Part 4 (1/2)
”Oh, good. Then it won't inconvenience you if I take it.”
Relief was a tremendous emotion within me.
”I'll be infernally glad to get rid of it!” I exclaimed, shoving the package into his hands. ”There! Take it!
And will you inform Dido Alstrong that I am not to be called on for any more of his favors!”
Mr. Edwards accepted the package, but seemed somewhat uncomfortable. And he said, ”Well, I'll try to convey your feelings to Dido. . . . But-ah-it's rather difficult to state such a blunt thing. You know how it is.”
”I know how Dido is,” I said bitterly. ”One doesn't find it easy to tell him anything.”
”Exactly,” said the polite young man. ”Well, I must rush off now. I'm greatly obliged to you, Henry. I trust we may meet again soon.”
”I certainly hope so!” I said heartily, because his manners were very nice, and I felt sure a further acquaintance with him would be agreeable.
He departed.
I went back to Miss Lila Farrar.
”Hey!” said she. ”Where's the mystery-box?”
”Why, it's all settled,” I explained happily. ”That young man was Dido Alstrong's representative, he said, so I gave it to him.”
”You dope!” said Miss Farrar.
MR. MAYFAIR joined us at this point. ”Monk,” said Lila, ”this witless wonder got rid of the package.””Huh?” Mr. Mayfair's small eyes popped like those of a puppy that was being squeezed. ”How?”
”A smoothie just walked up and asked for it and Henry handed it to him,” said Miss Farrar bitterly.
Mr. Mayfair seized me by the front of the coat. The jerk he gave me slightly disturbed some of my teeth.
”Stupid!” he said. ”I don't know what I'll do to you! But I'll think of something in a minute!”
”Release me at once!” I gasped, somewhat terrified by his manner. And his face-it was something with which to crack rocks.
”Where'd the guy go?” he yelled.
”I refuse to answer-”
”Where's the guy got that package?” he bellowed.
I understood now that a loud voice and plenty of shouting was a part of his rages. This squalling meant that he was uproariously mad. And Mr. Mayfair in a rage was quite terrifying.
Before I could get my tongue unstuck from its fright, there was a commotion from inside a shop that opened off the lobby. Blows, a cry-the cry in a man's voice. It was the shop into which the polite Mr.
Edwards had stepped while departing with Dido Alstrong's package.
”There!” I gasped, pointing at the shop.
”Yeah?” Monk said. ”Where the noise came from, eh?” He showed great interest and dashed for the shop, retaining, however, his unpleasant grip on my clothing.
Inside the shop, two men were injured. One, the proprietor, was draped across a counter, holding his nostrils with both hands, and strings of crimson were dropping from between his fingers.
”Get a cop!” this man was yelling. ”See which way that so-and-so went!”
The other victim was my courteous young friend. He lay quite still, except when he coughed, which he did infrequently and only when he could not possibly prevent himself doing so. With each cough, a spray of crimson was tossed over the surroundings. There was a dark cylindrical object protruding from his chest-a knife handle.
Monk roared at the proprietor, ”There was a package! Where'd it go?”
”The one who ran away took it,” the man said.
Chapter V.
AT MIDAFTERNOON, the rain still came down in a tired way. The clouds must be very dark and thick over the city, because already at 3 p. m. there was almost a twilight, a semi-murk that pervaded like a giant's scowl. The horns of the cars in the street beeped ill-temperedly at one another, against a background of traffic sound that was a low disgruntled growling.
Miss Lucy Jenkins, my lab a.s.sistant, is a nervous soul; she had long since become so fl.u.s.tered that Miss Farrar suggested it would be kinder to let her go home for the day. I agreed, because I was a trifle resentful of Lucy's ill-concealed implications that I had fallen into bad company. This was probably perfectly true in the case of Mr. Mayfair, but not of Lila Farrar. Lila was having an utterly excruciating effect on me.Mr. Mayfair banged down the telephone receiver.
”Nothing happens!” he yelled. ”Polite boy is still unconscious in the hospital! The cops can't find Dido Alstrong!” He wheeled and scowled at the door, adding, ”And Doc Savage isn't here yet!”
Anything smacking of peace seemed to irritate this man Mayfair, it occurred to me. This was an annoying att.i.tude; for my part it would be suitable if nothing more happened to me in my lifetime.
”You have appealed to this Savage fellow?” I exclaimed.
”Sure.”
”I don't,” I informed him, ”think I approve!”
Mayfair snorted. Miss Farrar had brightened in a most idiotic fas.h.i.+on at the mention of Doc Savage, and now asked Mayfair, ”You're not kidding?”
”I called Doc,” Mayfair said.
”Why, that's wonderful!” Lila declared.
Mayfair glanced at her thoughtfully, and did not look so pleased. It had obviously entered his thick head that in pressing Doc Savage into the picture, he was going to divert Miss Farrar's interest from himself.
”Hm-m-m-m,” said Mayfair gloomily. And presently he added, to himself and with a hopeful note, ”But maybe Doc's tied up with something else.”
The hope he expressed was a vain one, for Doc Savage presently appeared.
THE fellow was a spectacular sort. A giant bronze man-in fact, his stature was startlingly greater than one imagined until one stood close to him. Then he was indeed ample, in a firm-knitted muscular way.
This Doc Savage, of whom I had heard such preposterous tales, was undoubtedly one of great physical powers. His muscles were mighty. But then, it occurred to me sourly, so are the muscles of a horse.
He had, I suppose, handsomeness of a sort. But my admiration does not extend to that brown, outdoorsy, knotty-wood look that so many violent fellows have, and which was a characteristic of this Savage chap. His eyes were rather freakish, being somewhat like pools of flake gold always stirred by tiny winds. They were compelling eyes, though, and about the whole man there was an air of being able to dominate if he wished to do so.