“Help me, Cliff! There’s another girl here, too. Durgan means trouble. He’s mad! Hurry, Cliff—”
The call ended. Cliff realized that something had made Madge alarmed. Her instructions were definite enough to start. She had said “another girl.” That fitted Cliff’s suspicions.
Could it be Arline Griscom, kidnapped daughter of the theater owner? It must be!
Twenty minutes of nine. Could he afford to wait precious minutes, to send a message to The Shadow? Perhaps there would be no response that would mean a wait of another half hour.
No! Time meant too much, right now. One thought predominated Cliff’s mind. He was sure that the girl he loved was threatened with danger from Killer Durgan. The alarm in Madge’s voice left no room for doubt.
He must go to the rescue at once!
CHAPTER XX
DEATH AND THE SHADOW
CLIFF MARSLAND slipped over the window sill. He had made it from the fire escape. The window sash had been loose. Perhaps Madge had seen to that when Durgan had let her look from the window that afternoon.
Cliff was going on the assumption that he was in the right house. He had found the electric sign; he had seen the revolving ball atop an apartment house. Then he had discovered an old darkened building, evidently a vacant apartment, with a battered fire escape descending. He had made his way to the fourth floor.