Superman and The Shadow Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 0.5 7/26
Rated PG-13
/ “text”/ indicates telepathic communication
*text* indicates bold
<text> indicates thoughts
{text} indicates over the telephone
Universal Locator designation Alpha 023 x Gamma 004 x Tau -120 – Prime
Universal Locator designation Alpha 025 x Gamma - 086 x Tau 142 Alt 25 Shadow
Previously:
Lamont returned to the apartment. When he did, he noted that the door to Margot’s bedroom was closed. He approached and knocked softly.
A groggy, “Yes,” was the reply he got back.
“Please join me in the living room.”
“Okay, just give me a minute to dress.”
“Take as much time as you need. Please dress in something suitable for a rather formal dinner. I will be wearing evening clothes.”
“All right. I’ll see what’s here.”
Half an hour later, Lois was attired in a curve hugging amber floor length silk gown that had a small train, with little cap sleeves, a low cut bodice and a non-existent back. Evening gloves the color of the dress that reached above her elbows and some of Margot’s jewelry, mostly of the diamond variety; a choker and bracelet (worn over the glove) completed the outfit. Margo’s makeup was not the brand that she used, but the colors were comparable so she had made her face up for the evening. She carried a fur stole and a hat with some feathers crowning it. These she placed on a chair so that they would be handy as they left.
When she entered, she was stunned to see Lamont in evening clothes. He looked every bit as delicious as Clark.
When he heard the door to the bedroom open, Lamont turned to see Lois enter and his mouth almost dropped open at the vision of loveliness. If he hadn’t known better, he could have sworn that it was Margot standing there. “You are very lovely, my dear.”
“Thank you. I know I’m not Margot, but apparently we are the same size. Her clothes fit perfectly.”
“And you do them justice, I must say. Would you like a drink before we go?”
“No thanks, I’d rather have a clear head.”
Lamont smiled in appreciation as he replied, “So like Margot. She too would eschew a libation as we may be called upon to work tonight. All right, what did you find out today?”
“Right - down to business.” She pulled out her notes and read, “Okay, the prison has a contract with Happy Hollows Cemetery. If a body is not claimed by a relative it is sent there. Powers’ body was not claimed by a relative so…”
“That is odd. I learned that he had a brother and that his brother visited him several times while he was in prison.”
“Maybe he didn’t have the means to provide a decent burial.”
“Anything would be better than what is provided by the state. We need to look into that.”
“I went to the cemetery and checked. Apparently the body was prepared in accordance with the laws of the state, so I don’t think that it is him. I believe that he’s in that grave.”
“It would be best for us to make sure.” He moved to the phone and picking it up dialed. When it was answered, {Burbank,} he said, “Orders. Have ‘Cliff’ Marsland and Jericho Druke meet Margot and me at Happy Hollows Cemetery at ten PM. They should have shovels and other digging equipment. We are going to exhume a body.”
After hanging up the phone, he turned to Lois and said, “This evening we will be dining with Commissioner Weston, his wife and Inspector Cardona. Commissioner Weston believes me to be a simple playboy although I have helped Cardona on numerous occasions. The purpose of the dinner is to find out as much about these killings as I can, without raising his suspicions. Please pay close attention to the conversation. If there is something I miss, you may pick up on it.”
And now:
The links will take you to you tube videos of the music. Beware of ads. Listen in the background. It will give you the flavor of the period.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 7 –
New York 1937
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Universal Locator designation
Alpha 025 x Gamma - 086 x Tau 142 Shadow
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A swing band was playing Glenn Miller’s
Moonlight Serenade when Lamont Cranston and his girlfriend ‘Margot Lane’ entered
The Savoy. When they did, they made quite a stir. The Maître de cérémonie recognized them and immediately conducted them to Commissioner Weston’s table. Lamont held Margo’s chair as she sat next to Inspector Cardona and then sat between her and Commissioner Weston. The commissioner’s wife sat on his other side, between her husband and Cardona, sipping a cocktail. She paused to salute with the cocktail glass as he sat.
As they sat, cocktails were delivered automatically.
The commissioner said, “Nice of you to join us. Margot, you are very lovely this evening.”
Faux Margot blushed prettily and replied, “You say the sweetest things.”
