Adventure stories; Detective and mystery stories; Missing persons -- Fiction; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction
As he passed me, he nodded and motioned me to go on talking, his lips
forming the words “Go on!”
“What time do you want me to meet you and where?” I went on at random.
My visitor reached the window and snatched one of the heavy curtains
aside. I caught a glimpse of a startled face—saw the face twist into a
sudden, frightened snarl. Then Moore’s hand flashed to his hip as I
got to my feet. The room rang with the crash of a revolver shot and I
clapped my hand to the side of my head. I saw the intruder stumble
forward into the room through the smoke, tearing with both hands at
his chest, and then sink limply to the floor. A small metal object
shaped something like a hammer-head dropped from his hand as he fell.
Glass was still tinkling on the floor from a broken picture behind me
as my visitor slipped his revolver back in his pocket and stooped over
the fallen man. “Good Lord, so soon?” I heard him whisper.
I stumbled over to him, speechless, as Larry came running into the
room, a ludicrous look of apprehension on his face. It cleared a
little when he saw me. Then a moment later he caught sight of the
blood on the side of my face and came running over to me. “My God,
sor, did he get you bad? I’ll tear the heart out av him.” He turned on
Moore, and then for the first time caught sight of the man on the
floor. Moore turned to me at the same moment.
“Did he get you? Not badly, did he?” He strode over to me. “Let’s have
a look! No, just a scratch, thank goodness. Close call though.”
“Say, what the devil is it all about?” I began. “Who is this fellow,
and what the hell did he get me with? I’ll swear there was only one
revolver shot and that was yours.”
But Moore interrupted me. “Listen,” he said quickly. “That one is
dead, I think, and a good job too. But you and I are also, or as good
as dead, if a word of this gets into the papers. I want you to ’phone
to police headquarters, if your head will let you, and ask for Captain
Peters. Don’t talk to any one else on any account. When you get him,
give him this address and tell him to come here at once. Give him no
name, but tell him he’s wanted. Better wash out that wound first,
though. Get rid of your man and keep his mouth shut, will you? I’m
going to search this fellow.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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