

NOEL was in the large, welldecorated study, seated at a chessboard working out a problem. Noting that

Noel was also wearing a tuxedo, Leon threw back his topcoat and strolled over. Noel heard him and looked

Their faces looked as if they were mirroring each other. For in every feature high nose, downcurved lips,

bulging forehead and slick black hair Noel Grath was the counterpart of his wayward twin, Leon.

Indeed, Noel reacted to Leon's display of duplicate attire exactly as Leon himself would have. There was no

true way of tracing whether Noel smiled, or why. Even when Leon doffed his coat and paraded the tuxedo

There was only one factor of difference between the twins, and it in a sense, was trivial. Noel was

phlegmatic, lacking Leon's gusto. Instead of rising from the chess table in the hailfellow fashion that Leon

Without a word, they set up the chessmen, Leon doing most of the work. In choice, Leon won the white, and

They were well into the play when Leon sacrificed a bishop for a knight, at which the down turn of Noel's

"My knights have been troubling you recently, Leon," remarked Noel. "I expected that you would soon

decide that an exchange of pieces regarded as equal would be to your advantage."

"I've applied it to more than chess," returned Leon. "I made a swap this afternoon one of my friends for one

The faces of the brothers showed an instant variance, not through any physical difference, but because their

expressions were motivated by opposing thoughts. Noel's eyes were the ones that showed the glint, while his

Noel's eyes still carried demand, so Leon smoothly gave the superficial details of Twildon's "trade" with

"A peculiar thing, Noel," replied Leon. "Carlo is very sharp, and very crooked. He noticed an odd thing in

If Leon had mentioned the letters in the other order, Noel might have had to think a few minutes for the

answer. As it was, Noel had it in a flash. He could visualize twentyfive changed to seventyfive, with a

"Easy, Noel," broke in Leon. "You are drifting into the vernacular. If you mean that Carlo raised the check

and cashed it, with a fiftythousanddollar profit well, that was Carlo's business, not mine."

"Was with Twildon. He gave me this." Leon brought a check from his pocket. "A tenpercent commission on

the sale, exactly twentyfive hundred dollars. Please observe, Noel, that this check has not been raised, nor

Noel forgot the chess game and leaned back in his armchair. His face showed anger, something that neither of

"Carlo must have handed you ten thousand, at least," came Noel's tone, lacking most of its velvet. "With

twentyfive hundred from Twildon to boot, you would naturally be satisfied. Particularly as Carlo's check

will show him to be a crook, while yours, untempered, will, by false logic, give you the sham of honesty. I

LEON wasn't ruffled in the least. He took the attitude that Noel was as shrewd as he, their methods of

application being the only difference. He sat back, watched Noel's anger fade, and took delight in watching

Noel soon struck home. He decided that Carlo must be leaving the country in order to be safe when the

Twildon swindle was detected. Analyzing further, Noel decided that Carlo was probably on the steamship

"You've guessed it, Noel," said Leon. "But you're not going to do anything about it. You know, quite well,

that Twildon can throw away fifty thousand like seeds from grapes! Whereas, if you expose Carlo's present

"They would," returned Leon. "Crimp Gandley and Sheff Halbert; either or both. They're taking turns casing

the office of the Club Elite. By 'casing,' I mean watching; pardon the slip, Noel.

"What's more, they have their strongarm crew parcel of ruffians, to you right handy to help them as

soon as they locate Carlo Sarratin. Suppose I call up the Club Elite, Noel, and see which of the unsavory

Leon leaned to reach for the telephone, and Noel promptly drew it closer to himself. But he didn't take it from

its hook, as he might have. Leon smiled, quite right in his conclusion that Noel wouldn't deliver Carlo into the

"You see, Noel?" queried Leon mockingly. "Crime does pay, when properly managed. It paid me, and it paid

Carlo. It would pay anyone who killed Carlo, considering that he has at least seventyfive thousand dollars,

cash, in his wallet. But he's perfectly safe in Stateroom D12 on the Tropicola, provided those chaps or their

"Of course, Noel, it is my status that really worries you. I think you would sacrifice Carlo, or others like him,

if it would end what you term my criminal career. But I'm covered perfectly, and you know it. Actually, I'm

making as much money as a brain of crime as you are by being a financial wizard who helps out old skinflints

The telephone bell interrupted. Noel answered, and his tone took on its kindliest note. Leon knew right away

that Mona Brenton was on the wire. She was Noel's fiancee, and though Leon had never met her, he had seen

her often, for Mona had a spirit of gaiety that Noel lacked and was wont to frequent the night clubs that he

"Yes, Mona" Noel's tone had an indulgence that made Leon sneer "I should like to go to the theater,

particularly since you have chosen the one play that I wish to see... Yes, it is the same trouble as before

"Get away from them for tonight?" Noel looked across the room at a desk cluttered with papers. "I might try,

Mona... A very good idea, and very helpful." Noel paused to glance at his watch. "If I can make it I shall

meet you right outside of your apartment house... Yes. Wait until eight thirty; no longer..."

"So, my fine brother" there was a sneer in Leon's glossed tone "you let a girl pick a play that you want to

see, and then suggest she wait around while you decide whether or not you will go. If you want my advice "

"I don't want it, Leon! You never take mine on questions of honesty. I can do without yours on other

"My advice is this," continued Leon serenely. "Meet Mona and take her to a night club instead of that show.

To a firstclass place, where you can dance with her, if you haven't forgotten how. Be somebody other than

Noel tightened his lips and gave an annoyed gesture to show that he could no longer think of chess. Leon put

on his hat and coat, adjusted the fancy scarf and gave the silverheaded cane a twirl. With a mock bow to his

brother Noel, the renegade of the Grath family stalked from the room and out of the house to where the cab

As he entered the cab, Leon smiled. A new idea had struck him, something that appealed to his conniving

mind. Chats with Noel always helped Leon, though he never admitted so to his hidebound brother. Tonight,

UP in the study, Noel, too, was showing a peculiar inspiration. Though Leon didn't know it, his brother Noel

tolerated the renegade's visits because they stirred his mental processes. Noel was willing to grant that he had

It was odd, indeed, that these men of extremes should mingle their minds without admitting it; yet not odd,

Instead of bothering with his papers, Noel was stepping across the floor much in the manner of a dancer. He

was limber, and it pleased him. He changed the dance step into the quick footwork that he remembered from

Noel's face took on a new expression that showed he was no longer surprised at finding himself so agile. His

smile was one of anticipation. He was picturing the things that he could accomplish by a return to a more

Leaving the study, Noel went downstairs, put on his coat, and adjusted his hat at a rakish tilt. He fixed his

Surveying himself in a mirror, Noel saw his brother Leon, and actually laughed as he thought of the

impression that he could make if he adopted a swaggering style for benefit of Mona Brenton. Too much of it

wouldn't do, as a first venture, at least not with Mona, though there were others who might appreciate a

There was one thing, however, that the world would have to remember, and with the thought, Noel sobered

his expression. He, Noel, was still the respectable half of the Grath combination; his brother Leon the evil

Returning upstairs to the study, Noel placed his cane in the corner and sat down at his desk, still wearing hat

LEON had given Noel an excellent picture of the Club Elite, the fancy spot that Carlo Sarratin had founded,

The Elite was still doing business on its downstairs floor, even though the gambling casino, one flight up,

was closed. In fact, the room above lacked everything in the way of gambling equipment. Only bare tables

Four men were seated about the place. One was Crimp Gandley, tall, sallow, with a sharppointed face and

hands that moved restlessly. A former faro dealer, Crimp had been a good hand with a pack of cards until he

had learned that he could handle a revolver quite as readily. Therewith, he had graduated.

Teaming with Sheff Halbert, a former lookout in a fancy gambling den, Crimp had gone into the business of

protective service. Their partnership had proven profitable and they had raised the rates until only strangers

like Carlo were foolish enough to buy. Crimp was voicing that very fact to his squad of strongarm men.

"Twenty grand is what Carlo owes us," Crimp was saying, "and why not? He thought he could bring business

into this joint. Our part was to see that the coppers stayed out. It was Carlo's fault the thing folded, so he

hadn't any right to rat. Just let him walk into that office" Crimp thumbed across the room "and he'll find

His stride carrying him in the direction of the office, Crimp halted to gesture at the door in question. It was at

the head of the stairway, an excellent location, since it enabled Carlo, when present, to flag any unwelcome

arrivals from the floor below. But Carlo was no longer occupying his office; in fact, it was supposed to be

Crimp Gandley was positive that he saw the door move. His hand went to his gun pocket, but before he could

draw his revolver, the illusion faded. The door hadn't moved; instead, blackness had simply edged away from

it, creating a curious optical effect. In turn, however, Crimp was confronted with another mystery.

Why had blackness faded from the door, to be engulfed by the thicker darkness within the empty office?

Abruptly, Crimp drew his gun and shouldered against the door. Being ajar, the door slammed inward, and

Crimp, snarling epithets meant for Carlo, began fumbling for the light switch, finally to find it.

By then Crimp's three followers were thronging the doorway, staring at their leader, whose sharp pointed face

was poking like a ferret's. Crimp stared suspiciously at a big metal desk and a filing cabinet in the corner

beyond it. Then, spying a closet door that was slightly open, Crimp strode over, wrenched it wide and aimed

Turning with a glower, Crimp surveyed his men, and their expressions didn't please him. Those huskies dealt

in real situations, not in imaginary bugaboos. It wouldn't help Crimp's stock to let them believe that he was

the victim of his own delusions. Nor was it the sort of thing that Crimp could readily laugh off.

Instead of mentioning that curious fading of blackness from the threshold, something that he was sure the

"You can't take no chances," he argued. "Leaving a door open, the way we have, a guy might do a sneak into

Crimp paused. His words weren't convincing his listeners. They didn't credit Carlo Sarratin with nerve

"A guy like Carlo," repeated Crimp. "He couldn't pull anything smart like that. But you take Leon Grath; he's

The statement carried conviction. Crimp's men knew, well enough, that Leon had served as Carlo's adviser

during the past few days. If there was anything in the office that Carlo wanted, he would be smart, sending

Still, the office was empty; so, obviously, even Leon had not entered. Nevertheless, Crimp's precautions were

A VERY timely interruption saved Crimp the trouble of adding further arguments. It was the telephone bell

that interrupted, and Crimp gestured for strict silence while he answered. After all, he was still supposed to be

in Carlo's employ, so his presence in the office of the Club Elite was quite justified.

After a few opening words, Crimp lowered his tone in confidential style, which made it difficult for the

others to catch the gist of his conversation. The chat ended, Crimp turned to them and spoke his piece.

"It was Sheff Halbert," he announced. "He's leaving it to me to get a line on Carlo. Sheff's got his own

assignment for tonight; he's making the rounds of the night spots. He'll be stopping at the Skyview Roof

"I'm telling you this because maybe it will be our job to remember that Sheff was with us around nine o'clock.

Get it? You know how Sheff is on those things" Crimp's sallow features showed a shrewd gleam "he

From Crimp's comment it sounded as though Shed had deviated from the simple pastime of searching for

Carlo, and might even be planning a firstclass stickup at the swanky Skyview Roof Garden. However,

considering that Sheff, like Crimp, was anxious to settle matters with Carlo, Sheff's present excursion could

hardly be as serious as the quest that he had abandoned. At least, Sheff's trip to the Skyview Roof might

The group was leaving the office when the telephone rang again. Crimp answered it as though he expected a

call back from Sheff. Instead, he heard a different voice, one that he wasn't sure he recognized. Then Crimp

"You're talking about Carlo, huh?" queried Crimp abruptly. "So you're telling me where he is... Yeah? What

makes you think I don't know? Or that I want to know? Carlo's a good pal of mine...

"Cabin D12... On the steamship Tropicola " Crimp was making a notation on a slip of paper "So that's

where Carlo is, and you say you ought to know... I get it. You're one of the stewards... Took a trimming up at

Further conversation was interrupted by a sharp clack from the receiver at the other end. Thrusting his

"Maybe the guy was faking who he is," spoke Crimp, "but that don't change what he knows. We've got

nothing to lose by a quick trip down to the pier. All I hope is that Carlo has got the twenty grand he owes us!"

The group went from the office, and so sure was Crimp that the tipoff was correct that he didn't bother to

leave a man behind. Nor did he consider it necessary to turn out the office lights, hence, the thing that

A cloaked figure stepped from behind the closet door a shape clad entirely in black, with a slouch hat

THE tall figure did not come from within the closet. Instead, The Shadow emerged from a space between the

filing cabinet and the wall, actually pushing the closet door shut, not open, in order to come forth.

It was The Shadow who had glided into Carlo's office almost under Crimp's gaze. He had moved into a

temporary hiding place while Crimp was turning on the lights. Crimp's glance, sharp though it was, had

passed The Shadow by. Then Crimp, in his eagerness to search the closet, had whipped open the door so

suddenly and so wide that the crook himself had turned The Shadow's temporary refuge into a perfect place

Coming right in front of the blackened corner where The Shadow had merged, the door enabled the cloaked

investigator to bide his time and learn the opinions of Crimp Gandley, as well as the purport of the two phone

Out of concealment, The Shadow took time to make a call of his own to Burbank, his contact man. The

Shadow told Burbank to order competent agents to the Skyview Roof, there to keep watch for Crimp's

Then, as though time held little importance, The Shadow glided from the office, down the stairs and out to

the street, where he blended with suitable darkness. There, The Shadow twinkled a tiny flashlight that gave a

From then on there was speed in plenty. A cab whipped from across the street; its door swung open and went

shut again as the cab slackened speed. In that trice The Shadow was within the cab, giving orders to its driver,

Like a creature unleashed, the cab began its race to the pier where the Tropicola lay docked; a race that could

With The Shadow picking the route, and Moe, the speediest hackie in New York and a secret agent of The

Shadow at the wheel, the start gained by Crimp and Co. was trivial. They had to worry about attracting

attention on the way; an argument with a traffic cop would be untimely for men bound upon a mission of

But The Shadow didn't care if he carried half the police in Manhattan along his trail. They would simply be

As it happened, no police spotted the speeding cab. Pulling up at the North River pier, The Shadow found it

practically deserted. He slipped through a gate unnoticed, reached the gangway and glided along it like a trail

of stray smoke that some freakish breeze might have wafted down from one of the Tropicola's funnels.

As suddenly as he had materialized, The Shadow evaporated into a side passage. The door of D12 was

opening; a man peered out to glance both ways along the passage. The man wasn't Carlo Sarratin, whose face

The Shadow knew quite well. His was another face, that The Shadow recognized upon sight.

It was logical, Leon being here. He was Carlo's friend, the clever chap who had framed the Havana trip that

was taking Sarratin to permanent safety. Having made a visit to assure himself that Carlo was securely tucked

away, Leon was leaving, to take his own chances upon meeting such troublesome questioners as Crimp

Leon was in style tonight, with his rakish derby, fancy muffler, and silverheaded cane swung jauntily from

one arm. His eyes had their shrewd glint; his lips were turned down in the usual manner as he saw that no one

was in sight. Closing the door of Carlo's cabin, Leon turned toward a companionway leading up on deck.

Instantly, The Shadow moved from darkness. Reaching the door of D12, he turned the knob and found it

unlatched. Silently, The Shadow entered; seeing light ahead, be drew an automatic simply as a warning for

Carlo to preserve silence, should he view the cloaked intruder who was coming into his cabin. In cases like

This was an exception to the rule. The Shadow's .45 was quite unneeded. Carlo Sarratin did not see the

For Carlo's eyes were very glassy, and they were looking up from the floor, bulging out of a face that was

THOUGH The Shadow had traveled ahead of murder, it had arrived before him. Here, in the very cabin

where Crimp Gandley and accompanying assassins intended to deliver death, The Shadow was viewing the

As to the matter of guilt, it pointed plainly to Leon Grath, the one man who, according to normal logic, would

But The Shadow had long since learned that normal logic could not be applied in the case of Leon Grath.

Leon, in his crooked way, was a genius equal to his honest brother, Noel, whose standing was also known to

True, the evidence against Leon was purely circumstantial. The Shadow had seen him step from a room

which contained a dead man; and, if innocent, Leon might have left Carlo's cabin in exactly the same fashion.

The law would find it difficult to prove this crime against Leon, even if traces of his visit, such as

fingerprints, were found in the cabin. For Leon could freely admit having been in Carlo's cabin, claiming that

The Shadow, however, had facts at his disposal which would dispute Leon's claim of innocence.

It happened that The Shadow could account for the whereabouts of the two men who wanted to kill Carlo.

One, Crimp Gandley, was on his way here; the other, Sheff Halbert, was in the vicinity of the Skyview Roof

He couldn't prove that Sheff was at the Skyview Roof. It might be that Sheff had murdered Carlo, called

Crimp and given him a phony story. Then, with another call, Sheff could have lured Crimp here to take the

blame for Carlo's death. But The Shadow was unwilling to accept such a theory, even when he built it

Sheff had worked too long with Crimp to doublecross his partner. Besides, if Crimp had needed a tipoff to

reveal where Carlo was, the chances were that Sheff would have required the same. The call from a supposed

steward could readily have been made by Leon, to bring Crimp here. If Sheff had been at the Club Elite, Leon

There was one factor that pointed squarely to Leon as Carlo's killer. Knowing himself hunted, Carlo would

have admitted only a friend like Leon into the cabin. Moreover, the manner of Carlo's death could not be

The dead man was sprawled near a chair in front of a small desk, and there were letters lying in sight, some

scattered on the floor beside the body. Behind Carlo's ear was a great gash, inflicted by a blunt instrument,

possibly the butt end of a revolver. Only a friend like Leon, fully trusted by Carlo, could have stood behind

the victim to smash that death blow home. The Shadow could perfectly picture Carlo, stooped at the desk,

chatting affably to Leon, suspecting no ill, while the murderer was poising his gun for the telling stroke.

A low laugh came from The Shadow's lips. A strange laugh, so repressed in its whisper that it might have

come from anywhere. Even from the lips of Carlo Sarratin, fixed in their death leer. Indeed, those lips could

well have laughed. Though silent, they had spoken to The Shadow, as if certifying his accusation of Leon.

There was just enough of affability, yet, withal, a touch of puzzlement in Carlo's death grin, almost to speak

the name of Leon Grath. As for The Shadow, he had found a perfect loophole in this situation; one involving

Whatever Crimp's catalogue of past misdeeds, it was certain that he hadn't murdered Carlo, and therefore had

no present quarrel with The Shadow. Here was an excellent chance to use Crimp toward trapping the real

With such a plan in mind, The Shadow arose from beside Carlo's body. Remembering Crimp's way with

doors, The Shadow took a stance in the corner of the cabin, just within the door itself.

AT the end of a few minutes The Shadow heard a stir outside the closed door. The knob turned slowly; then,

true to style, it came open with a hard slap and Crimp lunged through, a drawn revolver in his fist.

The Shadow did not see Crimp until he had passed, for the door was boxing in The Shadow in a narrow

space. Crimp had shoved it so hard that it would have rebounded shut but for the fact that three other men

They stopped, staring at Carlo's body. Crimp looked at the others and his sallow face twitched restlessly.

Stooping, he began to go through the dead man's pockets. Looking up, he gave a sudden snarl and voiced

On the spot personally, Crimp would certainly have accused Sheff of a double cross had he believed it

"Leon Grath!" was Crimp's indictment. "He's the only guy could have done it! Leon took the dough that was

owing me and Sheff, and whatever more Carlo had on him. I don't blame him for that; but trying to hang the

Crimp was swinging toward the door as though he expected to find Leon, but he hadn't started to raise his

gun, when he froze. The others were riveted, too, by the whispered laugh that stirred the room. Its taunt was

Within the doorway stood the master in black, facing the light so that his eyes reflected a burning glow. His

gaze seemed fixed upon each man, yet all knew that it included the sprawled form upon the floor.

The Shadow's mirth carried accusation that nullified all other. From his cloak a projecting fist displayed a

heavy automatic, and its muzzle also carried the illusory effect of being directed at each man who viewed it.