“It takes an older man to appreciate the beauties in the world. What I can’t understand is why you stay with a mug like Cranston; a dilettante that doesn’t do anything of consequence.”
“Ah, but he’s so sweet to me, aren’t you, Lamont?”
Lamont took a sip of his cocktail and said, “Ah, there, you see commissioner. Now, you must admit,
that is a worthwhile endeavor. And you must admit, I have helped the Inspector out occasionally, Haven’t I, Inspector.”
The inspector spoke up for the first time, “Yes, I have to admit, you have helped.”
The commissioner replied, “As an amateur detective, bah. You should find something good to do with your time and leave detecting to the professionals.”
“But commissioner, acting like a detective is so thrilling.” He turned to the inspector and asked, “What is the department working on now? Is it that string of murders? Do you believe that it is a result of Powers’ threat? I might be able to help.”
“That’s what I mean; leave the detecting to the professionals. Carlton Powers is dead, dead and buried. He can’t be committing these murders.”
Lamont challenged, “But what have you done to protect the ones on his list?”
The inspector replied, “I’ve done everything I can. I’ve added extra security.”
“It hasn’t been very effective.”
This barb struck home because any failure on the part of the police reflected on his office and Weston ‘harumphed’, fiddled nervously with his cigar and took a long swallow of his highball before answering. “You don't need to be insulting. I know that. Cardona is operating under a handicap, It isn’t easy to protect individuals from a rifle bullet from long range. That is how each of these people have been killed. After the fact we have been able to find the location that the shot was taken from. Whoever it is doing the shooting, he is well trained, either that or he is using a telescoped rifle.”
“That would seem to narrow the field somewhat. It would need to be either a military man or a hunter of some note.”
Inspector Cardona replied, “We’ve thought of that. None of Powers; associates are known to be hunters. His brother was in the Army, but he was discharged because of mental health problems resulting from combat.”
“Have you checked on the brother?”
Cardona answered again, “He splits his time between a distant relative and a hospital. He has a more or less permanent room at the hospital.”
“Have you checked his military record?”
Cardona was ready with his answer, “Yes, he served honorably in the infantry. He was classed as an expert marksman with the Springfield.”
“Have you checked on his movements?”
Cardona replied assuredly, “It appears as though he is in the hospital every other day.”
“Where is the hospital located?”
Commissioner Weston replied, “Memorial Rehab, it is here in the city. That’s a dead end. To top it all off, I had a call from the mayor today. He was insistent that the department call in The Shadow to assist.”
Lamont laughed, “You don’t seriously believe that there is actually someone out there calling himself The Shadow taking on criminals by himself? He’s just a voice on the radio.”
Weston became serious, “Yes, I believe he is a man, not just a voice on the radio.” He looked around to assure himself that he wouldn’t be overheard before he continued, “I’ve spoken to him, personally. He called me today. I don’t know how he knew about it, but somehow he knew about the Mayor’s call. He offered to help.”
“What can one man do, even if he does exist? If he is going to take a hand now, why not earlier?”
“He explained that. He said there were just too many to protect.”
“So, he is
not superhuman. He can only be in one place at a time.”
Just then, the band started playing
Mood Indigo and Lamont said, “Pardon me, Commissioner,” turned to faux Margot and asked, “Would you like to dance, my dear?”
Nodding her approval, faux Margot again found the loop on the train on her gown and gracefully rose from the chair Lamont pulled back. She had marveled at the idea of the loop so her train wouldn’t get dirty from the floor. She took his hand as he led her to the dance floor.
As they swung into the step, Lamont said, “You are performing your part, excellently, but I needed to ask, would I be out of line to ask if I could kiss you? Margot and I are … attached and it would seem out of place if we did not.”
Lois had been undercover on numerous occasions. Usually she didn’t have to play the part of someone’s girlfriend, but in this case, in order to stay in character, she and Lamont might have to kiss. She felt sure that Clark would understand and approve. She put her lips close to his ear, apparently whispering endearments as she replied, “I think my fiancé would approve. I need to stay in character and if that’s what is called for then so be it. If it is any consolation, I will be pretending it is Clark.”
“And I will be pretending it is Margot.”
