“Who are you?” he questioned, in a raspy voice.
“They call me The Shadow.”
The reply brought a tenseness to Wilberton’s face. He had heard of this mysterious man of the night. It had been rumored that he was the person who had waged the destructive war against the New York racketeers.
If this man proved to be The Shadow — and Wilberton showed no signs of doubt — the words that he had uttered must be true!
The Shadow was approaching now. He stood before the table, an ominous, threatening figure, and surveyed the men before him. Both seemed to accept his presence. Griscom appeared hopeful; Wilberton expressed intense interest.
“Your daughter,” said The Shadow, to Griscom, “was abducted by the man who murdered George Ballantyne. That man was called Killer Durgan. He died tonight — very suddenly. Your daughter has been taken to safety.
“Killer Durgan” — The Shadow now seemed to be addressing Wilberton — “was a notorious racketeer who managed to cover his tracks well.
“He disappeared the night that the dock racket was broken. He went into hiding — in a house belonging to a super-racketeer, whose commands Durgan obeyed.”
Howard Griscom looked at The Shadow wonderingly. Lamont Cranston had spoken of a super-racketeer — a billion-dollar master mind — whose hidden hand pulled the invisible strings that controlled the greatest rackets in New York!
“When messengers came from this overlord,” continued The Shadow, “their orders were picked up at a designated spot and taken to their destinations. The messengers did their work and disappeared.