Harry had never seen Isaac Coffran. That master of secret crime had disappeared when he had been vanquished by The Shadow. No one had known where he had gone.
This was Isaac Coffran’s new center of activity! It meant danger — fearful danger. Harry congratulated himself that he had not betrayed his connection with The Shadow. What little hope he now had depended upon silence. For Isaac Coffran was merciless. Harry could tell by the gleam in the old man’s eyes that he was planning some fiendish scheme.
“There’s no use in bluffing any longer,” said the master crook. “I’ll take charge of him now. Let Windsor go free. That will surprise him, perhaps.”
Blair Windsor was unloosed. To Harry’s complete amazement, Windsor calmly joined the others. That brought revelation.
Blair Windsor was a member of the gang! Harry had played into his hands. With Harper and Buckman out of the way, he had been left entirely along among the enemy!
Harry realized now that he had been thoroughly mistaken all along. He had believed that some danger threatened Blair Windsor; that he had come to Brookdale to protect Windsor against some plot.
Instead, he had been delegated by The Shadow to find out the true state of affairs — and he had failed!
Harry Vincent groaned.
The answer was a laugh from Blair Windsor.
“Fooled you, didn’t I?” asked the owner of the Brookdale house. His usually frank face now bore an expression of malice. “Thought I was working with you, didn’t you? You took the gun I gave you. It was loaded with blanks. You fell for it, Vincent.”