Seemingly, The Shadow was holding each individual responsible for Carlo's death, while laughing off all

theories to the contrary. Hence, of all who faced The Shadow's vengeful wrath, Crimp, the man who had just

As leader of the murder crew and a known enemy of Carlo Sarratin, it behooved Crimp Gandley to talk fast

"I... I didn't croak Carlo!" chattered Crimp. "Give us a break Shadow! We only wanted dough... the dough he

The Shadow inserted a timely laugh. Its shivery whisper woke Crimp to the fact that he had named a partner

in crime: Sheff Halbert. Probably The Shadow knew that Crimp and Sheff worked together, but he had forced

the fact from Crimp's own lips. This was the style wherewith The Shadow broke down the morale of his

It was policy to make Crimp whimper; to reduce him to a state where he would listen to The Shadow's terms.

Given the word, Crimp would kill Leon on sight, but The Shadow's justice would not allow the licensing of

one murderer to oppose another. There were better ways of using Crimp to advantage, and The Shadow

THE SHADOW shifted in from the doorway, thrusting his gun ahead of him, and the move cowed Crimp's

men completely. So completely that not even a gulp came from them. Indeed, the cabin was so silent that

even the slight swash of the river tide could be heard through the thick hull of the Tropicola.

Faint, that sound was not enough to drown another that The Shadow would not have heard had the trapped

The sound came from the passage outside the cabin a creep, as deadly in its approach as the rattle of a

venomous snake. It was so close that The Shadow could tell that whoever caused it was at a very short angle

Without an instant's hesitation; The Shadow turned his forward pace into a rapid whirl. Full about, he was

flinging himself through the doorway into the passage with a twist that carried him away from the stalking

As The Shadow moved, a gun stabbed hard, slicing in past the edge of the doorway, its bullet knifing through

the folds of The Shadow's flowing cloak. So close was the stab that the gun flame seemed to issue from The

In his wheel, The Shadow saw the face of Leon Grath. Carlo's killer had returned. On the way out he had

spied Crimp and the others arriving. The craft for which Leon was noted had again asserted itself. The

murderer had come back to corner the men that he had lured to the scene of death and sound an alarm that

At heart a crook and by profession the same, Leon could never have resisted the chance to finish The

Shadow. Indeed, the scene was ripe for such a kill. It would just add one more death to the shoulders of

Crimp Gandley. As an added benefit to Leon's cause, The Shadow's death would mean the elimination of the

Having sensed all that the moment he whirled, The Shadow had given himself the impetus needed to get clear

of the fatal shot. But The Shadow wasn't clear of trouble. Crimp and the others in the cabin were totally

Behind Crimp, they came lunging from the cabin, their guns raised as The Shadow swung back their way.

Whatever the reputed skill of Leon Grath, the murderer wasn't staying to give further battle. Bounding away,

he fired one wild shot, hoping to disturb The Shadow's aim; then went for the companionway.

Before The Shadow could shoot after him, Crimp and his foolhardy followers were springing upon the fighter

in black. The Shadow was slashing hard with his automatic, warding off aiming guns. Shots sounded, the

slugs wide and upward. With a wrench The Shadow was clear, but he had to take the opposite direction.

His foemen were piling after him, still shooting, when he reached the deck. The Shadow looked for Leon but

saw no sign of him. Members of the ship's crew were present, however, and they had guns, for they had heard

Diving away from a misguided flurry of bullets, The Shadow reached the shelter of a ventilator, where bullets

clanged the metal work. Then, to a man, the ship's crew swung to meet the attack of snarling foemen who

surged up from below. Crimp and his men were killers all when a gun fray loomed.

Knowing it, The Shadow inserted timely shots. Those punches were the ones that counted. The first clipped

Crimp and staggered him. The next sent a wounded crook down the hatchway. The others, at the rear, were

slower with their guns, particularly as they had to sidestep two falling forms. The crew came through in

rapid style and felled that pair before they could fire. But the battle wasn't over.

Wounded, Crimp Gandley was ferocious to the last. He brought his gun up and the seamen had to riddle him

in selfdefense. The Shadow had done his best to force Crimp's crowd to a quick submission, but they

wouldn't have it that way. They could think only in terms of slaughter, and since The Shadow had prevented

DELAYED by the fray, and with seamen between him and the gangway, The Shadow had to take a

roundabout course to leave the Tropicola. By then a man in topcoat and derby hat was rushing down the

Aroused watchmen saw him and yelled after him, but he didn't stop. Only The Shadow, nearing the rail,

He spied the features of Leon Grath, angry yet leering in their curious way. Then the conniver was gone

Men on the pier took up the chase but lost it. Coming down the deserted gangway, The Shadow headed for

Moe's cab. He saw no sign of Leon on the way. The killer de luxe had reached a car and was gone. Even Moe

Shouting had replaced shooting on the Tropicola. The whole pier was in commotion as word of Carlo's death

was passed along, for members of the steamer's crew had found the murdered man in his cabin.

The Shadow did not wait for the excitement to surge along the water front. He gave the word to Moe, and the

cabby responded by whizzing away and picking the first side street that offered quick departure from the

From the rear of the cab came grim laugh. It was not so much a regret of the past as an anticipation of the

future. Crime had been done and its results could not be changed. The Shadow was thinking in terms of crime

NOEL GRATH was in one of his rare moods a mood so rare that it completely overwhelmed Miss Mona

Brenton. Indeed, Mona was delighted by the turn of events; so delighted that she had given up an idea that

she had long been nourishing that of returning the ring that Noel had given her and calling off the

Waiting outside her apartment, Mona had not expected Noel to arrive, but he had appeared at the last moment

in a cab and she had joined him. Then Noel had really surprised her. Instead of telling the cabby to take them

to the theater to see the play that interested him, not Mona, Noel had suggested a night club.

Before she recovered from the shock, Mona was sipping a cocktail and staring in admiration, while Noel

looked around the place and gave it a disapproving shrug. It didn't suit him at all. He preferred somewhere

So Noel left the table and phoned for a reservation at the Skyview for nine o'clock, just before the beginning

It was nearly nine o'clock, at present, and Noel was helping Mona into her fur wrap. She looked over her

shoulder and smiled at the jaunty way he wore his muffler. The rakish tilt he gave his hat, the flip he supplied

to his cane, were other features that pleased Mona. When Mona was pleased she looked it, for her smiles

"What's come over you, Noel?" she asked as they went out to their cab. "Why, you haven't been like this for

"Careful, Mona," chuckled Noel, "or you will be saying something you may regret."

"There's nothing I can ever regret," returned Mona, snuggling her arm under Noel's as they sat in the cab.

Politely, Noel proffered Mona a cigarette and a light from a fancy lighter. Then, with his lips registering a

Mona's forehead furrowed under the blond hair that topped it. Her blue eyes met Noel's steady gaze. Her lips

"Not exactly," said Noel with a headshake. "I still held some hope for him, Mona. But tonight he came to see

"I'd rather not discuss that part of it, Mona." Noel's tone was serious, too. "But he told me something else. He

said that he was really enjoying life, whereas I was getting stodgier all the while. It was his way of claiming

Mona's eyes took on a faraway gaze. She had often heard Noel mention his brother Leon and how their

ways had parted. She had wondered, sometimes, upon this very point. Always she had sided with Noel's

views, but she could not doubt that he had missed something in life that Leon had found.

At last, Noel was seeing it that way, too, but Mona was sympathetic enough to feel that he was burying his

"Never mind Leon," returned Noel. "You are the one who matters, Mona. I want to live so you can live, too."

"I hope so," replied Noel seriously. "I suppose I shall lapse back into my stodgy ways upon occasion, Will

The cab swung up to the Skyview Roof building. Mona smiled, sadly but sympathetically, as she watched

Noel straighten his derby hat, arrange his muffler more conservatively, and reach reluctantly for his

silverheaded cane. He was becoming the old Noel, stiff and stodgy, as his brother Leon branded him.

Still, Mona could understand it. Noel probably expected to meet people he knew at the Skyview Roof, and

they would wonder enough at seeing him there. At least he would have to preserve some semblance of his

So they alighted, Noel quite stiffly. His manner was formal, too, as he turned to help Mona from the cab. He

paid the driver quite carefully, counting the change in the same manner. In a rather selfimportant style he

THE Skyview Roof Garden was forty stories up, and at night two elevators were running. By day there were

many more, because then they served the offices that were on the intervening floors. The lobby was very

large, and in the evening there were always some people lounging about, waiting to meet others.

Tonight among those persons were two secret agents of The Shadow: Harry Vincent and Clyde Burke. But

they weren't watching for Noel Grath and Mona Brenton. The Shadow's aids were on the lookout for Sheff

Halbert and the type of men who would accompany him. So far they had not seen Sheff.

It happened that Sheff was around the corner from the elevators, talking with two men who stood beside him.

Of the three, Sheff was the only one who looked respectable. He was tall, stoopshouldered, and handsome

Seen closely, Sheff looked ugly, because his eyes had a mean shift and his nose was overlarge, like his thick

lips. At a distance, however, his eyes were not too noticeable, and his other features looked properly

Tonight, as Sheff put it, he was keeping his mug out of sight, because he saw too many people in the lobby.

As for the men with him, Sheff had met them outside the Skyview Roof building and had practically sneaked

them indoors. He didn't want them to be seen. However, they nearly shoved themselves into sight when Noel

"Pipe that, Sheff!" exclaimed one. "There's Leon Grath, lugging a swell dame with him!"

"Pipe down, Marty!" retorted Sheff. "That isn't Leon. It's his ritzy brother, Noel."

"On account of Carlo?" Sheff gave a snort. "I'm leaving that to Crimp. All I'm looking for is something worth

"That dame's got 'em," returned Marty. "Take a gander, Sheff, if you don't believe it."

Mona had let her wrap drop from her shoulders. At least, she could be jaunty, as an example to Noel. Jaunty

she was, in a most revealing way. In hope of stirring Noel's thoughts from financial figures, Mona had chosen

a new evening gown that was absolutely ultra. In fact, Sheff and his companions couldn't see anything of the

What they did see interested them immensely. Mona was wearing a diamond necklace that turned her smooth

neck into a brilliant sparkle. The hand that she raised to catch her wrap was equally brilliant, with the

Sliding from her wrist to her elbow was a bracelet whereon the glow of intervening emeralds merely

accentuated the sparkle of more diamonds. That bracelet had its mate on her other wrist.

As luck had it, Mona was at that moment outmatched by a very portly dowager who entered the lobby. The

stout woman went in for jewels in a big way, too, and being bigger than Mona, she wore more of them.

Sheff's other companion began to outdo Marty in his observations on the dowager. Both were so busy looking

"You fellows are right," decided Sheff. "Stick here, just in case I need you. I'm going to handle this job my

Stepping around the corner, Sheff slipped behind the dowager and sidled into the elevator just as its door was

closing. He did it so suddenly, so neatly, that The Shadow's agents saw only his back as he entered. The

"I'll go up in the next car," returned Clyde. "Give me a call from the lobby phone, and I'll let you know."

IN the elevator, Sheff moved to a corner near the operator, but his interest in jewels was less than his concern

regarding the men on the car. He looked from Noel to the elderly gentleman who accompanied the dowager,

then back to Noel again. All that while the car was speeding upward, and Noel's eyes fixed steadily on Sheff.

There wasn't an iota of recognition in Noel's gaze. In it, however, was something that Sheff recognized, and

definitely. Steady, steely, those eyes were every bit like Leon's, the sort of eyes that made Sheff uneasy.

In return, Sheff gave a biglipped grin and decided that he would follow it with action. From his hip he

"Stop this car, fellow!" spoke Sheff in a voice for all to hear. "This is a stickup! I wouldn't want it to be a

The elevator stopped as though it had struck a horizontal wall. The elevator man came around, hands raised

and trembling. The dowager gave a shriek and slumped back into the arms of her undersized escort.

Mona's lips tightened, but her arms rose slowly and her fur wrap fell. She looked appealingly at Noel, whose

"Kind of neat, huh?" queried Sheff, moving his gun about the group. "A stickup in an elevator! It ought to

Sheff spoke triumphantly, and his tone would have carried an even stronger sneer had he known that his

novelty in crime was at that moment presenting a problem to the keenest of them all: The Shadow!

IN the lobby below, men were staring at the lighted buttons that told the location of the elevator that had just

gone up. By rights, those lights should have run in quick succession until they reached the fortieth floor.

Instead, the light had stopped at the twentyeighth, and it signified that something certainly was wrong.

Harry and Clyde had watched it first, and their glances had brought others. Half a dozen men had begun to

talk among themselves, and none could provide an answer to the situation. It wasn't until the other elevator

When Harry beckoned, the operator of the second car stepped out, took a look at the dial of the other car and

shook his head. He decided that the only thing to do was call the building superintendent. So he went to the

It was at that moment that blackness paused in the revolving doorway leading into the lobby. The blackness

The Shadow had a neat trick with revolving doors and was using it. The trick was to enter such a door while

fully cloaked in black, and travel around with it while observing the lobby inside.

Having thus studied a situation while passing unobserved, The Shadow could divest himself of hat and cloak

outside and enter as another personality. In this case, he intended to arrive as Lamont Cranston, wellknown

New York clubman, and frequent patron of the Skyview Roof Garden. However, having agents on the scene,

Instead of going around and out again, he swung in from the door, streaked across the lobby and entered the

door of the second elevator. On the way he checked by the lighted dial of the other car and noticed that it was

at the twentyeighth floor. The first token of The Shadow's swift arrival was the clang of the grounded

The operator turned from the lobby phone and said: "Hey!" but could do nothing else about it. The only reply

Other people thought they imagined the fleeting laugh, but Harry and Clyde knew better. They looked at each

other, realizing that their chief had stepped in where they had failed. All they could do was wait and play

The Shadow sped the elevator up to the twentyeighth floor and stopped it. The elevator was one with solid

walls made of panels that looked like mahogany, but were actually steel. In one panel was a tiny cavity, much

like a keyhole. The Shadow drove a pointed pick into it, found the catch and released it. He brought the panel

He wasn't quite at the level of the next elevator, so he raised his car slightly and came alongside. These

modern elevators had panels that could be opened with simple keys. If one went wrong, another could come

It happened, however, that The Shadow was thinking in other terms as he worked his pick into the keyhole of

A drawn automatic in his fist, The Shadow took a step across the onefoot space between the stalled

elevators and drove shoulderfirst into the next car. The metal panel gave and The Shadow was precipitated

into a very remarkable scene one which was rendered even more dramatic by his surprise entry.

SHEFF HALBERT was the dominating figure in the scene. He had already reaped a harvest of jewels. He

was standing in the center of the car, where Mona and the dowager were facing him, both looking very bare

of neck and arms, considering that bracelets, necklaces, and rings were all in Sheff's possession. The jewels

Sheff's right hand glittered, too, for it contained his revolver. Sight of the weapon horrified Mona, for Sheff

was aiming it straight at Noel, who struck him as the one man who might prove dangerous. In fact, Sheff's

finger had already tightened on the trigger, and Noel was stiffened as though ready for a spring that would

Things happened then in a fashion most amazing. Sheff swung from Noel and aimed his gun rapidly for the

mass of living blackness that had hurled itself right through the side of the elevator.

That blackness, ricocheting in the corner of the car, thrust a gun of its own straight for Sheff. The whole

elevator shuddered and its steel walls clanged with echoes as the two guns blasted as one.

Both figures staggered. There was a difference, however, in their action. The Shadow was finding his footing,

Sheff was finding his gun. For The Shadow's shot had clipped Sheff in the arm while Sheff had merely

whizzed a bullet through The Shadow's cloak folds to put an unsightly dent in the fake mahogany of the

Strangely, however, The Shadow seemed to be the loser. As Sheff scrambled to regain his gun, defiant

despite his wound, The Shadow made a complete reverse and leaped back through the open panels into the

Mona gasped because she couldn't understand; then, as Sheff roughly brushed her aside, she realized why

The blackclad figure wanted to draw Sheff's shots away from innocent bystanders. In the cramped quarters

of a single elevator such a process was difficult; hence The Shadow had dived back into the other car.

Sheff took the bait beautifully. He blasted away at nothing, for The Shadow was entrenched in the other car.

The black muzzle of an automatic poked around a metal corner and knifed a shot that made Sheff reel.

Mona gave a glad cry as she saw Noel rally to the situation. Springing across the elevator, Noel pushed the

From within his car, The Shadow saw Sheff make a thrust that ended with a backward sag. This was The

Shadow's opportunity. He swung full about and drove through the open panel, intending to club Sheff down

before the fellow could recover. But instead of a lighted elevator, The Shadow encountered blackness. Noel

Too late to catch himself, The Shadow went headlong over the edge, down an elevator shaft nearly thirty

Never before had The Shadow pitched himself into such disaster. He'd missed seeing the most important

happening: Noel's grab of the controls. Often, The Shadow had calculated that his career would end in a

disaster such as this. Where bullets failed, some freak of chance could always supply doom.

At least, The Shadow would have nearly thirty floors in which to think it over. He could philosophize on the

folly of making a drive into an elevator that wasn't there. But The Shadow had something else to think about

He grabbed the cable, thinking he might use it to stay his drop. It didn't help, for it was greased. All it did was

So fast, in fact, that the impact would have been fatal had The Shadow struck anything except the next object

The thing he hit jolted him, but not too severely, for it was not stationary. It was falling, as The Shadow was,

Riding down the greased cable, The Shadow had overtaken the elevator. Very fortunately for The Shadow,

AT about the tenth floor the elevator met the air cushion and its speed decreased. By then The Shadow was

comfortably perched upon the solid top of the car. His daze turned into a mental whirl as the elevator stopped.

Coming slowly to his feet, The Shadow groped, found a door catch in front of him. He pulled the doors aside

and rolled out into the lobby. Noel had dropped the elevator to the basement; hence The Shadow, on top of

In the car, Noel opened the door. He gave Sheff's gun a kick that sent it out of the car, away from the

mobster's reach. Noel scooped up jewels from the floor, letting Mona pick out hers. He flung the rest to the

dowager and her pintsized escort. Then, grabbing Mona by the arm and plucking her wrap with his other

Footsteps came banging down the stairs from the lobby floor. Harry, Clyde, and others had seen the elevator

dial perform its sickening drop. The Shadow's car had stayed where it was; hence both agents supposed that

In the basement, they grabbed for Sheff when he staggered out to find his gun. By then Noel and Mona were

Before the men from upstairs could capture Sheff they heard snarls behind them. Looking about, they saw

Sheff's two companions: Marty and the other thug. Then, before that pair could open fire, a laugh sounded

Marty and his pal turned, shooting as they swung. The Shadow's gun answered, and the whole basement rang

with the noise of battle. Marty staggered and his companion did the same; but both still were showing fight

when an excited janitor came dashing down another stairway, bringing a pair of policemen.

The cops didn't see how badly the crooks were crippled, nor that Harry and Clyde were about to suppress

From above, Harry and Clyde caught a warning in The Shadow's laugh. They dropped back as guns roared

again. This time the police did all the shooting, against an inefficient opposition. Sheff and his men were

Only Sheff, reeling in his death throes, managed to pitch himself part way up the steps leading to the lobby,

In that blend of increasing darkness, Sheff distinguished the outline of The Shadow. In his death spasm,

"The... stickup" Sheff's words were like croaks. "I'll tell you... why I... tried it... Shadow. Because... be "

Sheff's effort to repeat the word "because" ended in a gurgle that died in his throat. With it the dying man

rolled off the step he was on, down into the arms of two receiving officers, who didn't need a police surgeon

From above, trailing in tone until it faded into nothingness, came the grim, departing laugh of The Shadow!

