The Shadow was gone, with no trace of his mysterious presence behind him. The Shadow had seen both
Grewson and Jocelyn die. The Shadow had learned of Professor Folcroft Urlich, through the single name
which he had gleaned from Thomas Jocelyn.
The master of darkness had departed, to wage combat with the master of silent death.
The Shadow knew!
CHAPTER XVIII. IN THE LABORATORY
Two men lay huddled at the side of Professor Urlich's laboratory. Propped against the wall, their hands
bound behind them, Cliff Marsland and Clyde Burke stared wearily at the scientist and the gang leader
who stood beside him.
Both of The Shadow's agents had taken hard bumps in their encounter with Larry Ricordo's gorillas.
Clyde Burke, in particular, showed signs of genuine grogginess. Cliff had been overpowered by a swift
attack; Clyde had gone down from a single sharp blow.
It was Clyde's condition that gave Cliff Marsland a cue. Knowing that his companion was actually in a
state of inertia, Cliff feigned the same condition. Thus both were able to avoid some of the questions that
Larry Ricordo was pumping at them: questions which pertained to the activities of The Shadow.
Clyde Burke's presence at the spot where Cliff Marsland had been taken was not merely coincidence.
The Shadow had foreseen the possibility of some one following Cliff when he left Red Mike's. Through
Rutledge Mann, Clyde had been instructed to remain in the vicinity of the place where Cliff put in his
regular phone calls.
As a reporter who handled crime news, Clyde Burke made frequent excursions into the bad lands. His
duty had been a simple one; failure had occurred partly through his own lack of vigilance and partly
through a surprising display of stealth on the side of Ricordo's mobsters.
Now was no time for regret. The present objective — Cliff was the one who saw it clearly — was to avoid
all troublesome questions. Thus Larry Ricordo's ugly threats and his imprecations, directed chiefly at
Cliff, brought nothing more than indifference and evasion.
'So you're The Shadow's stool, eh?' queried Ricordo. 'What about this other mug — your buddy who
carries a reporter's card. What was he doing when we grabbed you?'
Cliff Marsland half opened his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. No reply was the best way to deal with
Ricordo's questions. The gang leader spat a series of oaths, and swung to face Professor Urlich.
'See what you can get out of him!' growled Ricordo. 'You wanted me to bring him here. Maybe you can
make him squawk!'
'There is no need for haste,' returned the scientist, with a calm, evil smile. 'As a matter of fact, Ricordo,
questioning is hardly necessary.'
'Why not?'
'We may consider two assumptions,' remarked the professor, in tones that came coldly to Cliff
Marsland's ears. 'One: that these men can give us no information of consequence. Two: that if either of
them does know facts, they will give them voluntarily, under proper treatment.
'If they know nothing, they are useless. Therefore, it would be best to destroy them. If they know
something, they will cry it forth as the only hope of life when they see the fate that is planned for them.'
Professor Urlich's gleaming smile widened in wicked proportions.
HIS statements worried Cliff Marsland. The Shadow's agent realized that he and his fellow prisoner were
being classified as biological specimens suitable for some experiment. Cliff sensed a terrible menace
ahead.
'Furthermore,' added Professor Urlich, 'I am confident that there has been no failure in the plan which I
devised for to-night. At this present minute, Thomas Jocelyn is probably dead; and The Shadow with
him.
'In fact, I am so positive of my success that I see no reason why I should not destroy these
trouble-makers without further delay. Nevertheless, I enjoy experimental killing. The time may come
when I shall choose to make dying men talk. If I can produce such result with these victims, I shall add
another page to my book of scientific research.'
'It's up to you, professor,' grinned Ricordo. 'You're the guy that can do it.'
'Human life,' remarked the professor, staring toward Cliff Marsland as he spoke, 'means nothing to me.
I have equipped this laboratory for the purpose of experimenting with such life.
'When persons block my path, when the human element seems dangerous to my plans, removal is the
one solution. You realized that' — Urlich had turned, and was speaking to Ricordo—'when I sacrificed
Thomas Jocelyn. In my first important experiment, The Shadow intervened. After that, I twice led him on
a blind trail. To-night, however, I felt that the original course would be best.
'The Shadow leaned above Alfred Sartain that night in the penthouse studio. I am confident that he must
have leaned above Thomas Jocelyn tonight. You know the answer, Ricordo. I was removing Jocelyn,
because he had become dangerous. Jocelyn was breathing death. Thus I arranged for one victim to take
another with him.'
'A great stunt, professor,' commented Ricordo. 'I don't see how The Shadow could have slipped out of
it. Grewson had a soft job. Maybe you've got it all O.K. But how are you going to get rid of this pair of
mugs we've got here?'
'Very simply,' said the professor. 'Here in this laboratory. There will be no trace of death, Ricordo. No
trace whatever.'
'Just one thing,' remarked Ricordo. 'What are you going to do about the big plans, now that Jocelyn is
finished?'
'I still deal silent death,' replied Urlich coldly. 'It will be simple to gain the assistance of another financier.
Leave that to me, Ricordo.'
'With The Shadow blotted out,' said the gang leader, 'we can start right where we quit. There's only one
thing, professor — I'll have to lay low for a while.'
'Yes? Why?'
'Well, the coppers have still got Slips Harbeck. He may squeal. That's bad enough. But I made it lots
worse tonight, going into Red Mike's. I didn't think there'd be such a big mob there. It's all around by
now that Larry Ricordo is back in town.'
'Ah!' Professor Urlich pondered long. 'That is unfortunate, Ricordo. It will temporarily deprive me of
your useful services. Perhaps it will mean a long period of inactivity.'
'It probably will, professor. I can hang out here — '
'That is hardly wise, since a matter of many weeks is involved. It would be better, Ricordo, for you to
actually leave town.'
'The sooner the better, professor.'
'Yes?'
'Sure. The bulls may already be out to spot me. If I scram in a hurry, they'll still keep looking, and they
won't find me.'
'Where would you go?'
'West. Chicago. Maybe Milwaukee.'