When the band finished
Mood Indigo they moved into a rendition of the club’s signature song, Benny Goodman’s
Stompin’ at the Savoy . When the song finished there was applause for the band and some couples started to move from the floor. When Lamont stopped dancing and asked, “Shall we return to the table?”
She nodded and they moved toward Weston’s table.
Lois had enjoyed the dancing, but she realized that they needed to return to the table so they moved from the floor. As they were approaching the table, the band swung into a spirited rendition of Glenn Miller’s
In the Mood When they were next to the table, Lois put her arms around Lamont’s neck and kissed him. After a reasonable time, she pulled back and said, “Thank you for the dance.”
Smiling he replied, “My pleasure.”
Weston watched this public display and snorted, “Kids.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Around 9 p.m. the band swung into Benny Goodman’s
Let’s Dance and as they did, Lamont made their excuses and they left the
Savoy. Shrevvy was there to pick them up. This time Shrevvy wasn’t driving his hack, he was driving Lamont’s limousine.
As they entered, Lamont said, “Happy Hollows, Shrevvy.”
“Sure teng, boss. I’ll have you dere in a jiff.”
When they arrived, Cliff and Jericho were waiting for them. Never having met them, faux Margot was surprised at what she saw. Cliff and Jericho made an odd pair. Cliff was an average sized white man while Jericho, standing a head taller than Cliff, was a minor giant of a black man possessed of enormous strength. After they exited the car, faux Margot once again pulled up her train.
Lamont said, “Please lead the way, Margot.”
Faux Margot, taking the lead, headed for the grave with the rest following in her wake, with Cliff and Jericho carrying their tools over their shoulders. Faux Margot was glad of the stole she had chosen because it covered a goodly portion of her back which was naked to the waist, protecting it from the slight early autumn nip in the air. Once she had found the correct grave, she pointed and said, “That’s the one.”
Lamont directed, “Cliff, Jericho, we need this coffin dug up.”
Without a word, the two men began to dig. The pick-ax that Jericho had brought was laid aside. It had only been a couple of weeks since this grave had been closed so the earth was fairly loose. That being the case, it wasn’t very long until there was the sound of metal hitting wood. Lamont said, “There it is. Clear out around it. We need to get it open.”
A very few minutes of additional work was required to completely reveal the lid of the coffin. They also dug around it somewhat so that when the lid was opened the dirt would not fall in.
Cliff took a chisel and used it to pry up one side of the coffin lid. Once the nails had been loosened, Jericho stopped Cliff and said, “Stand aside, pipsqueak, let a man do that.” The fact that they had worked together for some time and that consequently they were friends was evident by the fact that Cliff didn’t take offence. He joked back, “Yeah, the brains have done their part, now it’s time for the brawn,” as he stepped aside. Jericho hooked his fingers in the gap and with a wrench, used his extraordinary strength to lift the lid.
Lamont produced a flashlight and shined it into the coffin. What was revealed in the light was a pile of bricks.
Faux Margot gasped and said, “Bricks! He’s not in there. He could be the one killing those people.”
Lamont agreed, “Yes, suddenly it becomes possible, but not a sure thing.”
“How could it be anyone else? He must have had help. Somehow he faked his death.”
Lamont turned toward his assistants and said, “Cliff, Jericho, leave the coffin exposed. We have seen what we needed to see, but the police need to be made aware of this situation. You may return to your other activities, but remain available. Burbank may contact you.”
As Jericho and Cliff shouldered their tools, Jericho said, “Sure thing, Boss.”
Once they were back in the car, Lamont turned to faux Margot and said, “This puts things in a different light. It is possible that Powers is still alive, however, even though the coffin was empty, he could still be dead. This will require some thought. Shrevvy, the apartment, please.”
“Sure teng, boss. I’ll have you dere in a jiff.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
As soon as they entered the apartment, Lamont crossed to the phone and dialed. When it was answered, {Burbank.}, he said, “Orders. Contact Clyde Burke. I need the reports of all of the killings related to the Powers conviction. That is all.” He hung up.
Turning to faux Margot he said, “You have been a great help in this. If you wish, you may retire for the night. I have some thinking to do and I may go out for a while.”
Faux Margot placed a hand on Lamont’s arm as she said, “I had a wonderful evening. If you’re sure you won’t be needing me, I think I
will go to bed.”