THERE was much commotion around the Skyview Roof building following the trapping and death of Sheff

Halbert. Sirens created pandemonium as police cars raced to the scene, the officers only to be unneeded in

Only a few blocks away, two persons who had figured in those events were now secure in an oasis that they

had discovered. In the rear of a little restaurant, Mona Brenton was gazing across a coffee cup in admiration

"It was wonderful, Noel!" exclaimed Mona. "Why... the moment you had the chance you lowered the elevator

"Put these right out of sight," came Noel's reply in a tone denoting worry. "In your handbag, where no one

Mona gave a hopeless sigh. The face across the table was serious, totally lacking verve. Noel had become

himself again; he was the conservative who disliked excitement or adventure. The vim with which he began

the evening had reached its apex when the elevator stalled, and though he had rallied to the situation, it

Dejectedly, Mona received the jewels which Noel passed around the side of the table. They were the things

that he wanted out of sight. Mona thrust them in her handbag after making sure that all were her own and

"Can't you understand, Mona?" Noel's tone was so pleading that it sounded like a whine. "We can't let anyone

"But we didn't steal them, Noel," argued Mona. "I can prove that these are my gems."

"You'd have to answer questions, Mona, and so would I. Our reputations would be hurt. Think of it! Our

pictures in the newspapers with the statement that we were held up in an elevator on our way to the Skyview

Mona thought of it and shrugged. She didn't care for notoriety, but there certainly could be nothing wrong in

going to a night club as respectable as the Skyview Roof and doing one's bit to ward off chance crime on the

The shrug caused Mona's wrap to slip, and the moment that her shoulder came in sight Noel slid around from

"Keep tightly wrapped!" he insisted. "Women in evening gowns seldom come to an obscure restaurant like

Mona noticed that Noel's topcoat was buttoned, and that he had his muffler tight around his collar to hide his

evening clothes. Thoroughly disappointed in Noel, Mona was about to add new rebukes when he managed to

"I have to be careful, Mona," spoke Noel solemnly, "because of my brother Leon. He would capitalize upon

anything that might occur to me, particularly after the way I chided him tonight. I can't afford to have my

name associated in any way with crime. Not even as a victim, because Leon would gloat.

"If my picture appeared in the newspapers, the resemblance to Leon would cause talk. Why, Leon's criminal

friends might even associate that holdup man, whoever he was, with both Leon and myself! I didn't like the

BEGINNING to understand Noel's viewpoint, Mona felt that she had acted rather small. She nodded

sympathetically, then inquired about the fighter in black who had come to their rescue from the other

"I heard the shots," stated Noel, "but I didn't see the person you mention. I was too busy getting the elevator

"It was perfect teamwork," smiled Mona. "Unless" her expression became a worried frown "unless our

The possibility worried Noel. He looked at his watch and noted that it was half past nine. Noel's eyes became

very solemn as they blinked. Characteristically, he was deepening into his sedate mood.

"We have had too much excitement," decided Noel. "It is advisable, Mona, that I take you back to your

apartment and then return home. I might even stop by at the Cobalt Club, where I am a member, because I

"He will know the details that we failed to learn; particularly what may have happened to our friend in black.

If it develops that we were recognized, Mona, I shall frankly admit our presence in the elevator. If no one

Mona agreed with the plan. Noel escorted her from the restaurant, and they took a cab. On the way to Mona's

"Let us forget this evening," he said. "Assuming that we escaped recognition, there is no reason why we

should mention these unfortunate events, even between ourselves. The slightest lapse might bring us undue

Mona's smile showed that she agreed fully. Already she was beginning to cherish a recollection that seemed

quite apart from other incidents. That was the memory of Noel as he had revealed himself this evening. No

longer a slave to finance, he had dropped his stodgy manner long enough to show that it could be done.

When nerve and action had been required, Noel had shown both. Mona was therefore hoping for another

evening when Noel would again display such qualities, and she felt that adherence to his proposed policy

Indeed, Noel showed a flash of his more volatile self when he said good night outside the apartment house.

Stepping back into the cab, he tipped his hat in rather jaunty style and gave a parting wave with his

MEANWHILE, another participant in the evening's events had decided to visit the Cobalt Club. Clearing the

neighborhood of the Skyview Roof building in Moe's cab, The Shadow had ordered a roundabout route that

The doorman at the Cobalt Club was taken somewhat aback when he opened the door of the cab and saw who

Not The Shadow; he had stowed his cloak and hat in a secret compartment under the rear seat of the cab. But

the doorman would have been less astonished by sight of a mysterious figure cloaked in black than he was

The man from the cab was all, calm of countenance, indolent of manner. He was the prize member of the

Cobalt Club, a gentleman named Lamont Cranston. It always shocked the doorman when he saw Cranston

step from a common cab. Usually, Cranston arrived in an expensive, chauffeured limousine.

Smiling slightly, as though a cab ride was his idea of a lark, Cranston strolled into the club. He found Ralph

As Cranston expected, Weston was not alone. With him was Inspector Joe Cardona, whose presence smacked

It didn't surprise The Shadow that Noel should be around so soon. It was quite logical that Noel should have

fled from the Skyview Roof building, taking Mona with him. Equally natural was the fact that Noel, a man of

high integrity, should have felt it necessary to explain himself if occasion so demanded. Dropping in to see

However, Noel wasn't being called upon to state his recent whereabouts. Events at the Skyview Roof building

"So they got Carlo Sarratin," Cardona was saying. "Crimp Gandley and his murder crew breezed right into

"Would you expect them to, commissioner?" he demanded. "Of course they didn't! Anyway, Crimp couldn't.

He tried to shoot it out with the ship's crew and they got him. They and The Shadow."

There was a sharp look in Weston's eyes that often came when Cardona mentioned The Shadow. Officially,

the police commissioner didn't recognize The Shadow's existence, for he took the ground that an unknown

There was something else on Weston's mind, however, but before he could express it Noel Grath put a query

"I've heard of this man Sarratin," said Noel. "Tell me, inspector, did he have a large sum of money with

"None at all," rejoined Cardona. "Not even a nickel in his fist to show that he was a double crosser. I guess

"Carlo should have had some money," put in Weston. "A few thousand dollars, at least. Did the killers take

"Then maybe they were right!" asserted Weston, pounding the table with his fist. "Someone else could have

The commissioner swung to Noel, who was slowly stroking his chin, while his eyes, very troubled, had a

"Yes," Noel acknowledged soberly. "Leon mentioned the fact when he stopped at my house this evening."

"Too early, I'm afraid." Noel shook his head. Then, almost pleadingly: "But I don't think that Leon would

WESTON'S grim smile showed how little he thought of friendship between crooks, where money was

concerned. Eyeing Noel's face, The Shadow knew that the same thought was in Noel's mind.

Quite impassive in the guise of Cranston, The Shadow resolved to acquaint himself upon that point: namely,

to learn just how much money might have been in Carlo's pocket at the time of Leon's visit.

"Of course, Crimp could have stowed the money somewhere," began Cardona. "There's a chance too, that a

couple of the fellows with him got away. Maybe his sidekick, Sheff Halbert, was along "

"I was coming to that point, inspector," inserted Weston. "Just forty minutes ago" the commissioner

glanced at his watch and noted that it read twenty minutes of ten "Sheff Halbert was killed while attempting

a holdup in an elevator in the Skyview Roof building. Furthermore" Weston's face showed a smile that

"It proves that The Shadow can't be two places at once," rejoined Weston triumphantly, "unless he happens to

Cardona calculated the time element, writing figures on the back of an envelope, which he finally tossed to

"The Shadow could have made it from the pier to the Skyview," the inspector declared. "There was just about

Weston did agree, after some reluctance, but he modified his opinion by adding that Sheff might have done

the same, which somewhat relieved the Leon question, though Cranston noted that Noel still looked troubled

when his brother's name was mentioned. In fact, Noel was so concerned over Leon that he paid little attention

The "something" was Weston's mention of the elevator holdup. When the commissioner stated that two of the

holdup victims, a young lady and her escort, had fled the scene without being recognized, Noel displayed a

marked indifference. Cranston was watching him at the time but could see no change in Noel's expression.

This, of course, was quite in keeping with The Shadow's analysis of the situation. He could understand Noel's

dislike of notoriety. Since no one had identified Noel and Mona as passengers in the elevator, there was no

reason why Noel should mention that he and his fiancee were the persons who had disappeared. The

remaining witnesses were quite qualified to place full blame for the holdup on Sheff Halbert.

When the group left the Cobalt Club, Cranston's limousine was waiting outside, and Noel accepted a ride

home. On the way he talked moodily about Leon, criticizing his brother's penchant for associating with men

When the limousine reached the Grath homestead, Noel shook hands solemnly with Cranston and went up the

As the big car rolled away a whispered laugh came from the lips of Cranston, and the strange tone had a note

of prophecy tonight, The Shadow had seen both Noel and Leon, in circumstances which each had sought to

veil. Though they differed as to good and evil, those twins were enough alike to understand each other's ways

Noel regarded himself as his brother's keeper; more than that, however, Noel had something heavy on his

mind regarding Leon. The Shadow hoped to have the answer to that problem after the brothers met again!

EARLY the next evening, Noel Grath received another visit from his wayward brother, Leon. As usual, Noel

was in his upstairs study, engaged with facts and figures. His eyes were annoyed when he saw Leon enter,

and if Leon had met their glint with a cold stare of his own there would have been trouble.

However, Leon was thoughtful enough to remember that Noel had disowned him. Leon strolled over to the

chessboard and silently began to set up the chessmen. The bait was too much for Noel. When chess was

concerned, Noel could still regard Leon impersonally. Noel took his place at the board and soon the twins

Leon was using his new system of exchanging pieces for Noel's knights. Leon even sacrificed a pawn in the

process, ready to accept a temporary handicap if it deprived Noel of those deadly knights. At last there came

Noel's eyes snapped angrily. He was on the point of rising from his chair and calling an end to Leon's visit

"Nothing unethical about it, Noel," stated Leon. "The friend who phoned me was the police commissioner."

"Of course," returned Leon smoothly. "I told him that poor Carlo and I were the best of friends."

"Why not?" Leon's smile was indulgent. "All the evidence points that way. Sheff and Crimp caught up with

Setting his lips grimly, Noel returned to the chess game. His knights were gone but he still had his bishops.

Noel began to move them with devastating sweeps across the board, at the same time eyeing Leon, whose

"You think of everything, don't you, Leon?" quizzed Noel with a touch of sarcasm. "You thought you could

trip me by exchanging knights. You didn't look far enough ahead to realize that I would practice with bishops

"A good lesson for you, Leon," gibed Noel. "Let us apply it to life. Just what are you going to do" he leaned

forward, giving his twin a steady gaze "when old Samuel Twildon finds out that Carlo raised his check and

Leon lowered his eyes. Chin dipping into his hand, he studied the chessboard. Then:

"So long as Carlo lived, yes," returned Noel. "But it happens that you were the one person who knew that

Carlo had sold the Club Elite to Twildon. If the police suspect that you had any knowledge of the check

swindle they will conclude that you had a motive for murdering Carlo. The motive of money."

"You were too clever, Leon," declared Noel sadly. "You have trapped yourself in other affairs as you have in

THERE was a restless twitch of Leon's downturned lips. Suddenly stiffening, he resumed his game. He

Immediately, Noel swooped a bishop along the black diagonal and captured Leon's castle. Leon retaliated by

"You lost a castle for a bishop, Leon," declared Noel. "Considering that a castle has twice the value of a

"Not quite, my dear brother!" Leon's eyes came up with a glitter. "Remember, you are playing a bishop

game! One bishop is restricted to the black squares, the other to the reds. You need them both to play the

game that you have chosen. Where is your game now, Noel? Try to take anything with your remaining

As Noel's eyes drank in the situation that the board displayed, Leon drove home his object lesson.

"Did you think I was fool enough to overlook the Carlo complication?" demanded Leon. "It was popping

through my head ever since" he paused, watching Noel shrewdly "ever since I read the newspapers this

morning. So I told your friend the police commissioner exactly where I was last night. I told him that I was

"Tex Danver is a notorious gambler," reminded Noel. "His club is quite as disreputable as Carlo's was."

"But the patrons are respectable," laughed Leon, "and they saw me come out of Tex's office around ten

"Shortly after eight o'clock," replied Leon casually. "At least, so Tex says, and there is no one to dispute it.

You see, Tex went into his office at eight, and when he came out, at ten, I was with him. So, Noel, you see "

"I see it all!" Stormily, Noel came to his feet, upsetting the chessboard and scattering the men. "You

Keenly, Noel saw that though Leon denied one fact, that of murder, he let the other point pass. His trip to

Tex's had all the earmarks of a "sneak," as Noel described it. Reprovingly, Noel asserted:

"Tex is worth a lot of money," he reminded. "Why, sometimes he pays off in thousands at that gambling club

The telephone bell rang before Noel could reply. Smiling, Leon gestured for Noel to answer it, saying:

It was Commissioner Weston, giving Noel the glad news that his brother Leon was vindicated in the matter

of Carlo's death. Listening while Noel talked, Leon learned that Tex was coming over to the Cobalt Club,

bringing a signed affidavit to establish Leon's alibi; whereat, Leon chuckled all the more.

The climax came when Weston, over the wire, invited Noel to drop in at the club to meet Tex Danver and

view the document in question. Reluctantly, Noel said that he was very busy, but would try to get up to the

Finishing the call, Noel turned on his heel, glanced at the overturned chessboard, and went back to his desk to

FINDING himself totally ignored, Leon approached Noel, leaned over his brother's shoulder and spoke into

Noel's face, grim and rigid looked like that of a helpless mortal tormented by a wandering demon who

represented the evil in himself. For Leon's face was the counterpart of Noel's, except that it wore a satanic

"Don't forget your appointment, Noel," sneered Leon. "It should please you to see the proof that your brother

is innocent of murder. You should be waiting with your friend the commissioner to greet Tex Danver when

Leon's hand was gesturing toward the papers on the desk, but it shifted to indicate the telephone as the bell

began to ring anew. Noel picked up the phone, gave an abrupt answer. His tone immediately relaxed. Mona

"Hello, Mona " Noel paused to look back across his shoulder where Leon withdrew with a bow of mock

"You disappoint me, Noel," he undertoned. "Anyone would know that you weren't alone from the worried

With a grimace, Noel thrust Leon aside. Regaining his composure, Noel continued his conversation.

"Last night?" he queried. "Oh, yes, Mona sorry that I couldn't meet you... This evening? Tell me where you

"Very sorry, Mona," he said stiffly. "You know I don't like Helene Chalmey and her crowd... Yes, I suppose I

could stop by in an hour or so, when you're ready to leave... No, don't count on it... Yes, I'm very busy, and I

have an appointment with the police commissioner... Regarding Leon? Well, yes I'd rather not talk about it,

Leon was lighting a cigarette when Noel turned around. The glow from the lighter gave Leon's face a

demonish tinge and caught the glitter of his eyes, showing them as sharply as brilliant beads.

"You'll have to drop in on the commissioner," gloated Leon, "or else make explanations to Mona tomorrow.

Integrity is your watchword, Noel. You couldn't think of telling an outright lie to anyone. What a miserable

"I haven't found it that way," snapped Noel. "Furthermore, you are no authority on the subject, Leon. You

"How absurd, my dear Noel! Why you've heard me tell the truth often. I told you the truth about Carlo."

"On the matter of the check, yes, but not when it came to a question of murder!"

Leon shook his head at Noel's words. Picking up hat, coat, and cane, Leon strolled from the room. At the

"I tell the truth when it suits me," stated Leon. "With that, at least, you must agree. If you cannot tell my true

statements from my false, I pity you, because it shows that you have dulled yourself. Good night, Noel, and

finish that work of yours. You have an appointment with the police commissioner!"

As soon as Leon had left, Noel arose from his desk, shoving the papers aside. He placed his hand upon the

telephone, as though he intended to make a call. Then, with a headshake, Noel pushed the telephone aside.

There was no cab on the street so Noel stalked around the corner debating whether to hunt for one or use the

AT the Cobalt Club, Commissioner Weston was in the groundfloor foyer chatting with his friend Lamont

This evening, The Shadow had intended to stop by Noel's house and observe if Leon visited his brother. The

thing that forestalled The Shadow's plan was Weston's call to Noel. Learning that Noel might be coming to

More important, however, was the fact that Weston expected Tex Danver. So, while waiting as Cranston, The

Shadow put in a call to Burbank, ordering the contact man to send Harry Vincent to the Arizona Club. Should

Harry see Tex leave the place he was to call back. So far there had been no call from Harry.

A cab stopped in front of the Cobalt Club. From it came a man with a big hat, cowboy style, and a broad red

face beneath it. Entering, Tex shook hands with Weston, nodded to Cardona, and was introduced to Cranston.

"This ought to square Leon Grath," boomed Tex in a big voice. "A fine fellow, Leon! Often drops in and

spends an evening in my office, like he did last night. Anything else, commissioner?"

There was nothing else. Tex's statement, which bore his own signature and those of other persons, was quite

satisfactory to the commissioner. Weston suggested that Tex remain and meet Leon's brother, Noel, but Tex

When Cardona inquired how business was at the Arizona Club, Tex delivered a broad smile and departed.

When Commissioner Weston looked around for Lamont Cranston, his friend was gone, too. Weston decided

that Cranston must have remembered an appointment, probably a date with a girl named Margo Lane, who

Never, even in his wildest dreams, would Commissioner Weston have believed that his friend Lamont

IF ever The Shadow had trailed a cagey customer, that person was Tex Danver. Riding in Moe's cab, The

Shadow was keeping track of a similar vehicle ahead, and recognizing what was in the mind of its passenger.

Tex was behaving boldly this evening, and was therefore on the lookout for certain consequences. Actually,

Tex was trying to test the police, to see if they suspected something. Instead, it was The Shadow who held the

Assuming that Tex Danver had a private way in and out of his office, a way other than the main route through

the gambling room of the Arizona Club, it was plausible that the private passage would be known to certain

Such privileged friends would doubtless include Leon Grath. As the brain behind all sorts of crooked

schemes, Leon had access almost anywhere. It applied particularly in Tex's case, for Tex Danver was a

As late as last night it was generally conceded that Leon had rendered remarkable service to Carlo by keeping

him where enemies could not find him. Therefore, Tex, who might some time need similar services, would

naturally have cultivated Leon's acquaintance and given him the inside facts as to the operation of the

Assuming that Leon, last night, had bought an alibi from Tex, The Shadow moved to another conclusion.

Said alibi would depend upon the use of Tex's private entrance, and it would fail if the police guessed that

such a route existed. So, tonight, Tex had come out by that very route to see if anyone was watching it.

This was quite apparent to The Shadow. If Tex had come out through the gambling room, The Shadow would

have heard from his agent, Harry Vincent, who was posted at the Arizona Club. No word from Harry was, in

Tex Danver was playing doubly sure. He wanted to learn if police were tailing him back to the Arizona Club.

The police had clever ways at times. If they were following Tex, he would know that they suspected him; in

that case he would have to go through the main door of the club. Otherwise, he would use the secret entrance

So The Shadow's problem was twofold. He couldn't tag Tex too closely or he'd be mistaken for a police

Whispered words from The Shadow and Moe was performing tricks with his taxi. He whizzed ahead of Tex's

cab, swung right into an avenue, skipped two blocks and went left. Timing the traffic lights to perfection,

Moe was running parallel with Tex's cab, two streets away. At the next avenue Moe swung left again and

During the interval Tex hadn't been trailed at all. He took Moe's cab for a different one. To add to the illusion,

Moe pressed a special switch under the dash and changed the light over the top of his windshield. When Tex

looked back the lighted sign read that of a different cab company than originally advertised.

When Tex's cab went right, Moe turned left. Making a U turn down the avenue, Moe came up again behind

the shelter of a rapidly moving truck. He turned off his lighted sign entirely. This was the home stretch and

Moe was looking for Tex's cab again so that his chief, The Shadow, could spot where Tex dropped off.

It was the truck that almost spoiled the game. As Moe started to pass it, the truck tried to go by another

vehicle, found that it couldn't and dropped back. Just one block short of the Arizona Club, Moe started a new

With a quick glance down the street, The Shadow had spotted Tex's cab. By then Moe was past the side

The moment the cab halted The Shadow glided from it. Moe had picked a darkened spot near an empty

storefront; hence The Shadow was able to merge with the building wall when he retraced his course to the

By then Tex was in an alleyway that led through to the rear of the Arizona Club. Looking back, Tex was

quite sure that no one was following him, but he was wrong. Near the corner a waiting man had seen Tex

But the man in question was discreet. He watched from the entrance of the alley until Tex had opened a door

The Shadow, coming from the corner, glimpsed the man who followed Tex. But the distance from the corner

was greater than the depth of the alley, and Tex's trailer was out of sight before The Shadow arrived.

