Adept as I was myself in the arts of disguise, if this was the mysterious detective, he was able to equal if not even outdo my ability.
"Shadow!"
So he repeated, when I allowed a full minute to pass without having spoken a word.
"Are you Shadow?"
He made a disdainful gesture, and in an impatient tone repeated that one word.
"I want you to answer me a few questions," I said.
An instant later I could no longer doubt his identity. He raised his hand, and I saw him shake his index finger in that peculiar way, as I saw him do on the occasion of our first acquaintance, when I saw his shadow do the same thing. But there was a difference, since, on the present occasion, the finger was shaken at me.
Then he remained holding out his hand, and I could not but know what it was he wanted.
It was his share of the reward, which he had not yet claimed.
I found that to ask him any questions would only result in angering him, so I placed a roll of bills in his hands, which I had kept ready and waiting for him.