evening, you will be completely exonerated, and if Biggs doesn't double your
salary at Pyrolac, I will, by giving you a choice of half a dozen jobs."
Chet relaxed comfortably as soon as Thorneau left. He no longer had any
right to worry. Last night, he'd survived one ordeal, thanks to a timely friend,
The Shadow. Today, he'd found a new friend in Humphrey Thorneau. Friendship
counted a lot, in Chet's estimate.
The next few hours were to change that opinion. In counting on his friends,
Chet was forgetting that he still had enemies. They had thrown suspicion upon
Chet before and they could do it again, to a point where Chet couldn't expect
either The Shadow or Thorneau to believe in his integrity.
The time was coming when Chet Conroy would decide that a man's best friend
was himself. Once more he would be on his own, taking a course that would
promise swift disaster!
CHAPTER VII
THE VICTIM VANISHES
THE elaborate dinner that was served Chet in the library must have matched
the fare in the dining room, for between the courses, Thorneau came in to hold
brief conversation. On his second visit, Thorneau stated that he'd contacted
Marquette and had given him the facts about the highjacking. By that time it was
quite dark outdoors.
About an hour after dinner, Thorneau again rejoined Chet and conducted him
to the study. There Thorneau compared his watch with a desk clock and expressed
a new conviction.
"Marquette should have reached the tunnel by this time," declared Thorneau.
"I am sure we shall hear from him within half an hour. You can stay here to
answer the call, Conroy."
"But I'm not supposed to be here!" exclaimed Chet. "You surely didn't tell
Marquette -"
"Of course not," interposed Thorneau, with a smile. "When he phones, just
say that you're my secretary, and take the message. I'll have to leave before
then to meet Cranston. His train arrives in half an hour."
Who Cranston was, Chet didn't inquire, because he didn't consider it
important. Chet simply knew that Thorneau's coupe was waiting outside, and that
Thorneau would have to tear himself away from his guests within the next
half-hour. Left alone again, Chet kept counting the minutes expectantly, until
fifteen of them had passed.
Then the phone bell rang.
It was Marquette, all right, and he didn't recognize the disguised tone
that Chet used, which was fortunate. Taking Chet to be the secretary, Marquette
put a blunt demand. He wanted to know if Thorneau had heard anything more from
Chet Conroy. To which Chet bluffly replied that he didn't think so.
"That's good," gruffed Marquette. "At least it's good for Mr. Thorneau.
Tell him to sit tight for another ten minutes, until my men get there. If Conroy
is around, we'll grab him."
"Grab Conroy?" queried Chet, unbelieving.
"That's right," snapped Marquette. "That yarn of his was phony. Tell Mr.