At least, The Shadow had one clue; there were doorways along the alley. It was simply a case of finding the

ASCENDING a flight of narrow, dingy stairs, Tex Danver had reached his office which, like his gambling

club, was on the second floor. A light was burning and Tex was turning to lock the door when he heard

Listening, Tex was quite sure he recognized them. Opening the door boldly, he admitted his visitor.

Tex shook his head to show he wasn't surprised. He didn't answer aloud, because he was listening at the

secret door to make sure that no one else was coming up. Satisfied on that point, Tex closed the door, locked

Though he didn't know it, Tex Danver was making matters rather difficult for another visitor called The

"I was expecting you most any time, Leon." Tex removed his big hat and laid it on a table. "I left the door

Tex received a characteristic smile, the sort in which Leon specialized. He watched Leon toss his hat to the

"Somebody else might have found me here," was Leon's suave reply. "It wouldn't have been good policy,

"You can't hurt it now," assured Tex. "I gave the commish the dope sheet. How about the thousand bucks you

Leon reached into his pocket and nonchalantly produced his wallet. From it he drew a bundle of bills and

counted off the amount in question. Tex was eyeing the size of the bundle and noted that it came to several

"You didn't make out so good, Leon," remarked Tex, "if that's all you got from bumping Carlo."

"When I need alibis," returned Leon coolly, "I usually frame them in advance. Fact is, I didn't expect anyone

to murder Carlo. I didn't even expect Crimp or Sheff to find him. So I thought I ought to be on the safe side.

Carlo had already paid me off for services, so I thought I could afford a thousand dollars as insurance."

"You're a cool one, Leon," he said. "Fact is, you could have heard of Carlo's death over the radio before you

showed up here that night. My trouble is I didn't hear about it until later, or you wouldn't have bought your

Putting the remaining money back in his wallet, Leon proffered the thousand dollars, his expression carrying

"I made the bargain," declared Tex, "and I'll stick to it, though a grand is chicken feed to me!"

"Why were you talking to your brother about me?" he demanded. "Was that good sense?"

"Considering that the police commissioner called Noel," returned Leon, "I thought it was good policy to

repeat your remark, Tex. I simply used it as an argument to prove that you weren't in the business of selling

Mollified, Tex reached for the money, but Leon's hand promptly withdrew it. Apparently, Leon wanted

"I'd like to see a copy of that affidavit, Tex," stated Leon. "I wouldn't care to drop around and ask the

commissioner to show me the original. My brother might be there and I don't meet him socially, except over

Indulgently, Tex turned to a large safe in a corner of his office. Covering the dials with his body, he began to

work the combination, occasionally darting looks across his shoulder to make sure that Leon wasn't noticing

When the safe came open, Tex bothered about Leon no longer. Delving behind bundles of cash, he came to a

"It's in here," Tex began, "along with other important papers. You can have the copy, Leon "

"I don't want it!" Leon's interruption was as steely as his gaze. He was close to the safe, for he had stepped up

while Tex was busy. The echoes of Leon's harsh tone seemed to resound from the safe itself. "I've changed

my mind, Tex. When I change my mind it always makes me think that someone else might do the same. You,

COMING around while he heard the final sentence, Tex saw more than the glitter of Leon's eyes. Tex was

looking right at a revolver aimed toward his heart. Shakily, he raised his hands.

"I wouldn't squeal, Leon," Tex pleaded, "if that's what you mean. I'd queer myself with the commish if I said

Along with the knifing words came the sharp stab of the revolver. Its bullet found Tex's heart, and the

The murderer paid no attention to the box. In the same style that marked Leon as the coolest crook in New

York, he gathered in the bundles of cash from the safe; stacks which, by their size, totaled at least a hundred

With the money stuffed in his pockets, Leon put on his hat, picked up his cane and let it dangle from his left

arm. His right hand still pushing money into his overcoat pocket, the killer slid back the panel and opened the

An instant later he was stepping back to the center of the office. The sight the killer faced was enough to

disturb the sangfroid of Leon Grath. Payment for services had been rendered, but there was recompense to be

On the threshold stood The Shadow, facing the murderer who had disposed of both Carlo Sarratin and Tex

THOUGH he had come here to offset crime, The Shadow could hardly regard his advent as a failure. True,

Tex Danver lay dead, slain by the same killer who had murdered Carlo Sarratin. But Tex, in framing Leon's

In a way it was better that Tex should have died. Only The Shadow could bear witness to Leon's murder of

Carlo. Here there was an opportunity to hold a murderer on the scene of crime until the law arrived.

In his gloved fist The Shadow gripped a leveled automatic; yet, when he studied Leon's features, he saw that

the murderer was not fully awed. Usually crooks quailed at sight of the blackcloaked avenger known as The

Shadow. There must be an answer to Leon's coolness, and The Shadow was quite sure that it lay in the man's

While thrusting Tex's money deeper into his pocket, Leon's hand still held the death gun. He was looking for

a chance to use the weapon against The Shadow. Instead of ordering Leon to raise his hands and thereby

Sidestepping toward Leon's left, he kept the killer well covered, yet made it impossible for him to use the

concealed gun without an awkward giveaway. Very definitely The Shadow had his victim all the more

helpless, due to the fact that the man's hand was encumbered with a pocketed gun!

Finding the position that he wanted, The Shadow stood motionless. His pointing gun was like a freezing

instrument, for, before him, The Shadow saw Leon Grath, likewise rendered immobile. If The Shadow had

never seen this man before he still would have identified him as Leon. The rigid countenance that faced The

The face that The Shadow viewed displayed an ugly leer, quite foreign to the other twin. Recalling Noel, The

Shadow remembered how the man's expression bespoke integrity, as though governed by an inner honesty.

Here was the same face, but it was controlled by a brain of evil, under circumstances which made it show at

Strange how faces so much alike could differ! If ever a man bore the mark of Cain he was Leon Grath as The

Shadow saw him. Not in the least did Leon's face express regret for the murder of Tex Danver. Indeed, The

Shadow felt sure that if the killer's own brother had replaced Tex, the murderer would have been all the more

With The Shadow, such reflections were brief. His task was to see that murder was amended as far as it could

"Well, Shadow, you've found me!" The tone was the disgruntled snarl that Leon habitually used. "You were

clever enough to figure it out. I knew you would eventually, but I hadn't expected it quite so soon."

Leon did not specify the reason behind his comment. It involved the check that Twildon had given Carlo. As

"You saw me, of course, outside of Carlo's cabin on the Tropicola," proceeded Leon in the same tone. "You

knew I was Leon Grath. Perhaps you'd seen me before, Shadow. Or was it because you knew my brother

The snarl was lessening when Leon put the question. Even in his present dilemma, the trapped man was

showing the shrewdness for which he was famed. He was actually trying to pump The Shadow, which meant

In turn, that implied that Leon hoped to get free of his present jam in spite of The Shadow. In all his

experience with men of criminal brains, The Shadow had never before encountered one so canny as Leon

The Shadow's only reply was a laugh; a solemn note of mockery that should have quailed the man before

him. Instead, those hard eyes of Leon's glared, trying to probe The Shadow's own features, which were

Only The Shadow's eyes were visible. Their burn outmatched the glint of Leon's. Finding that he couldn't

bluff his cloaked captor, Leon slid his right hand from his pocket, empty, and let both arms lift with a

"I give you credit, Shadow," spoke Leon bitterly. "You, alone, would believe that I had murdered my friend

Carlo. Similarly, you are the only person who would think that I would kill Tex after he supplied me with a

AS he spoke, Leon was backing across Tex's paneled office, past a big desk, toward the door that led out to

the gaming room of the Arizona Club. He was eyeing The Shadow, wondering how quickly the cloaked

figure would shoot. Leon evidently decided that The Shadow would be too quick, for he halted suddenly.

"I said only you, Shadow!" Leon spat the words. "I was wrong. My brother Noel suspected that I killed Carlo.

He would believe that I killed Tex, too. I didn't count Noel because his mind is the same as mine. We think

"Yes, we think alike!" Leon's tone rose. "So much alike that we differ only by a hairbreadth. Noel's honesty!

Bah! His mind is scheming, too. He chose honesty because it was profitable just as I took up with crime for

Finishing his tirade with a gesture of his arms, Leon sped a hand to a switch beside the door and flipped it,

expecting the lights to go out. If they had, a bullet from The Shadow's gun would have felled the killer before

Weirdly, The Shadow's laugh filled the room. Even before the chilling tone reached Leon's ears, an

expression of consternation swept the killer's face. The Shadow was approaching, his gun looming ahead of

The situation threw the killer into a frenzy. No longer was Leon's sangfroid apparent; frantically, the trapped

With one swift sweep The Shadow reached the doorway. He was in it, blocking escape, and Leon's face

showed dumfoundment. Shrinking away, the killer dropped half behind the open door only to quail.

Though thick, the woodwork of the door wouldn't protect him if The Shadow began to fire through with his

big automatic. To all intents, The Shadow had completed the trapping of Leon Grath.

Footsteps thudded hard behind The Shadow. Before the cloaked avenger could whirl into the room, men were

upon him. They were huskies from the gaming room. The switch that Leon had pressed by mistake was the

The newcomers saw only The Shadow, for Leon was diving behind the open door. Whirling from grappling

hands, The Shadow aimed for the killer to prevent Leon from getting his gun from his pocket.

At that moment Leon kicked the door and it struck The Shadow's gun hand. There was a blast as the .45

Behind the door, Leon grabbed another switch and this time picked the right one. The lights went out,

producing immediate chaos. Entering men had spied Tex's body and mistook The Shadow for a killer. They

were doing their utmost to overpower him, but he was hurling them everywhere. Guns were talking for these

It was evasive, that mockery, the sort that The Shadow used when battling in the dark. It might have been

anywhere, yet nowhere. The tone misguided the marksmen who sought to down The Shadow. They thought

that the laugh was meant for them, and it terrified them, forcing them to hurried shots.

Actually, the taunt was meant for Leon, the man The Shadow intended to capture at any cost.

Knowing it, the hunted killer dived behind the open door of Tex's safe and tried some wild shots of his own

that only revealed his position. Wheeling in darkness, The Shadow drove for the safe, intending to jam the

At that moment three more of Tex's strongarm boys came driving through the doorway of the office.

As luck had it, they met The Shadow in the dark, and from the shouts and tumult it was only logical that a

man of Leon's shrewdness would guess that The Shadow was again occupied with misguided foemen.

Shoving out from behind the safe door, the killer made a quick dash for the open panel of Tex's private exit.

Luck seemed fully on Leon's side. At that moment The Shadow fired in an attempt to halt the fugitive's dash.

Those stabs of The Shadow's .45 were given with uncanny precision in the dark, but they didn't find Leon.

Tex Danver, dead, had saved the life of his own murderer. The Grath twin was sprawled behind the desk,

WHAT happened next was further evidence of Leon's skill, plus luck. Grabbing at the desk, the killer

clutched the edge. Finding a switch, he pulled it for good measure, then, with a long lunge, went right

The Shadow fired after him, too late. The fugitive had found the stairway and was stumbling down below the

Pounding footsteps told Tex's men that someone had gone by the secret exit. Knowing Leon's ways, The

Shadow was quite sure that the fugitive had tried to close the panel when he left. But Leon hadn't managed it.

For the first time Tex's strongarm men learned that the office had a secret exit, and they went through it in

quest of a man they hadn't seen. They thought that The Shadow, instead of Leon, had gone by that open route.

Rather than divert a worthy pursuit, The Shadow dropped away from the crowd and wheeled out through the

ordinary doorway. His idea was to cross the gaming room, go out the front way and speed around to cut off

But The Shadow merely was getting out of a peck of trouble to precipitate himself into a bushel of it.

Strange things had happened in the gaming room. Lights were wildly blinking a distress signal. Frightened

patrons were lined along the walls. In the center of the room roulette wheels and faro tables were folding

The switch on Tex's desk was the emergency control, intended for use only in case of a police raid!

Around the gambling hall were croupiers and other attendants who wouldn't ordinarily have precipitated

themselves into a battle. But this was a situation that they had never anticipated that of trouble starting in

Despite the bobbing of the lights they saw The Shadow. Though he was no more than a blackclad shape,

they recognized him as a human fighter. Drawing guns and knives, they sprang from all directions, hoping to

The Shadow's gun spoke first, spurting in volcanic fashion from the center of the room among the descending

gambling equipment. Dropping low, The Shadow was using the disappearing tables for temporary

entrenchments, hoping to scare off the men who sought his life. They were falling back, not realizing that The

Among the patrons, Harry Vincent, The Shadow's own agent, recognized his chief's dilemma and felt that his

aid was needed. Harry shouted to the other customers, telling them to grab the excited attendants. With that

None did. Spilling two attendants, Harry flattened on the floor with them just as The Shadow raised a

Then, before Harry could regain his feet, guns blasted from all around, and with the fusillade The Shadow's

laugh ended, clipped abruptly at the height of its crescendo. A dozen men had fired and the finish of The

The lights came on. Rising, Harry saw men dashing from Tex's office, shouting about a vanished killer. They

meant Leon Grath, for in dashing down the secret stairs they had come to a bolted door that stopped them.

The attendants in the gaming room misunderstood the strongarm specialists. Harry saw the attendants

That space was clear. Roulette and faro equipment were gone, on the elevators, and the floor had closed

completely above the buried evidence. Glumly, Harry looked for the cloaked figure of The Shadow, only to

One vanish had produced another. Like Leon Grath, The Shadow had disappeared so completely from the

Arizona Club that it seemed doubtful that he had even come to the place on this eventful evening.

For the floor was a blank without a trace of the cloaked master whose laugh had ended like a bursting bubble

DESPITE his remarkable departure from the Arizona Club, The Shadow was by no means free of difficulty.

Indeed, he was as badly cooped in as it was possible to be. Lying flat upon a carpeted surface, he couldn't

even come to hands and knees without striking a low ceiling just above his head.

Flattening again, The Shadow managed to turn sideways. Stowing his empty automatic beneath his cloak, he

brought out a tiny flashlight and focused it along the carpet. The glow showed a pattern of white squares on

The floor on which The Shadow lay was the green felt surface of a roulette layout.

Not that The Shadow was surprised. He had always used ingenuity at getting out of fixes, and often the most

ingenious way was the simplest. Seeing that Tex's gambling equipment was going through the floor, The

Shadow had decided to ride along with it. A very wise course, considering that the biggest roulette table had

So The Shadow had rolled right on the layout as it went into the floor. His laugh, given to retard the gunfire

of his enemies, was cut off when the floor slid shut above him. Bullets had simply raked the space where The

The Shadow's one regret was the fact that he could no longer hope to overtake Leon Grath. As for getting out

of his present predicament, he was quite sure that he could find a way. The Shadow had faith in the ingenuity

Very clever of Tex, having everything fixed to drop his gambling machinery from view at the mere pressure

of an office switch. But the police were often ardent in their search for missing paraphernalia when they

Sometimes they were even unkind enough to take up the floor and look underneath it. Well acquainted with

Worming along the roulette board, The Shadow rolled to a flattop faro table and kept probing with his

flashlight to find where the next jump lay. The dice in a chuckaluck cage clattered as he elbowed past, and

The door was locked from the other side, so The Shadow produced a fresh automatic, muffled it in his cloak

sleeve and blasted at a spot that glinted from the door crack. That oneshot ripped the latch away, and The

His shot couldn't have been heard in the gaming room above. Not only did the cloak muffle it; the ceiling was

Crawling through the opening, The Shadow found himself on the landing of a flight of stairs. He was in the

building next to the Arizona Club and its floors were on a slightly different level. Apparently, this landing

was meant as a loading platform where men could slide the gambling equipment from its nest between floors

Such men, whoever they were, would require a summons from Tex Danver, and since he had not called them,

they were nowhere about. So The Shadow decided to use the stairs as his own exit.

Descending them, he found a fullsized door at the bottom. It was locked, too, and this time The Shadow

preferred to use a tiny picklike instrument. It took him only a few minutes to work the door open.

Stepping through, The Shadow entered a small garage, where a truck was standing among some other cars.

Stationed here, it was ready to be loaded with the gambling equipment. Along with the truck were two husky

truckmen whose job was to hustle upstairs and bring down the load. Not having received a call from Tex,

THE SHADOW started across the floor unnoticed by the truckers. He was looking back at them when the

door suddenly opened and a pair of patrolmen came squarely in his path. They saw The Shadow, raised a

Summoned because of trouble at the Arizona Club, the police were looking for an unknown killer. They had

no description of Leon Grath who had fled in darkness; furthermore, Tex's murderer had already cleared the

neighborhood. Spying The Shadow, the cops took him for the wanted man and went after him.

The officers didn't know the risk they ran. Tex's two truckmen were gunners, too, and sight of the blue

uniforms aroused them. Their guns were out and they were aiming at the police, who in turn were drawing

Blasting quick shots across the garage, The Shadow brought the truckers his way. He was between two fires

The first shots were wide, but the next threatened disaster for The Shadow, for he was boxing himself in a

corner. But when the officers and the garage men came dashing up together, forming an unwitting alliance,

It was amazing, that disappearance of The Shadow, as mystifying as if he had vanished into thin air until

There was a rumble from the motor of the truck. The big vehicle roared for the door of the garage which was

open only a few feet. The Shadow had gone right through the rear of the truck, into the driver's seat, and he

wasn't stopping for any barriers. Amid the wild burst of guns the truck ripped the flimsy door asunder and

Police cars were arriving in plenty and they took up the chase at once. The Shadow did marvels with the

cumbersome truck, whipping corners, keeping ahead of his pursuers. But the chase was short. A few blocks

Patrol cars sped up to spot a taxicab taking off from the next corner. The cab was Moe's, and The Shadow

was on board it. He had slung the truck across the street to hold up the chase. Given a head start, Moe could

outdistance all pursuit, and The Shadow saw to it that his speedy cabby gained the necessary leeway.

IN the lobby of an apartment hotel, a few miles distant, Mona Brenton was stepping from an elevator, to stop

short with an exclamation of surprised delight as she saw the man who moved forward to greet her.

"I told you I didn't care for Helene's crowd," was Noel's stiff reply. Then, his face relaxing, he added: "But I

Mona's face was rueful. The doorman of the apartment house was standing by and did not want to take the

"I told the gentleman I'd call you, Miss Brenton," said the doorman. "But he said he would rather wait."

"You did, indeed!" With a smile, Mona slid her hand under Noel's arm. "Where are we going now, Noel?"

They went outside and took a cab to ride downtown. The evening was still young and Mona was suggesting

that they see the show that Noel had missed the night before, but he shook his head. He preferred to have

Mona take her choice of all the shows in town, and during the next dozen blocks she was debating which she

Then, as suddenly as on the night before, Mona's hopes of a pleasant evening were rudely interrupted.

From far down the avenue came the wail of police sirens. The cab pulled over to the curb to let the law cars

sweep past. One patrol car detached itself and pulled alongside. An officer stepped from it and thrust his

He wanted to know where the cab had come from, and Noel told him, as Mona nodded her corroboration.

The officer turned to the cabby, who gave the same reply. The cop thought it over a few moments, then spoke

an apology. This cab couldn't possibly be the one that the police were chasing. The time element was far too

"We're looking for a cab that was down by the Arizona Club," the officer stated. "There was some shooting

there. Tex Danver, the boss of the place, was murdered. Sorry I had to stop you."

The cab proceeded on its way but Mona saw that Noel's face was troubled, and she wanted to know why. He

"Leon was at the house tonight," said Noel soberly. "He mentioned Tex Danver. So, for that matter, did the

"Tex was to give Leon an alibi for last night," explained Noel. "Odd that Tex should be murdered like Carlo

"I don't know," returned Noel with a headshake. "But this worries me, Mona. I was supposed to stop over and

see the commissioner at the Cobalt Club, but I called for you instead. I wonder "

Mona's hand tightened on Noel's. "Drop me at my apartment," said Mona firmly, "and then keep your

appointment with the commissioner. I'll forget that you met me, Noel. I did it last night."

