'Our object was to destroy The Shadow,' continued Bradthaw. 'That accomplished, we have made new activities possible. True, there was a great stir last night. Dozens of our men were shot down by the law.
But that served to cover the real purpose that we had.'
'The big-shots will have to remain quiet for a time,' reminded Strampf. 'That will postpone the issuing of new crime-insurance policies.'
'Only for a few weeks, Strampf. Meanwhile, I shall complete one transaction, that will make the books show their required business. Caudrey is coming here soon. I intend to issue him a Preferred policy on the Melrue money.'
Strampf looked pleased. Caudrey's proposition was a sure-fire one. As Bradthaw said, it would produce more than the minimum profit that was expected within the next two weeks. After that, business would be as brisk as ever from usual sources.
'There was something that I did not mention,' stated Strampf. 'I visited The Shadow's agents at midnight and talked to them as you suggested.'
'You told them they would not be injured if they behaved themselves?'
'Yes sir. That is our best policy considering the incomplete state of The Shadow's files. There are questions that those agents can answer.'
'Of course. When we prove to them that The Shadow is dead, they will be demoralized! But what was the trouble?'
Strampf brought out report cards that he had picked up that morning, from guards in charge of the captured agents.
'The prisoners had a radio,' he explained. 'They were listening to news flashes; but none mentioned The Shadow. I let them listen, thinking that they would worry.'
'Good judgment Strampf!'
'Unfortunately after I left, that fellow Burbank began operations. He turned off the radio. While the others chatted, he rigged the set into a sending device and started to transmit messages in code.'
'Impossible!'
Bradthaw's exclamation was emphatic. So was Bradthaw's responding headshake.
'Burbank did it,' insisted Strampf. 'The guards caught on at last and stopped him. This morning, I checked with some of my operatives who listen to police calls nightly. They heard Burbank's signals.'
'Did they read them?'
'No. They were in a special code. My men did not know that Burbank sent them, until I checked on the time that the signals were given. Of course, the prisoners have been deprived of their radio -'
'And that settles it,' interrupted Bradthaw. 'The only message that Burbank could possibly have dispatched was one stating that he and his companions were not in danger. The only recipient on whom Burbank counted was The Shadow; and he was dead. Burbank could not have told where he and the other prisoners were, for he does not know.'
Bradthaw regarded the matter as closed; and Strampf concurred. The investigator reported on another matter. He had learned through cablegrams that the real Lamont Cranston would soon be in London.
'Excellent!' decided Bradthaw. 'We shall start the false report that Cranston has sailed for England. His absence here will be accounted for. We shall see to it that the real Cranston is interviewed in London after he arrives there.'
ANNOUNCEMENT came that Mr. Caudrey was outside. The actuary was admitted. Caudrey had read the newspapers; he felt sure that The Shadow had been eliminated in the explosion. He was highly pleased when Bradthaw announced that such had been the case.
'Here are the papers concerning the Melrue money,' stated Caudrey. 'I brought them along for your inspection, Bradthaw.'
The documents impressed Bradthaw. First there was the letter written by old Melrue to his friend Wilmot. It stated definitely that Wilmot would find 'undisbursed funds' within the wall of the study in the brownstone house.
Caudrey produced account sheets that had been among Melrue's papers. His lists showed clearly that more than three million dollars had been retained, apart from the million divided between George and Francine.
With these, Caudrey supplied a floor plan of the old brownstone house. It showed a closet in a thick wall that made a partition between the second-floor study and the hallway that passed it. The closet however did not occupy the entire space. The wall was four feet thick: and there was a corresponding width beyond the end of the closet.
'Provided that anything is in there,' declared Bradthaw, in his modified bass tone, 'we shall issue you a three-million-dollar policy - Preferred Class, Triple A. At the usual premium, three hundred thousand dollars.'
'With the premium deductible?' queried Caudrey. 'I have the ninety thousand to buy the house, with cash for Hurden's commission; but that's all.'
'Premium deductible from the proceeds,' agreed Bradthaw. 'But with our special Speculation Rider attached to the policy.'
The Speculation Rider was a new one to Caudrey. It was not dependent upon the figures that the actuary had prepared for crime-insurance premium rates. Bradthaw explained the rider.
'We found it necessary to have actual proof that certain funds or jewels existed,' declared Bradthaw. 'If they were seen by witnesses that was sufficient. In this case we have a method of learning if some object is in the wall. But that will not prove that said object - say a metal chest - contains the funds.
'Therefore the rider. When the wall is opened, it must be done in the presence of myself, or some representative. If the funds are intact but less than the estimated three million, we cannot pay the difference. We shall simply deduct the proportionate premium.'
Caudrey nodded his understanding.
'If it's all there - but only a million instead of three I pay a hundred thousand dollars. That makes it quits.'
'Yes,' smiled Bradthaw. 'And if there is nothing, you receive nothing and pay nothing.'
'The Speculation Rider's fair enough,' declared Caudrey. 'But how are you going to find out if there's anything there?'
Bradthaw glanced at his watch.
'Get hold of your proxy, Hurden,' he ordered. 'Have him go to that lawyer's office - what's the fellow's name?'
'The attorney for the Melrue estate? Reddingham.'
'Have Hurden see Reddingham. Tell him he wants to inspect the house; that he wants to bring in furnace men, plumbers, electricians, to see that everything is in good shape. We'll do the rest.'
'And Hurden buys the place?'
'He's to be waiting for a telephone call. You'll make it, telling him what to do.'
ONE hour later, Hurden reached Reddingham's office. The proxy was a dapper, middle-size man; a contrast to Reddingham who was a withery old fossil.
The attorney hemmed and hawed, declaring that he was no real estate agent; but finally he decided to show the house.
The pair took a taxi trip to the obscure street where the mansion stood. There, they met George and Francine Melrue; for Reddingham had insisted upon calling the heirs.
The house was furnished, but in an ugly, old-fashioned style. None of the furniture was old enough to come in the antique class. It was all too out-of-date to have any resale value.
Realizing that he was paying more than double the mansion's value, Hurden took the stand that he expected to buy the place furnished. George Melrue raised a whiny objection at first; then agreed.
Hurden seemed pleased. George slipped a wink to Francine.
The girl totally disliked the whole procedure. Though Hurden seemed satisfied with the deal, she felt sorry for the fellow.
The electricians had arrived, bringing an odd-looking apparatus that they called an improved 'circuit tester.'
