"
Then, with the man who had aided him in the murder of Taylor
Dodge, he sallied out into the blackness that precedes dawn.
It was just before early daybreak when the Clutching Hand and his
confederate reached the Dodge House in the city and came up to the
back door, over the fences. As they stood there, the Clutching
Hand produced a master key and started to open the door. But
before he did so, he took out his watch.
"Let me see," he ruminated. "Twenty minutes past four. At exactly
half past, I want you to do as I told you--see?"
The other crook nodded.
"You may go," ordered the Clutching Hand.
As the crook slunk away, Clutching Hand stealthily let himself
into the house. Noiselessly he prowled through the halls until he
came to Elaine's doorway.
He gave a hasty look up and down the hall. There was no sound.
Quickly he took a syringe from his pocket and bent down by the
door. Inserting the end under it, he squirted some liquid through
which vaporized rapidly in a wide, fine stream of spray. Before he
could give an alarm, Rusty was overcome by the noxious fumes,
rolled over on his back and lay still.
Outside, the other crook was waiting, looking at his watch. As the
hand slowly turned the half hour, he snapped the watch shut. With
a quick glance up and down the deserted street, he deftly started
up the rain pipe that passed near Elaine's window.
Pages:
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129