Her smile showed that she would forget, exactly as she had before. In her phone call to Noel, Mona had

purposely avoided mention of their halted trip to the Skyview Roof. His nod showed that he remembered, and

But there was still that solemn look on Noel's face, and Mona felt that she understood it. She admired Noel

for his concern over his wayward brother. He talked as though he had disowned Leon, but she was quite sure

Mona gave the cabby the address of her apartment and they started there. As they rode she kept watching

Noel. She could understand why he was troubled. In the time required for Noel to come to Helene's apartment

house, which was far uptown, Leon could easily have gone to the Arizona Club to settle certain matters with

Again, the question of murder had reared itself, and the finger was pointing to Leon Grath, man of crime. As

for Noel Grath, man of honor, his mind could never be content until he knew the law's opinion concerning the

IT hadn't taken Moe Shrevnitz very long to shake off the pursuit of the police cars. With the head start The

Shadow gave him, the expert cabby had dropped right out of sight and let the chase go by on its long journey

Nevertheless, Moe was cautious when he poked the cab from hiding and he made a wide circuit in driving

The Shadow approved Moe's tactics. Or, rather, Cranston approved them. For it was the calmmannered Mr.

Again the doorman was perturbed. He felt that the tradition of the Cobalt Club was falling clear out of sight

when so fastidious a member as Lamont Cranston could stoop to ride in common cabs on two successive

Entering the club, Cranston found that the news of Tex's death had arrived ahead of him. Inspector Cardona

had gone over to investigate the case, and reports from the "front" were rolling in like election returns.

The only reason why Commissioner Weston hadn't gone to the Arizona Club was because a visitor had

arrived before he could leave. The arrival was Noel Grath, here to inquire the status of his brother Leon.

Joining the conference, Cranston found his friend the commissioner quite perplexed.

"It is preposterous, Cranston!" exclaimed Weston. "People are trying to blame The Shadow for the death of

Tex Danver, simply because they found him in the office where Tex was lying dead."

"Circumstantial evidence, commissioner," remarked Cranston calmly. "I thought it always went a long way

"It can't in The Shadow's case," he declared, "because we don't recognize The Shadow officially. Besides, we

have heard definite testimony to the effect that someone else was present in Tex's office."

As he spoke, Weston glanced toward Noel Grath and noticed that his companion's face was troubled. With a

"Danver gave me this," stated Weston. "It exonerates your brother in the matter of the Sarratin murder. So

Cranston wanted to know the details of all that had happened at the Arizona Club, so the commissioner gave

them. According to all reports, The Shadow had performed an amazing disappearance. Later, he had

"They should have been searching for the other man!" stormed Weston. "He was definitely the person who

murdered Tex. Why, the fellow actually escaped through a secret exit in Danver's office!"

"So Tex had a private way into his place!" exclaimed Noel. He picked up the affidavit and tapped it. "In that

"What about the affidavit?" demanded Weston. "Do you see anything wrong about it?"

Hesitation showed itself on Noel's face, and Cranston understood. The affidavit was valueless now that Tex's

hidden route had been discovered. The fact that Tex could go in and out of his office unnoticed, proved quite

But Noel stiffened suddenly, and for a reason that The Shadow could well understand.

It was the law's business, not Noel's, to prove the flaw in Leon's alibi. High though his repute, Noel was

reluctant to hurl an accusation at his brother Leon. Subsiding, Noel passed the affidavit to the commissioner

"He did," replied Weston. "He came here sooner than I expected. I wanted him to stay so that you could meet

him, Noel. But he was anxious to leave, poor chap! He didn't know that he had an appointment with death!"

"I'm going home, commissioner," said Noel. "I must finish work on my financial reports. I am glad that Leon

"Did you hear that, Cranston?" Weston inquired. "Noel hopes that Leon will remain exonerated. I'm afraid

that Noel worries too much about his brother. Still, I can't blame him. Leon has built himself a very doubtful

reputation. Let's go over to the Arizona Club and see how Inspector Cardona is making out."

They were just getting into Weston's official car when Cranston remembered some important phone calls. He

Turning to the doorman, Cranston gave the usual nod, which meant that he wanted his limousine, parked

across the street. The doorman was much relieved to see Cranston depart in proper style.

Not having overheard Cranston's remarks to Weston, the doorman didn't wonder why Cranston failed to

return into the club to make the phone calls. As for the limousine ride, it ended just around the corner. There,

Cranston transferred to Moe's cab, which whipped away at rapid speed. When it completed its trip, Cranston

The trip ended near Noel's oldfashioned residence. Speedy as ever, Moe had practically overtaken Noel's

Gliding along the street, The Shadow ascended the brownstone steps, tried the front door and found it

unlocked. Opening the door slightly, The Shadow saw Noel laying aside his hat, coat and cane.

As Noel crossed the front hall and went upstairs, blackness followed him. Living blackness that Noel did not

notice, for his head was bowed in thought. As he entered his study the cloaked shape of The Shadow was

Glancing past Noel, The Shadow saw the man who was sitting at the chess table, working out a problem on

the board; The occupant of Noel's study was his brother Leon. As Noel approached, Leon looked up

"Hello, Noel!" greeted Leon. "I hoped you would come back soon. I thought we might try another game."

"A good while," replied Leon smoothly. "I returned within a halfhour after I left."

"A few minutes one way or the other," spoke Leon, shrugging in indifferent fashion. "Anyway, you're back.

Noel seated himself at the chessboard and helped Leon set up the pieces. Leon won the white and made the

opening move. His hand upon a pawn, Noel paused. Looking squarely at Leon, he announced:

Dropping back into his chair, Leon opened his eyes in wide surprise. Then, reverting to his usual

"He did deliver it," declared Noel sternly. "Perhaps that was why you decided to murder him, Leon."

"So he wouldn't change his mind," retorted Noel, "or ask more payment for that false alibi he gave you."

Noel made the move. The Shadow watched the progress of the game. Deftly, the brothers waged their combat

as though chess, alone, was occupying their minds. Noel refused to sacrifice a knight when Leon gave him

For several minutes the twins studied the board intently. It was Noel who broke the silence.

"Much happened at the Arizona Club," said Noel. "The commissioner tells me that the police found a secret

"That you killed Tex for his money," retorted Noel, "just as you murdered Carlo Sarratin! You knew that Tex

Leon's eyes narrowed but their glitter did not diminish. At last he shook his head.

"You're wrong, Noel," declared Leon. "I couldn't have gotten over to Tex's in time "

"In time to murder him?" inserted Noel. "I think you could have, Leon. What is more, I believe you did!"

"Not when I left, Leon. If you think that I am going to supply you with a false alibi you are quite wrong."

Leon arose and paced around the table, with Noel studying him intently all the while. When Leon spoke

"I suppose you told the police commissioner that I killed Tex. It would be like you, Noel."

"I told the commissioner nothing," returned Noel. "I can promise you this much, Leon. I shall be fair, very

fair. Until the police have finished questioning all of Danver's known enemies I shall reserve my final

As he finished Noel gestured to the empty chair and Leon sat down. The two resumed their game and The

Shadow, acquainted with the ways of chess addicts, decided that they were settled in for the evening. He was

"Let us consider this evening closed," replied Noel. "I can only hope that it will remain so permanently for

From the finality in Noel's tone The Shadow recognized that chess would be the rule from that moment

But he did not go directly to the Arizona Club, even though he resumed his guise of Cranston. Mention of

When the cab stopped at a night club, Cranston stepped from it and strolled indoors. He joined a group that

From the glance that Cranston gave her, Margo understood that something important was on his mind. It

wasn't very long before the two were alone at a corner table where Margo promptly undertoned:

"We were together earlier," remarked Cranston. Then, as Margo nodded, he added with a slight smile: "It

There was one thing about Cranston's alibis they were always required in the cause of justice. Knowing that

Cranston was The Shadow, Margo never hesitated to play a part in his behalf. With a smile, she questioned:

"Yes. Something quite important." Cranston looked about to make sure that no one was within earshot. "You

"Look her up again tomorrow," said Cranston. "Watch her, at first, and if she happens to notice you, remind

That was all. From Cranston's tone Margo knew that he preferred to let her unravel matters by degrees. For

Cranston, even in his present self, could still maintain the air of mystery that belonged to The Shadow. He

had found that it made Margo all the more alert to play a part wherein she had to learn facts for herself.

How much Margo Lane might learn was still a question. It all depended upon the importance of Mona

Brenton as a factor in the strange case of those twins who represented good and evil, the Grath brothers, Noel

Such, at least, was the opinion of The Shadow, whose theories were seldom wrong!

IT was noon, and Mona Brenton was waiting anxiously in the booth of a little cafe, one she had never been in

before. She was watching through the window opposite, looking for Noel Grath. Mona was wondering why

As for Margo Lane, she was wondering still more. She was in the next booth to Mona's watching the same

window. She doubted that Mona could be waiting for Noel, because Margo had learned that Mona's fiance

was so busy hatching wonderful schemes for important financiers that he couldn't see Mona evenings, let

Such rumors faded from Margo's mind when she saw the man who alighted from a cab and hurried into the

cafe to be greeted by Mona. He was certainly Noel Grath, for he had the important, aristocratic look that

Margo had seen in photographs of Noel. Moreover, his worried air was that of a man who had been delving

deep into financial facts. As a final point, Mona herself declared Noel's identity as soon as he had joined her.

"In a way, yes," replied Noel seriously. "It's about Leon. I'm really puzzled, Mona."

"You remember the other night, the last time we were together, coming from Helene's "

"Yes and no." Noel's tone showed doubt. "The point is this, Mona: Leon was at my house when I arrived

"Frankly, I'm not sure." Noel paused, then put the case slowly. "If I had stayed at home instead of meeting

you, I might have seen Leon earlier provided that he is telling the truth. In which case "

"I understand." Mona's tone was sympathetic. "Very well, Noel. I still don't remember having seen you."

There were grateful words from Noel. He left the booth and Mona accompanied him to the door. Drawing

deep into her own booth, Margo watched Mona return to the other booth, and understood the smile that the

To Mona, Noel was more than the human adding machine which most people considered him to be. He had

proven that he could subordinate his schemes of financial wizardry to deal in other phases of life. It was

apparent to Margo that the times Noel wanted Mona to forget were those that she would really remember.

From Margo's viewpoint the situation was most important because it had a bearing upon Noel's sentiments

MATTERS were tightening for Leon Grath. At the very time when Margo was watching Noel leave the

uptown cafe, Commissioner Weston was preparing for a conference in his downtown office.

Present were Inspector Cardona and Weston's friend, Lamont Cranston. Another visitor was also in the

On the commissioner's desk lay two canceled checks: one made out to Carlo Sarratin, the other to Leon

Grath. Twildon had brought them as evidence that he had been swindled, but only by Carlo.

It was quite plain that Leon could have raised his check from twentyfive hundred to seventyfive hundred

dollars, exactly as Carlo had done in terms of thousands. Therefore, Leon's check, brought for purpose of

It happened, however, that facts were dawning upon Commissioner Weston. Knowing the ways of Leon

Grath, he suspected deep duplicity and intended to uncover it. When the telephone rang, Weston pounced for

"If it's Leon, saying he can't get here, I'm going to send for him." Weston shot a look at Cardona. "It will be

The call wasn't from Leon. It wasn't even for Weston. A girl was inquiring for Mr. Cranston, so Weston

thrust the telephone across the desk to his friend. A minute later The Shadow, calm in his guise of Cranston,

was hearing Margo's prompt report of the meeting between Noel and Mona in the uptown cafe.

Finishing the call, Cranston laid the telephone aside and sat down. At that moment the office door opened and

Weston came to his feet, a stern expression on his face, while Cardona, already standing, stepped across to

take charge of the door. They had waited long enough for Leon Grath; now that he had arrived they were

Bewilderment was something that Leon rarely displayed. His face registered it at present. His eyes looked

from man to man as though astonished by the accusing glares that came his way. His lips even lost their

"I... I don't understand, commissioner!" It was odd to hear Leon stammer. "Why... what... why should I

"You'll understand soon enough," put in Cardona from the door. "Just sit down and answer a few questions,

Instantly, Leon's bewilderment vanished. So, for that matter, did all traces of Leon Grath. The man didn't

disappear; instead, he simply became someone else. Or, to put it more precisely, he became himself.

"So you're expecting Leon!" he exclaimed. "That explains it! Don't you recognize me, commissioner? I'm

It took more than the mere statement to convince Weston of the truth. Noel finally managed it by repeating

snatches of conversation from his last meeting with the commissioner. Turning to old Twildon, Noel

"If you have those reports on the Community Fund," said Noel, "I can sign them for you, Twildon. Wait!"

Noel raised his hand as Twildon produced the papers. "Let me recite the figures while you check them off."

Therewith, Noel gave a most marvelous exhibition of master memory. While Twildon checked the list of

contributors to the Community Fund, more than two hundred in all, Noel reeled off every name in order

together with the exact amounts, not only in dollars but in cents, covering each donation.

After he had given a dozen names it was plain enough that he must be Noel, because the list was of Noel's

compilation. However, no one saw fit to stop him. The demonstration was too magnificent to be halted. Nor

did it represent the limit of Noel's ability. When he had finished with the two hundred names he saw that

"Additional subscriptions," stated Twildon. "Sixtythree in all. We haven't totaled them yet, Noel."

Reaching for the paper, Noel ran his eye down the list, gathering in the names in a single sweep. The

"Only fiftynine," corrected Noel. "There are sixtyone names in this list and two of those are duplicated in

Twildon reached for the paper but Noel stopped him. Noel's eyes ran down the list again, this time along the

righthand column. His action was only slightly slower than before; instead of shaking his head, Noel closed

"The total of these new contributions," announced Noel, "is exactly twentyone thousand, four hundred

IT was too much for Weston and Cardona. They wanted to add the figures for themselves. Their totals

disagreed, so Weston sent for an adding machine. His secretary clicked away while Weston called off the

"I knew you were bluffing us, Noel," said Weston indulgently. "Your guess was short by four hundred and

"Why, yes." Weston studied the figures and then looked up in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Because I didn't include the duplicate contributions," stated Noel. "Deduct those that appear under the names

Making the required deductions, Weston found to his amazement that Noel was indeed an adding machine in

human form. He sat back in his chair, quite dumfounded, while Noel chatted with Twildon regarding the

Community Fund. Its gross total, new contributions added to old, came to more than one hundred thousand

The sum in question was to be delivered in cash at the meeting of the fund committee in the Hotel Marmora

that evening. When Noel asked why the committee was demanding cash instead of check, old Twildon gave a

"We've taken too many bad checks," he said. "The only way to make sure that they are good is to cash them

first. Speaking of bad checks and good, some of mine are too good! Look at this one, Noel!"

Twildon was referring to the check that he had given Carlo. As he started to pick it up to show it to Noel,

Twildon paused and stared. He wasn't looking at Noel, he was looking toward the door. But he might have

Standing just within the doorway, blandly surveying the ground around the desk, was Leon Grath.

Noel looked around. Seeing Leon, Noel remembered the cool reception that he had received when mistaken

for his twin. Therefore Noel, in true brotherly fashion, introduced Leon to the group. Leon did not seem to

"Why smooth it over, Noel?" demanded Leon. "I wasn't asked here for a social call." Turning, Leon looked

Weston gave it, straight and hard. He began by stating that Cardona had quizzed all known enemies of Tex

To that Leon replied that Cardona either hadn't quizzed them properly or his list of Tex's enemies was not

complete. Weston brought up the matter of the secret route into Tex's office, whereat Leon shrugged as

"All right, Leon!" snapped Weston suddenly. "Tex was murdered for his money. We know that because his

"No one knew about Carlo's money," said Leon. "I don't think he was spotted when he cashed Mr. Twildon's

Total surprise registered itself on Leon's features. They had to show him Twildon's check so he could

understand what they meant. When he saw how the check had been altered to give Carlo an added fifty

So capable was Leon's bluff that even old Twildon was convinced that Leon knew nothing of the fraud.

All the while, Cranston's steady eyes were watching two faces: Noel's and Leon's. With the keen intuition of

The Shadow, he recognized that Noel, at least, knew that Leon was party to Carlo's fraud, and probably the

instigator of it. With all his sangfroid, Leon could not resist a few sidelong glances toward Noel, proving that

"Very well," decided Weston suddenly. "Tex gave you an alibi, Leon, covering Carlo's death. If you can tell

Leon asked for a list of persons questioned by Cardona. The inspector supplied it; after brief thought, Leon

"Question them, too, inspector," suggested Leon. "One of them may be the man you want."

"Suppose none of them are," retorted Cardona. "What will you do for an alibi in that case, Leon?"

"I can assure you of one thing, inspector," declared Leon. "If necessary, I can account for my whereabouts at

THOUGH speaking to Cardona, Leon was staring straight at Noel. Only Cranston understood the

significance of Leon's gaze. It was Leon's reminder that Noel could give the needed alibi, by simply stating

that Leon had been playing chess with him at the time when Tex was murdered. All it would take would be a

Sternly, Noel met Leon's gaze. He showed none of the leniency that Margo had reported. Of course, Noel

would naturally voice softer sentiments to Mona, and reserve a hardshell pose for Leon.

Then, as Cranston watched, he saw a flicker of shrewdness on Leon's lips. Ending his stare, Leon turned

"Call me again, commissioner," said Leon affably. "When you really need to hear my alibi, I'll have it. Good

Leon left, alone, while Noel went out with Twildon. Remaining in the office, Cranston heard Weston and

Cardona discuss the recent interview, but he gave their comments no attention. Cranston's mind, The

Shadow's, was still contemplating the silent duel that had taken place between the Grath twins, Leon and

Of the two, one must be watched. The slight smile on Cranston's lips was proof that The Shadow knew which

EARLY that evening, Leon Grath strolled from his apartment in his jauntiest style. As he walked along the

street he glanced behind him very casually, but enough to assure himself that no one was on his trail.

Leon, for reasons of his own, did not want any of Cardona's men around at this particular time. He knew that

Cardona, despite his handsoff policy, might have decided to put a few excess detectives on the job of

Seeing no trace of headquarters men, Leon kept on his way. He didn't notice the patch of blackness that kept

It moved strangely, that blackness. At times it filtered from one doorway to another; often it merged

completely with the gloom of a house wall. At times it took on the actual shape of a being cloaked in black,

The Shadow was on the trail of Leon Grath. The cloaked investigator had picked the wayward twin as the one

to be watched. However, The Shadow expected to see Noel very soon, for Leon's trail invariably ended at his

brother's house. This evening, as much as any other, was a fitting time for Leon and Noel to face each other

In a corner drugstore, Leon stopped to make a phone call. Watching through the window, The Shadow saw

him dial a number, noted the coins that Leon dropped into the pay box. In addition, The Shadow observed

that Leon was reading something from a slip of paper. From all appearances he was sending a telegram from

Coming from the drugstore, Leon immediately took a cab. Hardly had it gone around the corner when another

It was Moe's cab, and it took up Leon's trail with The Shadow as a passenger. The trail led directly to Noel's

This time it was Leon who went upstairs with The Shadow following him. The chief difference was that Leon

was wearing hat and coat and carrying his walking stick, whereas Noel habitually placed those articles in the

Keeping to the dimness of the gloomy, oldfashioned hall, The Shadow watched Leon enter the study, where

Noel was seated at the desk. Hearing his brother enter, Noel looked up and shook his head.

"No time for chess this evening," stated Noel. "I have an important appointment, Leon."

"I hope to see her later," returned Noel tersely. "I have been neglecting Mona too much of late. However, my

present appointment happens to be at the Hotel Marmora, in connection with the Community Fund."

Leon yawned, as though the matter didn't interest him. He sat down at the chess table, placed a few pieces on

"Mind if I work out a few problems?" he inquired. "By the time I've finished, you might be back for a game."

"Very well," he said at length. "If you are trying to produce another alibi, I should be glad to learn it.

Regarding the other night, Leon, I am almost inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt."

