“He found the paper, and took it from Isaac Coffran’s room. Birdie Crull killed Jarnow to obtain it.”
A look of dismay appeared upon Birdie Crull’s face. The Shadow laughed, as his theory was confirmed.
“But you didn’t get it, did you?” questioned The Shadow, addressing Birdie Crull. “No. Wait. You took most of it, but left part.
“Harrison would have suspected an entire document; but not a fragment. Griffith suspected the fragment. That’s why you killed Griffith.”
The amazing revelations of the mysterious figure in black disconcerted Birdie Crull. Only the head and shoulders of The Shadow were visible; they presented a weird figure, atop the torture casket.
The cavern became silent, as The Shadow ceased speaking. He seemed to be in deep thought.
Then he began to emerge, straight upward, from the strange box in which he had crouched and hidden.
It was a difficult feat; but The Shadow accomplished it, with amazing agility. He loomed high above the box; then he slid downward to the ground.
At that instant, Birdie Crull made a dash for safety. He dived into the opening that led to Blair Windsor’s house, seizing his automatic in his forward plunge.
The Shadow fired after his departing figure. Strangely, the shot went wide. It was as though The Shadow had deliberately chosen to let the man escape. The single report of his automatic sounded like a signal.