The gun play at Loy Rook’s had been a welcome relief. It made good copy for reporters, and it was a change from the insidious methods of Double Z.
It brought gang war into the picture, and the public was accustomed to such affrays in New York.
Double Z was temporarily shelved by the press. Hence Joe Cardona and his superior had experienced a breathing spell.
In his investigation of the Chinatown quarrel, Joe Cardona could find no trace of Double Z. Jake Dermott was not a gigantic figure in the underworld, and Sneaks Rubin was of trifling importance.
Nevertheless, Double Z would probably have sent one of his predicting messages if he had known that killings were on the way. Perhaps Double Z was becoming cautious. Joe hardly knew whether to be glad or sorry.
“I’d give my right eye to get the guy!” he told Inspector Klein. “If he’d only try something once again — I think I could get him!”
“You think so?” quizzed Klein. “Well, Joe, you’d better get him if he shows his nose again.”
The remark was not encouraging to the star detective. He had a troubled look on his face when he left.
Little did Joe Cardona suspect that Double Z had been closely concerned with that fight at Loy Rook’s — that three of the mad murderer’s most trusted and important agents, Dermott, Rubin, and the Chinaman, had met their doom because they had meddled with The Shadow!
A mighty conflict of unseen forces had taken place, and New York’s best detective had not stumbled upon a single clew!