"Good old Noel!" chortled Leon. "I was sure you would come around. I didn't murder Carlo and Tex, nor did

I take their filthy money. You should know me well enough, Noel, to realize that I never stoop to a direct

Before Noel could dispute the point he was interrupted by the telephone. Leon remarked that it might be

Mona, but it proved otherwise. The call turned out to be a telegram which Noel jotted on a pad. Rising, he

"I'll have to make a special trip," declared Noel, "almost up to Morningside Heights. You remember old Mrs.

Hester, who lives in an old house up there? She wants me to call in person to receive her special contribution

Leon nodded as though he remembered, then turned his attention to the chessboard.

"Probably a fiftydollar contribution," decided Noel, "but the old lady will appreciate it if I go there. I

NOTING that Leon was busy with his chess problem, Noel strode from the room without saying goodby.

By then The Shadow had withdrawn into an open doorway at the side of the hall. He let Noel go past and

There, Leon was no longer at the chessboard. He was at the study window, keeping himself well hidden by a

Seeing Noel go out, Leon gave a chuckle. Glancing at his watch, he strolled about for five minutes, then put

While Leon was so engaged, The Shadow moved silently downstairs. He noted that Noel's derby and cane

were still in the lower hall. Without waiting for a closer look, The Shadow glided outdoors, signaled Moe's

cab, and was in it and around the corner before Leon appeared from Noel's front door.

Cabs being infrequent in this neighborhood, Leon had to take a walk to find one. Meanwhile, Moe was

cruising with The Shadow as passenger so that Leon wouldn't hail this particular cab. When Leon did find a

The course led back to Leon's apartment where he went indoors and came out again in a few minutes minus

Leon's coat was open and a gray suit showed beneath. Noel had been wearing a gray suit and, from the

window, Leon must have seen his twin come from the front door with a gray hat. One look at Leon told The

Pulling away from across the street, Moe's cab was gone while Leon was looking for another. Moe's speed

added to the head start that he had gained, and when The Shadow alighted at the Marmora in the guise of

Cranston's instructions were brief but specific. Margo was to go to the apartment house where Mona lived

and wait for Harry Vincent. Finishing that call, The Shadow made one to Burbank.

He told Burbank to contact Harry and order him to establish himself in the apartment next to Mona's, a detail

which The Shadow had previously arranged. There, Harry and Margo were to await emergency instructions.

Matters were coming to a climax. The Shadow could foresee a real duel between Leon and Noel before this

evening ended. Once the brothers really bared their fangs, no holds would be barred. Mona might become

involved under such circumstances. For Leon Grath was planning a campaign against his brother Noel that

There was a limit to every man's patience and The Shadow was quite sure that Noel, despite his fine

reputation, would call Leon to account. In turn, Leon would certainly use every possible method to complete

Finishing his second call, Cranston entered an elevator and rode up to the mezzanine floor. He stopped at a

corner door where a husky man who wore a derby hat gave him a watchful eye. The fellow had the air of a

When Cranston said he wanted to see Mr. Twildon, the dick asked his name. It wasn't on a list that the dick

produced; so the husky called a bellboy and told him to watch the door. With that the detective went into the

Samuel Twildon came out with the detective. Twildon was overjoyed to see Cranston and invited him in to

"Mark Mr. Cranston's name on the list, Ambler. He is not a committee member, but I am sure he intends to

The door had hardly closed before another man appeared from the stairway leading up to the mezzanine. The

arrival was Leon Grath and he approached the door quite confidently. Ambler nodded, for he was the regular

"Good evening, Mr. Grath," said Ambler. "Everyone else is inside. They're expecting you."

Leon returned the good evening, but he did not add Ambler's name because he did not know it. Still, Leon

felt that his stodgy brother Noel would hardly address a hotel detective by name. In that, Leon guessed right.

Opening the door, Ambler admitted him without the slightest display of suspicion.

Even Leon's smile, at being identified as his brother, was quite the sort of smile that Noel would display.

There, he took off his gray hat and drew a knotted handkerchief from it. He slid the handkerchief over his

head so it masked the lower portion of his face. Replacing his hat, Leon turned the brim down and drew a

Though playing the part of Noel, Leon was careful to make his disguise thorough. He had reasons for

wanting to do so; very good reasons. Crouching in a fashion that made his height difficult to gauge, Leon

advanced into the meeting room. His voice was a hard, forced rasp when he gave the order:

HALF a dozen men turned, quite astonished, away from a table. As Leon brandished his gun the six drew

away, their hands raised helplessly. On the table lay the contributions to the Community Fund. The

"Looks like a crap game," sneered Leon through his mask. "Only, there ain't no dice! That don't bother me!"

His voice was harsh; his eyes, narrowed above the edge of the mask, gave a sharp, hard glitter. "This take is

They understood. The committee members were old fossils, like Twildon, and they didn't show the least

Keeping them covered by the swing of his gun, Leon used his free hand to bundle the cash into his pocket,

paying no attention to several hundred dollars in coin that lay among the stacked bills. The paper currency

Of all the men present there was only one who in any wise worried Leon. That man was Lamont Cranston.

Leon wasn't disturbed because Cranston was a friend of the police commissioner. The reason was that

Cranston looked capable of putting up opposition. He had withdrawn to the wall, close by the entry, and was

Leon decided to make an example of Cranston one that would thoroughly cow the other men present.

Having pocketed all the cash, Leon turned toward the entry. Stopping suddenly, he gave his revolver a shove

"Get 'em higher, you!" snarled Leon. "If you don't I'll croak you, sure! Maybe I ought to croak you anyway

Cranston's hands were going upward, but as they did a strange thing happened. As Leon gestured with his

It was so sudden that Leon didn't expect it, but Cranston did, for he wheeled in darkness, away from the

Leon's gun spoke but it failed to find its target. Cranston was driving in from the left; his hand had a viselike

Louder than the staccato gunbursts came a strident laugh, the mocking challenge of The Shadow.

Well could The Shadow laugh. In pitch darkness he was no longer Cranston. He was The Shadow, dealing

with a masked man of crime whose capture, on this scene, would end the mystery surrounding previous deeds

Crime was turned about. Leon Grath was trying to pin crookery upon his esteemed brother Noel. As the first

step to place crime where it truly belonged, The Shadow was turning the game on Leon!

IN those exciting moments Leon Grath failed to realize that Cranston was The Shadow. When the lights went

off Cranston's hand was nowhere near a switch, which made Leon suppose that the lights had been

In choosing his position near the entry, Cranston had deliberately backed against the light switch. His

shoulder blade was pressing it, and the upward motion of his arms was the only cover that he needed to give

the switch the final click. Leon hadn't heard the click, because Cranston's shoulder muffled it.

The laugh that might have come from anywhere the laugh of The Shadow. Accompanying it was a fighter

who couldn't be Cranston; not in Leon's opinion. For Cranston was gone from one spot and The Shadow was

The shots from Leon's gun cut the darkness like the spurts of a lazy pin wheel when The Shadow sent the

masked crook somersaulting through the entry. That hurl should have knocked Leon senseless, for he was

However, even in the midst of a helpless whirl, Leon encountered luck. That is, he didn't encounter the door.

Ambler, hearing the wild shots, yanked the door open just as Leon came along. Flying through, the masked

The two came to their feet in a struggling embrace. The Shadow's gun was drawn but he couldn't clip Leon

Within the darkened meeting room, old Twildon showed sudden zest for battle. Perhaps the memory of his

lost fifty thousand stirred him to heroic efforts. At any rate he led a surprising charge in which his

companions joined. Pouring through the entry, they swept The Shadow with them and he came out into the

Leon, his mask twisted across his face, was reeling for the stairs, carrying Ambler with him. The two went

rolling downward to the lobby while other men chased after them. On the balcony of the mezzanine, Cranston

waited, ready to play his part when the two strugglers came into sight on the floor below.

At the bottom of the stairs Leon sprang clear of Ambler. Gun in one hand, Leon was clutching his mask with

Bellhops, clerk and doorman, all were cutting in to head him off. Calm in his Cranston pose, The Shadow

They popped in from other doorways, roughclad gunzels of the type who could be bought for a few dollars.

Leon had anticipated trouble in his getaway. He had phoned cheap thugs in the dives that they frequented and

He hadn't told them who he was, but he had certainly promised them some sort of payoff if they would do

Aiming from various directions, the thugs were ready to pick off Leon's adversaries when Cranston became

The Shadow. Alone on the balcony, he delivered his outlandish laugh and opened fire through the upright

Gunners heard the laugh and saw the flashes of The Shadow's automatic. They blasted a return fire.

Those crooks were playing with suicide. The Shadow did not need his black attire, for a fadeout wasn't

necessary. He was aiming through the metal posts, changing his fire as required.

In their turn, Leon's hired gunners were shooting from such angles that none could get a straight shot through

the rail. In every case their bullets clanged the uprights before reaching The Shadow, which meant that they

The metal posts were quite as effective a protection as a shield of solid steel. There wasn't a space for bullets

that came from those wide slants. To the tune of The Shadow's triumphant laugh, crooks were staggering,

DURING this turmoil the hotel employees scattered. Alone in the center of the lobby, his mask still covering

his face, Leon looked up to the mezzanine. There was a glitter from the space between the brim of his gray

hat and the upper hem of the masking handkerchief: an ugly gleam of calculating eyes.

Leon saw the source of trouble and he, at least, had a chance of taking a direct shot. The mezzanine was

gloomy; through the frequent posts along its rail Leon could distinguish The Shadow only as a crouched

In fact Leon thought that The Shadow was fully cloaked, for Cranston's evening clothes, drawn about his

crouched shoulders, created that illusion. Which was all the more reason, to Leon's crafty mind, why robbery

It wasn't just that Leon wanted to rid the world of The Shadow. He felt that if he could dispose of that

intrepid foe his own game would be safer. A master brain of crime, Leon had already schemed sufficiently to

counteract his brother Noel, who represented integrity. Leon didn't care to have another keen brain interfering

Up came Leon's revolver on a level with his glaring eyes. He was oblivious to the staggering crooks who

reeled about the lobby. Completely, he ignored the bellboys and others who had tried to halt his escape and

After that, flight would be easy. Gloating, Leon was about to press the gun trigger. He didn't see the snout of

an automatic that poked down from the mezzanine rail. The muzzle of that .45 was black against the midnight

hue of Cranston's evening jacket. The Shadow's trigger finger had already begun its squeeze.

Fate could employ strange instruments. This time it chose a cumbersome one. The implement was Ambler,

He was at the bottom of the stairs, and in the middle of the lobby he saw the masked man aiming upward.

Who Leon was aiming at Ambler didn't know or care. He wanted to grab the masked man and he saw his

With elephantine technique, Ambler charged. His bulky form was eclipsing Leon's just as The Shadow's

trigger finger completed its squeeze. Only the deft hand of The Shadow could have changed the direction of

the shot that would have taken Ambler instead of Leon. The muscle of the trigger finger carried an

instantaneous twitch back to his wrist. Roaring, The Shadow's gun sizzled its bullet wide.

The shot was only a split second ahead of Leon's. It was a long risk on The Shadow's part, but he was

counting on Ambler, whose life he had saved, to return the favor. And Ambler did, unwittingly. The same

Ambler's outthrust hands were pawing Leon's shoulders when the masked man's revolver barked. Jogged

high, Leon's gun whizzed its slug above the mezzanine rail over The Shadow's head.

Then Ambler and Leon were grappling in the center of the lobby. The dick tried to wrench off Leon's mask,

thinking that the crook would weaken once his identity was disclosed. In turn Leon smashed his revolver

It was time that The Shadow joined the grapple. Up from behind the balcony rail came the tall form of

The Shadow didn't bother with the stairway. Just below the mezzanine wounded crooks had rallied, ready to

charge out into the lobby. They were worried, though, for fear of shots from the mezzanine. Guns lowered,

Over the rail, itself, was coming the marksman who had clipped them. Like Leon, they couldn't tell Cranston

from The Shadow. He was simply a blur of blackness as he vaulted the mezzanine rail and came plunging

THERE were three of those crooks but they hadn't even time to raise their guns before The Shadow was upon

them. Not only did he flatten them by the purposeful sprawl that followed his quick vault, his own fall was

Furthermore, The Shadow was slugging as he came. Crooks who tried to swing up from the floor found their

Actually jouncing to his feet, Cranston sprang across the lobby. Leon was wresting free of Ambler and

making for the revolving door. The bulky dick was after him, an easy target, had Leon cared to shoot him.

But The Shadow wasn't worried about Ambler. Having masqueraded as Noel, Leon couldn't afford to shoot

At the door, Leon grabbed up a lobby chair and whipped it behind him. Then Leon was going through the

door with the detective stumbling over the chair. Head foremost, Ambler landed in a section of the revolving

Cranston's gun was shooting over Ambler's head, but by then Leon had squeezed through the door and its

With the speed of The Shadow the persistent Mr. Cranston reached Ambler and hauled him back to clear the

Twildon and the committee members were showing themselves at last to be bold and were trying to catch the

masked man who had stolen their cash. Letting them drive ahead, Cranston looked back, saw that hotel

employees were taking charge of the dazed and wounded crooks who had aided Leon's getaway. Then,

hurrying through the door, Cranston found Twildon and the others staring along the street.

Leon had dashed around the corner, snatching off his mask as he went from sight. The only witness to that

flight was Moe, stationed close by in his cab. Reaching out, Moe beckoned to Cranston, who stepped over.

Moe halted. He couldn't speak further for his mouth was wide open. Coming from around the corner that

Moe heard a whispered laugh from Cranston's lips. It was the mirth of The Shadow. Gradually, the truth

dawned upon the bewildered cabby. Moe was actually right. Leon had fled in the opposite direction.

The man who had just come into sight was Noel Grath, arriving to learn that he had become a victim of the

So far, Leon's clever game had worked despite The Shadow's intervention. Of course The Shadow wasn't

worried over it. He knew who the masked man was; furthermore, he knew where Leon would go with the

money he had stolen. Definitely, The Shadow expected to catch up with Leon later and have a showdown on

In timing his robbery in the room upstairs, Leon had allowed for his own flight ahead of Noel's arrival. He

hadn't cared if Noel returned rather late from the blind trip on which Leon, by means of a fake telegram, had

The important thing was for Leon to be away before Noel appeared. The delay in the lobby had chopped the

time differential to the minimum; hence the scheme had worked even better than Leon required.

Noel had joined the group on the sidewalk. They were asking eagerly if he had seen where the masked man

went. Noel shook his head and traces of bewilderment showed upon his usually acute face. He couldn't

understand why Twildon and the rest were talking to him about things which he couldn't possibly have

The group was going back into the hotel. Cranston followed, nodding affably to Noel, who returned the

greeting, though still puzzled. They found Ambler quizzing the wounded thugs, all of whom were sticking to

They'd had a call from somebody who called himself a "right guy," and had proven it by telling them certain

things he knew about them. He'd told them to be at the Hotel Marmora, ready to cover a getaway which

would be made by a masked bandit. Each participant would be remembered when the payoff came, so the

As for those who didn't show up, they would be remembered, too. The man who telephoned had facts on all

of them. Things which he could inform the police about if they didn't play ball. So, one and all, the cheap

gunzels had decided to be on the job. They were wanted men, anyway, and one crime more wouldn't hurt,

While the prisoners talked thus, Cranston's steady eyes kept watching Noel's face. Enlightenment was

dawning on those aristocratic features, but they also showed a certain grimness. In the things he heard Noel

Ambler had begun to state his version of the case and the beefy hotel dick picked Noel as the right man to

"How the guy sneaked in I don't know," asserted Ambler. "There wasn't anybody went in after you, Mr.

Grath. Jerry, here, will say the same" Ambler gestured to a bellboy who was standing by "because the

Noel started to say something; then changed his mind. He preferred to listen further rather than add more

"Tell me one thing, Ambler," put in old Twildon querulously. "Did you search the meeting room before any

"We did," assured Ambler. "Me and Jerry both. When we finished we locked the windows tight. Right from

As the finished, Ambler glanced toward Cranston, the only man who did not belong to the committee.

Suspicion registered itself on the dick's beefy face. Twildon immediately interjected statements in Cranston's

"Mr. Cranston was with us when the masked man appeared," declared Twildon. "Not only that, he was the

person most definitely threatened." Twildon swung to Cranston. "I thought for the moment, Cranston, that the

scoundrel intended to shoot you. You showed remarkable presence of mind, turning off the lights."

"It happened quite by accident," was Cranston's casual reply. "I didn't even realize that the light switch was

Other committee men began to state the parts that they had played and soon they were exchanging favors by

A frown came to Noel's face; he was in a dilemma. He saw that questions would be coming his way when he

failed to state his own impressions of the melee. It would be bad, too, when the witnesses began to remember

It would all build to the assumption that Noel was the masked robber. He recognized the answer very plainly.

Ambler's statement proved conclusively that Leon must have come here impersonating Noel, as a means of

Watching Noel's hand, Cranston saw it move into a pocket and finger the fake telegram that Noel had learned

The Shadow watched to see how Noel would handle the dilemma. Integrity was Noel's watchword. He

couldn't lie and say that he had been at the meeting. Indeed, if he did, he would merely be putting himself in

line for a later accusation. To accuse Leon of the impersonation was hardly wise on Noel's part until he had

Now Noel sidestepped the issue very neatly. Gesturing impatiently, he halted the babbled testimony of his

"This is a matter for the police," he declared. "Call the commissioner and have him send Inspector Cardona

over here. Meanwhile, since our money has been stolen, I shall return home. Phone me there when I am

IN his last glimpse of Noel's face The Shadow saw a satisfied smile appear upon those aristocratic features. It

was rather surprising that Noel should smile, considering that Leon had pinned a crime on him, leaving him

no alibi. It was quite obvious that Leon must have first ascertained that there was no one at the Hester house

So The Shadow, still as Cranston, stepped away from the group and entered Moe's cab. Twildon and the rest

had begun to talk about some mysterious fighter in the dark who had first attacked the masked robber. They

were discussing The Shadow, of course, and in so doing were postponing the suspicion that would eventually

A whispered word to Moe and the cab eased around the corner where Noel had gone. Noel was getting into a

coupe, his own car, which he kept in a garage near his house and used on trips of such length as to make cab

fare too high. As Moe's cab halted, The Shadow alighted on the street side and moved up beside Noel's car.

Noel was speaking to someone in the coupe. A girl's voice answered; The Shadow knew that Noel's

"There was trouble at the meeting," stated Noel. "The Community Fund was stolen. I don't like it, Mona!"

"Perhaps, Mona." Noel's tone was solemn. "I shall drop you off at your apartment on my way home. Stay

there until you hear from me. I shall settle matters with Leon, once and for all!"

"So Leon did send you that telegram!" Mona exclaimed. "Just as you said he must have when we found no

"It seems that way," decided Noel. "But Leon is not so clever as he believes. He thought that I would drive up

That was all that The Shadow heard, for Noel's car was pulling away. But The Shadow's laugh was audible as

he returned to Moe's cab. Hearing it, Moe recognized that his chief had learned all that was needed.

Moe wasn't at all surprised when The Shadow ordered him to drive back to Noel's house and speed the trip so

The real surprise was coming. It would strike as soon as the brothers met. Leon, the crafty twin, was to learn

from his honest brother, Noel, that the best laid schemes could go astray. What such a meeting would produce

Past crimes were to mark the progress of the future, in ways that The Shadow could divine. Nevertheless, he

intended to be present as a witness to make sure that his assumptions would require no amendment!

FROM the upstairs hall at Noel's, The Shadow looked into the study and watched Leon at the chessboard.

Totally absorbed in a chess problem, Leon was making notations on a sheet of paper well covered with

penciled markings. Leon looked as serene as though he had not stirred from the spot all evening.

The craft which Leon had displayed had not ended with his flight from the Hotel Marmora. Instead of coming

straight to Noel's, he had detoured by his own apartment and switched back to his tuxedo. Thus Leon was

perfectly set to give his brother Noel a real surprise as soon as he arrived home.

