Besides this appeared notations in French and German. They were alike to the hidden eyes above the lamp. The Shadow read them all with ease.
Each page bore one name penned at the top. That was the name of Marcus Holtmann. Evidently The Shadow had a keen interest in the affairs of the man who had come from Russia.
Holtmann had said that he was going to Chicago. That city was indicated by a pin on the map; but there were other marked cities besides.
Upon a blank sheet of paper, the hand of The Shadow began a series of penciled notations. First appeared the name Marcus Holtmann. Then two words: “Purpose — destination.”
The probable purpose of Marcus Holtmann was covered by the papers on the table. The destination was ostensibly one of the cities indicated on the map.
As The Shadow’s hand remained motionless, it was obvious that some unforeseen happening had intervened to obstruct well-formulated plans in the trailing of Marcus Holtmann.
Tonight, The Shadow had watched to see if Holtmann had contacted with other persons prior to his departure from New York. Noyes, Froman, and Tholbin, guests at Waddell’s, had come under the careful surveillance of Lamont Cranston.
Holtmann, no matter what his plans might have been, would in all probability have gone to the Belmar Hotel to check out. If his proposed trip to Chicago should be a blind, he might not even have taken the Midnight to Chicago; but, had he departed on that train, Vincent would have followed him.
Neither Marsland at the hotel, nor Vincent at the terminal, had observed Marcus Holtmann! Somewhere between Waddell’s Long Island home and Manhattan, Holtmann had vanished. The Shadow’s careful plans had been crossed by this unexpected occurrence.
Upon the paper, The Shadow wrote three names: