Kings Of Crime

by Grant Maxwell

The double career of Wheels Bryant was tremendous news. How this fiend of crime had perpetrated his evil designs under the guise of Rufus Cruikshank, as mayor of the city, was now common talk.

With Police Chief George Yates at the head of law and order, Seaview City was safe from crime, now that its false, betraying mayor had met the fate that was his due.

The three members of the Public Safety Committee who had been under suspicion were now vindicated. They had been lax in their desire for strictness of the law; yet not one of them was a man of crime.

Bewildering events had marked the passing of the crime kings. But in cold consideration of the facts, all became plain. The Shadow, long in advance, had given his warning. It had not been heeded — due to the subtle influence of Rufus Cruikshank.

The Shadow — active in Seaview City — was the one who had unraveled the dual identity of that fiend of evil — Wheels Bryant. Now that the vital fact was known, the rest of the story came from the lips of Herbert Carpenter — the man who had obeyed The Shadow’s bidding.

The evidence that Carpenter provided gave all that was needed. His confession of membership in the league of evil was not used against him; for upon his shoulders rested no responsibility for crimes other than his own — the blackmail which he had committed.

Before he went back to the penitentiary to become Convict 9648 again, Herbert Carpenter gave Police Chief Yates the last of the money that was in his possession — the larger part of the thousand dollars that he had kept from The Shadow’s funds.

This cash, unclaimed by The Shadow, was to go to Carpenter’s family. Chief Yates promised to handle that matter. He also assured Carpenter that he, himself, would see that the family did not suffer during the ten years or more that Carpenter — returned — would have to serve.

The promise pleased Herbert Carpenter. He had faith in Chief Yates. But he did not need that promise. He had greater faith in The Shadow. Somehow, he knew that The Shadow would not see the innocent suffer for the guilty.

BACK in prison, Herbert Carpenter went about his tasks in true penitence. He realized fully the penalty of crime. He had been a crook. He had sided with crooks. The part that he had played in ending the work of crooks had been trifling, indeed, compared with the mighty performance of The Shadow, or even with that of the police.