Standing at the head of the stairway, The Shadow heard footsteps and glided into a side doorway. A few

moments later Leon heard the footfalls, too, and looked up from the chessboard. When he was sure that the

approaching man was Noel, Leon returned to his problem and stayed wrapped in it, even after Noel entered

Again watching from the doorway The Shadow saw Noel clap his hand on Leon's shoulder and say:

Leaning back, Leon looked up with his most pleasant smile, if any of Leon's smiles could be so termed.

"Honest work, at least," agreed Leon. "Working away on chess problems instead of using my brain to help

crime. Somehow, Noel, I'm really beginning to believe that there is a reward in virtue."

"I know there is," assured Noel. "But virtue does not consist in pretending innocence while placing a burden

Leon's eyes showed a triumphant twinkle. He gestured Noel to the opposite chair, inviting him to a chess

game. Slowly, Noel sat down and began to set up the men. No longer hiding his real opinions, Leon spoke in

"So you walked right into it," he sneered. "Well, Noel, it was a lesson for you. At last you can understand

how it feels to be blamed for a crime you didn't do. You're going to need an alibi tonight, Noel, and you'll

"It will if you return the money. You can make yourself a hero by finding it somewhere. It's in my overcoat

"Of course I want it, but I know I can't get away with it! Between us we can cook up some plausible

explanation of how it was recovered. Of course, I expect a certain service, Noel."

It was very plain what Leon wanted. He was still after the alibi that Noel wouldn't give, covering the evening

when Tex had been murdered. Only Leon, as he outlined the plan again, was more pressing in his demands

He wanted Noel to testify regarding an earlier evening: the night of Carlo's death. It would be easy enough

for Noel to swear that Leon had been with him so long that he could not have possibly reached the Tropicola

Leaning across the chessboard, Leon put his cause ardently. His face had a devilish expression, for he was a

tempter, arguing how easy it would be for Noel to stretch the truth into a lie. To back the argument, Leon was

smoothly assuring Noel that the falsehoods would be justified. For Leon, true to form, was again taking oath

AT last, when Noel wouldn't yield, Leon arose and brought the money from his overcoat. He stacked it on the

chessboard, picked up heaps of currency and flaunted the bills in front of his brother's eyes.

"How easily I could keep it all!" gloated Leon. "A tipoff to the police and they will begin questioning that

hotel dick as to who went into the meeting room. Then the police will talk to the others, and no one will

"No one except the flatfoot and the bellhop who was with him. That will make you the masked man, Noel!

You'll blame it on me, of course, but it won't hold. You were around later, just as I knew you would be. How

easy it was, chasing you up to Hester's all alone so you wouldn't have any alibi!"

This time Leon's laugh became contagious. It actually produced a smile from Noel. Watching his brother's

face, Leon let his laugh subside. Those eyes of Noel's were talking, along with the smiling lips.

The twins were playing chess again without chessmen. Mental chess, wherein Noel had somehow matched

"Yes, I went up to Hester's, Leon." Noel's tone, for once, carried a gloating note. "But I didn't go alone! Do

you remember that I mentioned how I had neglected Mona? I felt remorseful, so I stopped at her apartment

"So I have my alibi, Leon. I couldn't have been at the Hotel Marmora when the robbery occurred, because

Mona can prove otherwise. But there was someone there who passed for me, and that someone could only be

you, Leon. By your own logic, you therefore become the masked man who stole the money!"

Leon's fists tightened. He stared hard at Noel, wondering if his brother had told the truth. Noel's reputation

stood him in good stead. Of all people, Leon was most completely sold upon the point that Noel never lied; in

At last Leon relaxed weakly, overpowered by the incontrovertible conclusion that the snare he had arranged

By then Noel was gathering up the money that represented the profits of Leon's latest crime. Coldly, Noel

"I shall return this money," he declared, "and state the whole truth when I do so. I shall need no confession

from you, Leon. Mona's testimony that she was with me will be full proof against you. The question next in

"No more denials," spoke Noel wearily. "Your own face betrays you, Leon. You murdered both Carlo and

"Carlo's money goes to Twildon," declared Noel. "You can send Tex's cash to the police."

"It goes without saying that you do have," replied Noel. "Unless you return it within the next hour I shall call

"You will be free to go your way. After all, you are my brother. It is not for me to pass judgment upon your

crimes. I cannot make you bring two dead men back to life, but I can, at least, force you to restore what you

FROM the doorway, The Shadow watched Leon's reaction. At moments Leon seemed to brood; occasionally

his savagery returned. He wanted to argue the whole case anew, but his glances at Noel told him it would

There were other furtive looks on Leon's part; they were toward the money that Noel had gathered from the

chessboard. Even Leon's eyes seemed to water at sight of all that cash. In this game of turnabout he was

At last the curl in the corners of his lips showed that an idea had struck him. Immediately his expression

"You win, Noel," declared Leon. "Thanks for giving me the hour. When it's over, call your friend the

commissioner. If I haven't returned everything I stole you can start the bloodhounds of the law on my trail. I

"You're a lucky chap, Noel," said Leon, picking up his hat and coat with the cane that went with them.

"Lucky to have a girl like Mona, particularly when she can give you such an excellent alibi. If it weren't for

In the friendliest of fashion, Leon clapped a farewell hand upon his brother's shoulder and stalked from the

room. Again The Shadow was gone when Leon went along the hall, but this time the cloaked witness did not

The Shadow had completed his present business with Leon. The next move would be Noel's when he started

Noel had given Leon just one hour, but The Shadow doubted that he would wait that long. There was a

reason, and a very good one, why Noel could not wait. Something was stirring in Noel's mind as the result of

From the hallway, The Shadow heard the front door close, marking the departure of Leon. Still waiting, The

Soon the thing would happen to produce another climax in the affairs of the brilliant twins who stood for

IT happened five minutes after Leon had gone. Standing at his desk, Noel, still in a meditative mood, was

counting the money he had reclaimed from Leon, making sure that his tricky brother had not held back any of

Then Noel, glancing upward, let his eyes notice the clock. With a sudden gesture he dropped the remaining

Snatching the telephone, he dialed a number. When he received a reply he asked breathlessly if he was

talking to the Hotel Marmora. Learning that he was, Noel gave his name and insisted that he speak to

Noel's final words were imperative, yet spoken in a tone of anguish. "Hurry! It means life or death!"

Then Cardona was on the wire and Noel was pouring out words as fast as he could. He was telling the

inspector that he, Noel, hadn't been to the hotel meeting; that Leon had gone instead and stolen the money.

"Yes, yes, inspector!" Noel exclaimed. "It was a frameup. Leon wanted to put me in a dilemma... I know

you believe me, but I can furnish proof. Mona Brenton was with me, elsewhere, at the time... Yes, her

"Leon just left here. He promised he'd restore the money he took from Carlo and Tex. But there's something

else he might do. I was a fool not to think of it before. He'll go to Mona's, inspector... Why? Can't you see

"Don't you see? If she is dead Leon can still blame me for tonight's robbery... Yes, I'll give you the address,

inspector. You'll still have time to save her... How long ago? Five minutes... Yes, I'll try to overtake him, too.

Noel started to hang up. Hearing words from the receiver, he recalled that he hadn't given Cardona the

address. Lifting the telephone, Noel told Cardona the name of the apartment house, its location, and the

number of Mona's apartment. Then, slamming down the telephone, Noel took a long breath.

Seeing the money on the desk he brushed it aside peevishly, as though it were responsible for his slow

recognition of Mona's danger. Turning, Noel started out to the stairway on the run.

By then The Shadow was in the lower hallway. Out through the front door, he reached Moe's cab. Going

around the corner, he looked back to see Noel climbing into his car. The race against death was on!

In the race, Leon was the uncertain factor. It was logical to assume that he had gone to Mona's. The Shadow

had his own reasons to suppose that such would be Leon's destination, without the arguments that Noel had

voiced to Cardona. The question was how rapidly Leon would seek his present goal.

Noel had given Leon an hour's respite. Always a cool calculator, Leon might have weighted his future course

and therefore have taken his time in going to see Mona. On the contrary, it happened that Leon, of all people,

For one thing Leon hated Noel's integrity so much that he feared it. Always, Noel had harped about his duty

to the law. In giving Leon that hour, Noel had yielded to a brotherly impulse, which had probably faded as

soon as Leon left. Noel wouldn't feel bound to his promise; not if his stronger nature predominated.

On that account alone, Leon would have reason to hurry to Mona's, and if he did he would surely arrive there

ahead of Noel or Cardona. Noel was traveling the same route while Cardona's was even longer, since the

Only The Shadow could cut down Leon's headstart, for The Shadow had Moe at the wheel of his cab and

knew how to pick short cuts for the speedy driver. Indeed, during the first five minutes of that breakneck trip

it seemed that Moe was sure to overtake Leon no matter how rapidly the crooked twin had traveled.

IT happened on an avenue where trucks were plentiful. Moe preferred such avenues, which was why The

Along such thoroughfares, Moe handled his cab like a jeep car among tanks, scooting around the lumbering

vehicles in a most remarkable fashion. It was easy to gauge such traffic and clip through spaces where most

From the side of one truck Moe saw another nosing out ahead of it. Like a water bug, Moe whizzed ahead,

intending to zigzag through as soon as the faster truck went clear. He saw the rear of the head truck and made

the swerve. What he didn't see, until too late, was the batch of iron pipes that projected from the back of the

They, stuck out a full five feet, which was most of Moe's clearance and they loomed right across the

windshield of the cab; Moe tramped the brake pedal full force and yanked the wheel, performing a

The taxi glanced the sides of the pipes, knocked away the red lantern that was hanging, unlighted, from the

end of them. Skidding full about, the cab lifted on two wheels and seemed to balance there.

The cab didn't overturn. At that moment the next truck overtook it. The truck driver had air brakes and used

them, but not soon enough. The truck shunted the cab as a freight engine would do with a box car, but with

this exception. Instead of coasting gracefully to a stop the cab performed a series of most phenomenal

It smashed into a truck that was coming the other way, ricocheted and went clear across the street. It mowed

down a fire hydrant that immediately spurted like an oil gusher. It cleared the sidewalk and stopped hard

In that last bounce the cab's wheels didn't touch the sidewalk at all, but that wasn't very remarkable

considering that the wheels were no longer on the cab. They were rolling hither and yon about the avenue,

Crawling from the front door, Moe found himself right on the sidewalk level. Truck drivers came hurrying

over to aid him. They saw Moe yank the rear door open and start to help a passenger. The only trouble was

they couldn't see the passenger. Moe was simply pawing around in the blackness as though he expected to

The truckers pulled Moe away. They heard him moan something about somebody in the cab. One of them

produced a flashlight and turned its beam inward. Moe groaned, expecting to see a cloaked shape massed

upon the floor. Instead, the cab proved empty. Then Moe saw that the door on the other side was slightly

What no one saw, not even Moe, was the figure that was crawling across the sidewalk. Forced to emerge in

Moe's fashion, The Shadow had decided to stay on hands and knees until he reached a darkened doorway past

the brick wall. There, he brought himself to his feet and found that he could stand.

The Shadow had doubled himself during the cab's gyrations and had come through the crash well. He was

more concerned about Moe than himself, for the last smash had threatened to drive the steering wheel into the

However, The Shadow saw Moe's head and shoulders above the wheelless cab. He recognized from the way

the cabby was talking to the truckers that Moe had caught on to the situation and was keeping the men

When Moe faked a dizzy stagger the truckers grabbed him, and that was when The Shadow made a limping

The minutes that Moe had gained were proving precious. Between the crash, his limp, and the fact that he

would have to go on foot for at least a block before he could find another cab, The Shadow was losing

ground. However, the time he had made earlier was still keeping him in the race so far as Noel and Cardona

were concerned. The Shadow might still be the first rescuer to reach Mona's apartment.

Meanwhile, The Shadow could only hope that Harry and Margo would recognize danger when it arrived and

take due measures to offset it. There hadn't been time for The Shadow to inform his agents of the exact status

of Leon, or the fact that Noel was coming to Mona's, with Cardona also on the way.

More than ever this had become a case of life or death, one of the strangest in which The Shadow had ever

participated. Grim was the laugh that came from hidden lips of the cloaked being whose glide was hindered

Life or death! Always related, in this case they were twins, as represented by the brothers Grath, with Mona

Brenton the person whose fate lay at stake. And upon Mona's life depended the proof of crime so deeply

veiled that, without her testimony, the world would never believe facts which, to date, only The Shadow had

MONA'S apartment was located on the third floor and directly across the hall from it was the empty

Their location was a strategic one because the empty apartment had a front window facing on the street, while

the kitchenette opened just above a fire escape that formed a rear route to the third floor.

Margo was watching from the front window while Harry kept a lookout at the rear. Just what the vigil might

The Shadow had made it quite plain that Leon was in a bad predicament because his brother Noel would not

believe his claims of innocence in matters of murder. It was logical, therefore, that Leon might attempt to

As a persuader Leon was a specialist. His favorite mode was to employ lesser crooks who stopped at nothing.

Usually, Leon had things fixed so that such underlings would take full responsibility for their actions.

This had been definitely demonstrated at the Hotel Marmora on this very evening, but Harry and Margo were

They knew, at least, that any of Leon's hirelings would prefer a rear route upstairs, which was why Harry had

taken watch above the fire escape. On the chance that a suspicious car might go past the apartment house,

For The Shadow's warnings, so far, indicated that Mona might suddenly disappear if the feud between Leon

and Noel became too hot, and kidnapers would be apt to circuit a neighborhood before they moved to action.

Of course, such predictions dated back to earlier events. Leon's impersonation of Noel this evening, and the

subsequent debate between the brothers, had completely altered the situation. Any thrust that now might

Moreover, in Leon's case, time was too short for him to intrust any work to others. Leon's negotiations with

It was Margo, therefore, who viewed the approach which could be regarded as a forerunner of doom. She saw

a cab pull up in front of the apartment house. From it sprang a man who wore a hat and a fancy muffler and

Margo saw his face when he turned to pay the driver, and she gave a low call to Harry, who reached the front

"I just saw Noel!" exclaimed Margo. "He's coming up to Mona's and he isn't losing any time about it."

"Why would he be Leon?" demanded Margo. "Mona is engaged to Noel. Besides, if Leon was coming to

"It wouldn't be much of a trail," reminded Harry, "if people mistook him for Noel. Still, there's a way to test

He beckoned Margo into the kitchenette and there Harry took a close look down the fire escape. There wasn't

a sign of a lurker. Since Harry pictured Leon as working with accomplices, he decided that the arriving twin

It was unfortunate that The Shadow hadn't taken time to put in a call through Burbank. In that case Harry

would have known that Noel couldn't have changed from his gray suit into his tuxedo. Margo mentioned the

"It's been quite awhile since Noel dropped Mona from his car," argued Harry. "He probably went home to

"But Noel doesn't go to fancy places much." Margo added the amendment, remembering that Noel had

once started to the Skyview Roof with Mona. "Anyway, why did he come back in a cab instead of his

"Because they won't be able to park around a night club," returned Harry. "Nevertheless, I'd like to know why

"I'll find out," declared Margo. "I'll use the emergency plan, the way The Shadow ordered. I'll drop over to

HARRY caught Margo's arm as the brunette was turning toward the door. A sound from the hallway told that

the elevator had reached the third floor, bringing the man that both Harry and Margo now agreed was Noel.

It was curious how Harry had first doubted the fact, only to have Margo argue it. Each had talked the other

"Too late," decided Harry. "Anyway, it would spoil the setup. We want to learn what Noel has to say."

"You will drop in," replied Harry, "under circumstances that will give you a chance to hear what's said. Out

Harry's strong arms started Margo headfirst through the window and gave her a bird'seye view of the ground

straight below. Stretch, he had told her, and stretch Margo did as Harry relaxed his grip momentarily to give

Margo stretched for the only object that offered a possible hold, the rail of the fire escape. She made it just as

Harry grabbed her to make sure she wouldn't miss. Over the rail, Margo looked back indignantly as though

"Good enough," said Harry. "If you can get back here you can make it into Mona's kitchenette on the other

Margo's ire faded. She ought to have thanked Harry for putting her nerve to the test, but she didn't waste time.

Climbing the other rail, Margo saw that the window of Mona's kitchenette was open, something that Harry

had observed earlier. She had the mettle to try a thing that she would earlier have feared, for it offered a real

The apartments were so laid out that, although across the hall from each other, they ran lengthwise to the

The only way to reach the other window was to start a fall from the rail, with the harrowing thought of the

long drop that would come if Margo didn't catch the window ledge. But the fall, itself, brought the ledge

There was plenty of space to spare and she had no trouble pulling herself right over the sill. Only for a

moment did her weight hang outside the window before the impetus of her haul carried her through.

Harry lingered at the other window long enough to make sure that Margo made the grade. If she hadn't he

Seeing that Margo was safely into Mona's kitchenette, Harry gestured for her to close the window and latch

As matters now stood, Harry would be able to watch the door of Mona's apartment. If anyone came up the

fire escape they would have to smash the kitchenette window and thus reveal themselves by the sound, or

come through the hallway, which Harry guarded. In the meantime Harry hoped to check on Noel's visit by

Reaching the hall, Harry saw the door of the other apartment closing. Mona had admitted the man who

passed for Noel. Reaching the door, Harry cautiously tried the knob, and from its give decided that the door

Inasmuch as Margo was inside the apartment, the purpose of the supposed Noel's visit could be learned

MEANWHILE, Margo had opened the door of the kitchenette and was peering from a little passage into

Mona's living room. She saw Mona, very charming in a negligee. The blonde was staring at her male visitor

"Why, Noel!" Mona exclaimed. "I thought you had gone home for the evening! And now "

She paused, puzzled. The smile she received was more suave than any that Noel had ever displayed, even on

those evenings when he had been less reserved than his usual self. Trying to guess at Noel's thoughts, Mona

"What about Leon?" The words mocked Mona's query. "Did I say anything about Leon?"

"Of course you did," replied Mona. Stepping forward, she took hold of her visitor's arms. "What has

Mona's eyes were looking at the face that so resembled Noel's. Even at such closerange vision she did not

Naturally, Margo hadn't an idea of the deception. Already inclined to treat the visitor as Noel, Margo was

It was the man himself who ended the hoax. His deepened smile, the hard stare of his eyes, could not declare

"I am not myself, Mona." The words were solemn. "Or, let us say, I am myself. I am not Noel. I am Leon!"

Mona dropped back, her eyes filled with horror. It wasn't that she regarded Leon as a monster; nor that she

resented the imposture so far as his part in it was concerned. It was the fact that her own intuition had failed

Mona had thought that she loved Noel but had never been quite sure. To learn, so suddenly, that she could not

tell Noel from the brother he tried to be unlike was a thing that roused all of Mona's suppressed doubts.

With all his perspicacity, Leon failed to recognize Mona's mood. He thought she hated him and was taking

this way to show it. He thrust his hand forward, digging his fingers deep into the silken sleeve of her

Mona didn't shriek. She had too much nerve and pride. Wresting away, she started for the telephone on a

table not far away. The sleeve gave and she tugged her arm from it. With Leon trying to clutch her shoulder,

Before she could dial the operator Leon caught her roughly and gripped the bare arm that she swung toward

The thing that interrupted Leon was a clatter from the kitchenette. Margo was swinging into sight, producing

At sight of the gun Leon spilled Mona into an armchair and made a quick wheel back across the room. He

Margo interrupted herself. Bearing straight toward Leon, she was keeping her gun aimed for him and her eyes

fixed upon her human target. She didn't see the footstool near the chair where Mona had landed, and not far

from the spot where Leon had recoiled. Tripping over the misplaced object, Margo took a headlong spill.

Surprise, more than anything else, produced the cry that Margo gave as she began that header. She added to

it, realizing that a shriek would bring Harry to the scene should it be loud enough for him to hear.

Leon, twisting away from Margo's lunging gun hand, caught her sidewise as she came along. Stopping her

fall with one hand, he literally plucked the automatic from her loosened fingers with the other.

