“They would mean nothing,” interposed Harry. “The Shadow is scarcely more than a myth, so far as actual knowledge is concerned. Palermo, you may be sure, has covered his tracks perfectly.
“There is only one chance — that the police may stumble upon some strange clew that will give them a bona fide starting point. Without that, nothing can be laid to Palermo.”
“WHAT does The Shadow intend to do?”
“Why ask me?” said Harry. “The Shadow, when he acts against supercriminals, is relentless. He seeks to undermine them; to make them betray themselves.
“Many times he has forced dangerous men into corners from which they could not escape. The police have caught them with the goods.
“When The Shadow fails in such an effort, he uses all his power to enmesh his enemy, keeping him in a helpless position. That is what he is doing with Palermo, now.”
“But what will be the result?”
“Palermo will be forced to desperate measures,” explained Harry. “That will give The Shadow another opportunity to break him. Only in the most extreme cases will The Shadow take the law into his own hands.
“You can see how the mesh is tightening. Palermo was terribly dangerous while he controlled a crowd of gangsters through Gunner Macklin. Now, his power has been clipped. Palermo is safer than before, but he has been forced to be on the defense.
“Watching every one who enters the Marimba Apartments, we can keep tabs on Palermo’s visitors.”