He smiled as he said, “Margot could not have done better. It has been an eventful day. One thing we have not done is try to find a way home for you.”
“I don’t think there is anything I can do to find a way home. I think I just have to wait for Herb or,” shudder, “Andrus to find me.”
“You have mentioned Herb Wells before, but just who is this Andrus?”
“Andrus is a TTEMPO agent. In the future there is this organization, TTEMPO, that was, uh, will be founded by Herb. They are tasked with keeping things like this from happening. As soon as I was taken from my home, I’m sure some kind of bells or whistles or something should have started going off and they would have started a search. The problem is it’s like looking for a very small needle in a very large haystack. The fact that Margot and I have apparently swapped places could complicate matters. It could look like I never left. That could be good or bad. Bad in that Herb might not be looking for me. Good in that Tempus might think he failed and he will come looking for me.”
“Perhaps if we contacted the Herb Wells of this world…”
“I doubt that would do any good. The local Herb may not have built the time machine. There is another possibility, if Tempus decided that this would be a good world to hide out on. He might think so because I’m sure he knows that there is no Superman here. If he did, then maybe, just maybe, I could get his time window device and find my own way home.”
Lamont tried to be supportive, as he said, “I hope that everything will work out and you’ll be back in your fiancé’s arms before you know it and I’ll have Margot back. But what if it doesn’t? Are you prepared to remain here … as Margot?”
Faux Margot yawned, demurely, and replied, “I hope it works out, but I guess I have to be prepared for that eventuality. Well, I’m going to go to bed. Goodnight!”
“Goodnight, Miss Lane.”
She turned and headed for the bedroom. As she closed the door behind her, the tears that she had been holding back could be held no longer. That kiss she had shared with Lamont had reminded her strongly of Clark and the fact that he wasn’t here had been a trial from that point on. She sank down on the bed and was as silent as possible in her grief. She and Clark had literally just gotten engaged. They were finally starting to plan their lives together and Tempus had to step in and rip her away from that. After all that they had been through, to have that happen - just who did Tempus think he was anyway? Who made him the judge and jury over them? Mixed with all of her grief was a fair amount of anger, mostly at Tempus.
After a time, Lois shook herself and said to herself, “That’s enough of this self-pity. There is a job to do. He might not be your actual father, but there is a Samuel Lane here and he is in danger. If you’re going to help Lamont and save this Sam, you need some sleep.” So saying, she got up and looking through the dresser, found some silk nightgowns. Selecting one in a pastel turquoise she removed her clothing and slipped it on over her head. Margot must have had a sachet in the drawer with her lingerie because the delicate scent of jasmine floated around her head. The feel of the silk against her skin was distinctly sensual and she reveled in the feel. It felt like Clark caressing her and that brought another tear to her eye. Again she shook herself and chastising herself, muttered, “Enough of that. Go to bed.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
If Lamont had been there, he might have heard Lois’s self-dialogue, however, as soon as her door had closed, he had been in motion.
Moving to the cabinet, he had donned his slouch hat and taking the cloak from its hanger had swept it around his shoulders. Moving to the other side of the apartment, he opened a concealed door to reveal an elevator which he took down below the lobby level to a secret garage. Entering the dark sedan that awaited him there, he started the powerful motor and began to drive up the ramp. As he did, he broke an electronic beam which actuated an automatic garage door that was camouflaged on the outside to look like a blank brick wall.
He drove to a spot near Police Headquarters and parked. The car door opened, apparently of its own accord because there was no human presence detectable. In a few seconds, a little used side door opened and closed.
The Shadow passed through the duty room and none of the uniformed officers there were any the wiser. He made his way to Commissioner Weston’s office. Once he was in the office, he took a sheet of paper from a drawer and wrote, in large block letters,
“CHECK HAPPY HOLLOWS CEMETERY, CARLETON POWERS IS NOT IN HIS COFFIN. HE MAY HAVE FAKED HIS OWN DEATH AND MAY BE THE MURDERER.”The signature was a single stylized ‘S’ written in a long sweeping stroke.
He positioned his missive in the center of the desk so that it wouldn’t be missed and left as silently as he had arrived.
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