“I heard something,” averred Miss Cornelia, staring toward the French windows.
All eyes followed the direction of her stare. There was an instant of silence.
Then, suddenly, traveling swiftly from right to left across the shades of the French windows, there appeared a glowing circle of brilliant white light. Inside the circle was a black, distorted shadow—a shadow like the shadow of a gigantic black Bat! It was there—then a second later, it was gone!
“Oh, my God!” wailed Lizzie from her corner. “It’s the Bat—that’s his sign!”
Jack Bailey made a dash for the terrace door. But Miss Cornelia halted him peremptorily.
“Wait, Brooks!” She turned to the detective. “Mr. Anderson, you are familiar with the sign of the Bat. Did that look like it?”
The detective seemed both puzzled and disturbed. “Well, it looked like the shadow of a bat. I’ll say that for it,” he said finally.
On the heels of his words the front door bell began to ring. All turned in the direction of the hall.
“I’ll answer that!” said Jack Bailey eagerly.
Miss Cornelia gave him the key to the front door.