As luck had it, Leon was faced straight toward the door as Harry thrust it open. The clatter gave Leon time to

"Drop that gun, whoever you are! I have you covered and if you fire this direction you will hit the wrong

A GLANCE told Harry that Margo, not Leon, would be his probable target. He recognized that the gun that

Fancying that Leon might have come here unarmed, Harry decided that the best plan was to parley. He let his

own gun fall and raised his hands, almost with a shrug, as though he had simply happened by.

The bluff didn't work with Leon. He dropped Margo to the floor and wheeled away. From his new angle he

had all three covered: Harry, just inside the door; Margo, sprawled and staring from the floor; Mona full

Leon's laugh was anything but pleasant. It told that he had found the chance he wanted and intended to take

it. He had a matter to settle with Mona and he was including Harry and Margo in the deal. Even The Shadow

Time was short for Leon Grath and be hoped to use it to full advantage. Anything was at his disposal, even

COOLLY, Leon flipped Margo's gun from his right hand to his left, catching it so neatly that he still kept

Harry covered. From his pocket he produced his own favorite weapon, a .38 revolver, thus ending Harry's

In fact, Harry was still quite puzzled as he backed away under the double gun gesture that Leon made in his

Even yet, Harry hadn't identified this man as Leon. In terms of Noel, the situation had seemed reasonable, but

it was getting bad. Outside the door Harry hadn't heard Leon declare himself, but the flip of a gun denoted

that the fellow was something other than a lawabiding citizen. To prove it Leon added another touch.

Nearing the door, Leon tipped Harry's gun between his feet, gave it an upward lift as he stooped. Thrusting

his own gun straight at Harry, Leon pocketed Margo's as he stooped; then, with a kick of his foot, he had

Blinking as he backed against a chair, Harry decided to sit down. He knew that he was looking at Leon, not

"And now," said Leon Grath as though summing much that had gone before, "I am going to have my say

He was speaking to Mona, though he was including everyone with the gestures of his guns. Harry and Margo

decided to listen, too, since there was nothing else to do. In his corner, Harry was quite as helpless as Margo

on the floor and Mona stretched in her chair. Besides, it was wise to listen. The longer that Leon talked the

Not to any of those listeners did it occur that what Leon had to say might produce an incredible change in

"I am wanted for murder," spoke Leon. "I suppose, Mona, that my brother Noel has emphasized that fact to

you. He has also told you that I asked him to give me an alibi for the evening when Tex died, so as to

"What Noel did not tell you," continued Leon, "was that I asked him to help me, not on my account, but

"Of course," returned Leon with a cryptic smile. "Noel does not know it, but such is the case. Noel didn't

"Nor that he met you at Helene's," added Leon, "the night when Tex was murdered?"

"Why did Noel tell you?" she queried. "He said that he and I were to keep those meetings secret."

Something was dawning upon Mona as she heard those words. Something that she could never have believed

before this evening. However, not so long ago, she had mistaken Leon for his twin Noel, and that fact made

Watching Mona, both Harry and Margo saw the changes that swept her face as her emotions ran the gamut

"ALL these things were just beginning," spoke Leon, "the time you phoned Noel and he said he couldn't meet

you. I advised him that he ought to see you, Mona, and when he didn't heed my advice, I met you instead.

"I framed my alibi with Tex." As he spoke, Leon was lowering both hands, as though the weight of the guns

annoyed him. "It was worth a thousand dollars, Mona, just to keep you out of the whole case. I felt that, in

Rascal though he was, Leon showed a touch of gallantry that impressed Mona. She remembered the times

"That day at lunch," interrupted Mona. "You repeated what you had said before, just to make sure."

Enlightenment was striking home to Margo, too. She flashed a look to Harry that told him Leon was stating

the full truth. Harry wasn't quite willing to believe it until Leon came through with his full reason.

"I want you to remember what you forgot," said Leon to Mona. "Phone Noel and tell him about our meetings.

Let him decide if your word is sufficient for him to drop his overgrown sense of honor and say that I was

Mona reached for the telephone and began to dial Noel's number. As she did, she turned to Leon.

"If Noel won't clear you, I will," declared Mona. "You shouldn't have deceived me as you did, Leon.

Nevertheless, the question of your innocence or guilt is more important than my pride."

Leon gave a bow. As he did, Harry and Margo heard odd words coming in Leon's smooth tone.

"Drop those guns," was the statement, "and put down the telephone! I am taking charge of this!"

The guns fell from Leon's hands and the telephone clattered from Mona's grasp. Leon, at least, knew when he

Turning, Harry and Margo saw the man who was taking charge, the person who had spoken.

Noel Grath was standing in the doorway, swinging a leveled gun. He was the duplicate of his brother Leon;

surprisingly so. Leon, by neat imitation, had posed as Noel several times, and it appeared that Noel was quite

For in the eyes of Noel and the evil leer upon his lips were displayed, in full, the murderous traits that had

been wrongly associated with his twin, Leon. Criminal though he was, Leon could not match Noel for sheer

With a shove of his arm, Noel slammed the door behind him. Of all who faced him, only Leon had

immediately grasped the full import of Noel's arrival. Yet even Leon was amazed and the fact pleased his

"You gave me advice," sneered Noel, directing his words at Leon. "Much advice, Leon. Not just concerning

Mona, but on other matters. You told me how easy it was to make crime pay and I believed you. I saw how I

could build up crime from where you left off. You took ten thousand dollars from Carlo Sarratin. How easy it

For once in his life Leon showed an expression of righteous indignation. Staring straight at Noel, Leon

"I did!" returned Noel. He stepped forward, stooped, and picked up Leon's gun. "I could afford to do so. I had

Leon's fists tightened, only to relax as Noel gave a threatening gesture with one gun. Moving back, Noel was

"You bought an alibi from Tex!" laughed Noel. "How easy it was to kill that alibi, along with Tex, by

watching near his gambling club to learn the private route he used when he returned!"

"Certainly! He was more profitable than Carlo. Again, it was a crime that I could pin on you, Leon."

Noel paused. His eyes narrowed suddenly in a style that Leon would have envied but for the fact that he was

"I made only one mistake," spoke Noel. "I let you come here, Leon, thinking you would kill Mona. I started

the police after you and they will be here soon. They will have to find you dead, along with Mona. As for

MURDEROUS were Noel's eyes. Straight was the aim he gave his guns. Wise was his choice of Leon and

Harry as his first targets. Quick were the tugs he gave triggers as he loosed the first bullets that were

necessary to his plan of fourfold murder that would cover his own guilt. No gun could have halted Noel's

It came inward with a sweep. The knob thumped Noel's elbow, numbing one hand and sending the spurting

gun from his fist. The door itself swept Noel forward, spoiling his aim with the gun that he still gripped.

Fiercely, Noel came about in a long sweep that was far too tardy. A strong hand took his gun wrist. Another

Noel Grath, twice a murderer, foiled in his effort at delivering multiple death, was in the grip of The Shadow!

A hard twist of The Shadow's gripping hand and Noel's gun fell to the floor. It happened to be Harry's gun,

and its owner streaked across the floor to scoop it up. Harry grabbed Leon's revolver, along with Noel's, and

Leon accepted the situation with a satisfied shrug. His face even showed a gloat as he studied Noel's

With a long shove, The Shadow pushed Noel to a chair. There were footsteps from the hallway, and The

Shadow stepped aside to let Cardona enter. Behind Joe were two detectives; they halted in the doorway when

Cardona held them back. Joe had seen The Shadow. Then, at the gesture of the blackcloaked victor,

One was wearing a tuxedo, the other a gray business suit. Cardona couldn't tell which was Leon and which

He decided that the man with the tuxedo must be Noel, so he went over and planted his hand upon the

The Shadow's laugh was filled with approval of Cardona's choice. But the ace inspector gaped at the words

In a tone so strange and sinister that it seemed a voice from another world, The Shadow then stated the

indictments which he, alone, could give. As they listened, Harry and Margo realized that The Shadow had

built his theories and established them even before the meeting of the twins, here in Mona's apartment!

The fact that The Shadow had seen one Grath twin at the time of Carlo's death was not the starting point, for

the framing of Crimp Gandley could have been Leon's work. The thrust that Sheff Halbert had made at the

Skyview Roof was the first of The Shadow's inklings. It wasn't likely that Sheff would have mistaken Noel

Listening, Leon realized that Sheff must have been on his trail before he reached Noel's, and had therefore

followed him to his meeting with Mona. This explained the dying statement that Sheff had tried to give.

"Still, Sheff could have been mistaken," declared The Shadow. He turned to Mona. "When you lunched with

Leon and discussed events of the evening when Tex died, it proved Noel's duplicity in the case."

"But how" Mona paused, somewhat awed by the being in black "how did you know that it was Leon who

"Because Noel was elsewhere," returned The Shadow. "As I recall it" The Shadow's burning eyes were

toward Cardona "Noel called upon you and the police commissioner, inspector. He arrived there ahead of

"And I came straight from the cafe!" put in Leon. "You couldn't have made it that quickly, Noel!"

Cardona was beginning to understand. As for Margo, she was far past the preliminary stages. She

remembered calling Lamont at the commissioner's office right after Leon, posing as Noel, had parted from

Mona. The Shadow was right. Noel could not have been two places almost simultaneously, unless one of

THE SHADOW did not explain that on this evening he had let Leon go through with his crime, knowing that

it would fail. The Shadow's plan had been to trap Leon and thereby force the issue. Leon's lucky escape had

forced postponement, all to be handled in due fashion. Then Noel had changed the picture in a way that suited

Noel was right when he thought that Leon would go to Mona's. But he didn't know that Leon was going there

to demand a double alibi for himself. For Noel hadn't the least idea that Leon had played the part of his twin

Nor had Leon even suspected that on those same occasions he had been impersonated by Noel. To even think

that Noel had shed his integrity and gone in for crime was beyond Leon's imagination. And Noel, knowing

that such would be, had gone the limit with those crimes, committing murder for profit!

The twins were staring at each other when Cardona drew them together and slapped a pair of handcuffs on

When he turned to look at The Shadow, Cardona saw only the empty doorway. Others stared, too, for The

Shadow, leaving at a timely moment, had seemingly disappeared before their eyes.

From beyond that doorway came a strange parting laugh that denoted conquest over crime.

MANY were the pieces in the pattern, and perfectly did they fit, once crime was fully understood. With The

Shadow's departure, Cardona questioned the prisoners and they talked on matters of murder. Noel admitted

They hadn't come to tonight's events when Cardona decided to take them along. He was informed that

Commissioner Weston was on his way from the Cobalt Club and would soon arrive outside. So Cardona

marched Noel and Leon downstairs with the detectives right behind him, and was waiting when Weston

Cardona hoped that Cranston would be along to watch Weston's face when the commissioner learned that

Cardona had met The Shadow in person. But Cranston was absent, so Cardona alone had that pleasure.

Brusquely, Weston brushed off mention of The Shadow and listened to the recital of the twins. When he

"That covers everything, commissioner," declared Cardona. "That is, everything up until tonight. It seems

that they both switched back to their old habits, down at the Hotel Marmora. Leon here" Joe gestured to the

"One moment, inspector." It was the man in gray who interrupted. "I may as well confess the whole truth."

Cardona turned to Noel, who faced him very calmly. Joe didn't notice the steady stare that came from Leon.

"I took the Community Fund," declared Noel. "I was out for all I could get and it seemed the easiest crime of

Then, before Cardona could ask for further details, Noel gave Leon as ugly a glare as Joe had ever seen.

"I hate to vindicate Leon," snarled Noel, "but I prefer to have him suffer for crimes he actually perpetrated,

not for any of mine. It was well enough as long as I had a chance to win. But now "

"Right now you're licked!" broke in Leon. "And will I cackle while you fry, Noel! But you're wrong when

you think that the law will have anything on me, ever. I've just been waiting to watch certain faces when they

The faces belonged to Weston and Cardona. They exchanged glances that ended when Weston gave a nod.

"On your way," snapped Cardona. "Unless you want to be picked up on a vagrancy charge!"

Leon gave a mock bow. He held out his hand to Cardona and gave an ugly glance at Noel. But Cardona had

no time to accept Leon's grip even if he had so chosen. In the most abstract fashion Leon doubled his fist and

As Cardona folded the two detectives sprang forward. Leon whirled away from them and took a punch at

Weston, who received enough of it to stagger him. As for the detectives, they went down one by one under

Noel, swinging the loose handcuff, rapped it from one head to the other in doublequick style.

Only Weston's chauffeur blocked their path to freedom. He came from the official car, drawing a revolver.

Noel slashed at it with the handcuff and the chauffeur dodged. From his pocket Leon whipped out Margo's

At that moment Harry, coming from the apartment house with Margo, supplied a timely shot that missed

The twins didn't wait to battle. Noel dived for the wheel of the official car, and Leon followed, shooting back

at Harry. There were no hits during that flurry of gunfire. Leon was too anxious to join Noel in the car, while

First, Harry shoved Margo back into the apartment house, and she was wise enough to scramble quickly from

danger. Then Mona was the problem. For some reason she had dashed downstairs and was arriving at this

Not realizing the danger, Mona would have sprung through the doorway despite Harry's efforts if Margo

hadn't caught the other girl and hauled her back. Then Harry was free to empty his gun after the departing car,

IN the car, Noel turned from the chauffeur's seat and favored his twin with a diabolical grin.

"Your home will do," chuckled Leon. "We have business there, I believe. Financial business!"

For the first time in years the antagonism between the twins had ended. They found themselves on the same

level that of crime. Having failed perpetually to lift his wayward brother to a higher plane, Noel had finally

weakened and dropped down to Leon's status, though he did not regard the experience as a fall.

Having tasted the fruits of crime, Noel relished them and actually gloried in his new career, much to the

delight and admiration of Leon. As they sped along, Noel found a siren on the dashboard of the

commissioner's car. Since the dangling handcuff handicapped him, he gestured for Leon to use the siren.

Leon did so and they cleared a path like magic. Between the blares that he pumped from the siren, Leon

"Grand stuff, Noel!" said Leon. "You had the makings all the time. You went further with the crook biz than I

"The credit is yours," reminded Noel. "I was using you, though you didn't know it. I'm glad you don't mind,

"Quite! Teamed together, we can go places. Why, that stunt you staged to start this getaway was an

"You took the cue, Leon," said Noel. "You had to play a part as much as I did. I knew I could depend on you,

"Your confession was perfect," laughed Leon. "A double hit! We're both completely clear!"

"Not quite." Noel raised a hand and rattled the dangling cuff. "I'm handicapped by this. It will be difficult,

The anxiety in Noel's tone brought a smile from Leon. Examining the handcuff, Leon identified its make and

"A standard pattern," stated Leon. "All keys to those cuffs are the same. All you have to do is walk into any

hockshop with a gun in your other hand and tell the fellow at the counter to unlock you with the right type of

key. Funny how panicky some people get over handcuffs. They don't mean a thing when you're used to

"I have much to learn, Leon," he declared. "I appreciate this first lesson in the technique of crime."

"Don't mention it," returned Leon. "We're partners from now on. Think of how we'll fox the police all over

the world staging this double act of ours. We can alibi for each other in places where they will think there is

There was a sudden gleam in Noel's eye. Its flash ended as he stopped the car and looked along the street.

They had arrived at Noel's house. Climbing from his door, Noel gestured for Leon to do the same on the other

Together they hurried into the house and upstairs. Just before they reached the study Noel said to Leon:

"I'll bundle the money. You pack the chessmen. We'll need them with us wherever we go."

"Couldn't do without them," nodded Leon. "Our brains work better over the chessboard. If we disagree on

"Very true." Inside the doorway, Noel gestured Leon toward the chess table. "So hurry and don't waste time

Leon joined Noel's laugh. As they turned away from each other, Leon failed to see the smile that Noel added.

Reaching his desk, Noel whipped the drawers open, looking back over his shoulder to see Leon busy packing

He thrust one hand into an empty drawer then began to paw with both. His other hand brought along the

A panic had gripped Noel Grath. The cash, amounting to nearly a quarter million the profits of his two

Close to Noel's ear came a whispered laugh, heard by Noel alone. He swung about, and at his very elbow he

saw The Shadow. In one hand the cloaked avenger held an automatic; in his other, stacked half under his arm,

THE SHADOW had come here first. Whether or not he had expected the Grath twins to arrive later he was

But Noel, for one, wasn't going to yield so easily. Already wanted for murder, he could risk bullets from The

Savagely, Noel twisted and started his hands toward The Shadow. He wanted to grab The Shadow's gun with

One arm burdened with money, The Shadow couldn't very well ward off Noel's thrust. At least, not with his

hand. He used his knee instead. With that knee The Shadow drove the desk drawer shut and held it clamped

tight. He did it as Noel's hands were coming out, but the dangling end of the handcuff hadn't time to follow.

The top edge of the drawer stopped the chain between the cuffs. His arms crossed, Noel couldn't get his free

Still pressing the desk drawer, The Shadow turned to consider the Leon proposition. A few moments ago it

had been quite static, Leon's hands being filled with chessmen. But the sudden clatter at the desk had roused

Through the air a heavy missile was scaling straight for The Shadow's head. Leon had flung the chessboard

Forced to dodge the chessboard, The Shadow wheeled from the desk. Remembering The Shadow's quick

work with his knee, Noel showed what a foot could do. He shoved one forward and tripped The Shadow, who

Noel pulled the handcuff clear of the desk drawer and turned to dive down upon The Shadow.

Meanwhile, Leon was swinging to aim at the rolling figure in black. He still had two shots in the gun and he

If ever the cloaked fighter had been powerless between two murderers, this seemed to be the moment. He was

half lying on his gun, requiring moments to roll clear of it. So futile was the effort that The Shadow made that

Seeing Noel charging for him, The Shadow flung a missile the bundle of money. All three stacks were tied

in a single lump, but the whole made a very puny missile, compared to the wooden chessboard.

For a split second The Shadow's fate depended solely on quickwitted action. It wasn't a case of his own wits

And Noel came through. With the bundle almost at his head, he grabbed it from air, tucked it under his arm

and made for the door. The Shadow was giving Noel the chance he wanted that of making away with the

Again wits were needed to save The Shadow's life. This time the wits were Leon's, and they ran true to form.

Leon caught a glimpse of Noel and recognized the truth. It bore home harder than The Shadow realized, for

Leon remembered Noel's worry about the handcuffs, and how he Leon had so obligingly revealed how

Two bullets in Leon's gun. He used the first one to reclaim a fortune of which he had demanded a half, and

now felt that he was entitled to all. He aimed that first shot after Noel, reserving the second bullet for The

Leon's first shot scored a perfect hit. It took Noel right in the left side of the back. As Noel sprawled, with the

money bouncing ahead of him, Leon stared long enough to make sure his doublecrossing twin wasn't simply

That wait was too long. As Leon turned to aim at The Shadow, he found he had to fire hastily.

The bark of Leon's gun was drowned out by the bigger roar of the automatic that The Shadow was pointing

up from the floor. The cloaked marksman had completed his roll and was taking perfect aim.

Leon jolted high as a big slug jounced him. His own shot, fired in a hurry, whistled wide of The Shadow by a

As Leon collapsed The Shadow arose and cloaked his smoking automatic. He heard the wails of approaching

Immediately upon reaching Noel's house and finding the money, The Shadow had called Mona and told her

to send Inspector Cardona here. Such was the message that Mona had been bringing at the time the twins fled

Downstairs, The Shadow stepped into darkness beneath the stairway as Weston and Cardona dashed into the

house. Upstairs, they nearly stumbled over Noel, and Cardona paused long enough to learn that the man was

dead. Then, while Weston was grabbing up the money, Cardona moved into the study. There, Leon rose to

Cardona didn't know that the second twin was badly wounded, nor that the gun was empty. Joe beat Leon to a

From below, The Shadow heard the gun burst and went out into the night. Grim was the laugh that stirred the

darkness and carried to the room where Weston had joined Cardona to stare at Leon's body, which lay as

lifeless as Noel's. Hearing The Shadow's mirthless tone, both listeners knew it for a knell.

The Shadow had conquered twins of crime. Noel and Leon Grath, once so opposite in their notions, had

finally thought alike in life. Alike they would remain in death. With all their efforts at a mutual double cross,