Here is another in my rotating series of Shadow Two-Minute Mysteries. Two minutes? Yeah, that’s about how much time you’ll invest in reading it. But can you solve the mystery along with The Shadow? That may take more than two minutes. Just look at the clews, and test your sleuthing skills.
This mini-mystery originally appeared on my old Shadow in Review website. Perhaps you’ll remember this mystery, and remember the solution, as well. Perhaps…
This mystery is based upon the original 1930s pulp character, The Shadow. Not the radio version. No clouding men’s minds, here. Just a black cloak and slouch hat.
The solution, not necessarily the only solution, but the one the author had in mind, will appear (below) next Friday. That gives you time to mull over the crime.
Feel free to leave your solution in the comments section below. It may be better than mine!
Finally, there are some background notes at the end of the story. They’ll explain a bit more about the characters and situations in this mini-mystery, and their part in the larger universe of the pulp Shadow.
You are about to enter the pulp world of the 1930s. Join The Shadow as he dons his black cloak, slouch hat, and gloves, and prepares to battle crime. It’s time for action and mystery. The Shadow knows!
Dark Accusations
A large black shadow on the carpet flitted silently after Dr. Rupert Sayre as he walked down the sixth-floor hallway of the Hotel Metrolite. Dr. Sayre was accompanied by old Junius Groves. Groves was saying:
“When I heard you were in the hotel, Doctor, I called for you immediately. My nephew hasn’t been well, and just now he didn’t answer his door. He told me earlier that he was staying in for the night, which gives me cause for worry.”
The two stopped outside room 615; the bizarre shadow stopped several paces behind. Dr. Sayre knocked at the door, then used the manager’s passkey to open the door.
The sound of a ticking clock could be heard from the pitch-black room.
“Wait a moment. I’ll go turn on the lamp,” prompted Junius Groves.
A light flared from the far side of the room as Groves turned on a floor lamp. The light cast a bright circle on the floor, leaving the corners of the room in shadow. In the center of the light lay the body of young Carl Groves.
“Is he dead?” gasped old Groves, his eyes glued on the stilled form.
“I’m afraid so,” Dr. Sayre admitted somberly as he bent over the body.
Dr. Rupert Sayre surveyed the small hotel room. The dead body of young Carl lay before him stretched out in the center of the room, his head at the base of a large desk on the right side of the room, his arm flung out beneath the desk.
His left foot was caught beneath a large overstuffed chair, positioned directly below a wooden clock on the wall. Dr. Sayre’s gaze moved to the lamp in the center of the far wall.
“How did you know the lamp was there, when the room was in total darkness?” he asked.
“I’ve been in Carl’s room many times,” responded Junius Groves glancing at the ticking clock. “It looks to me as though he caught his foot on the chair and tripped, hitting his head on the edge of the desk. Do you concur, Doctor?”
From a darkened corner of the room stepped the black-cloaked figure of The Shadow. His sharp eyes peered from beneath his slouch hat, piercing old Junius Groves with their unwavering glare.
“Dr. Sayre knows this was no accident,” came his sibilant whisper. “You know more about this crime that you let on, Mr. Groves.”
HOW DID JUNIUS GROVES GIVE HIMSELF AWAY?
Background notes
This story takes place in the Hotel Metrolite. It’s a famous location used often in The Shadow pulps. It’s most notable as being the residence of Harry Vincent, one of the oldest agents of The Shadow, in terms of years of service. Throughout the 19-year series, Harry always resided at the Metrolite, being so described in 53 of the stories.
It is mentioned, in this mini-mystery, that The Shadow blends into the darkness so completely that he can stand within an arm’s reach of the person he is trailing, and still be undetected. That was typical of the pulp character of The Shadow. Often he would closely trail suspects without their knowledge. He moved so silently that he could literally stand at their side and still remain unnoticed. And so it is in this story, as well.
Dr. Rupert Sayre, who appears in this story and whom readers know as personal physician to The Shadow, had his own private practice in Manhattan. However, in this story, he is temporarily assigned as house physician for the Metrolite. It can be assumed the position was one assigned by The Shadow, since the master of the night is following Sayre and Groves as our story opens.
The Shadow needed a personal physician. In his multiple skirmishes with the underworld element, The Shadow suffered many injuries. Upon those occasions, it was Dr. Sayre to whom he turned. Sayre first appeared in the 1933 story Master of Death. He continued for another 43 appearances until his final outing in the 1948 story Dead Man’s Chest. He was one of the few people who knew that beneath the apparent visage of Lamont Cranston lay another man — The Shadow!
The answer’s simple. Sure, Grove knows where the lamp is…but he’s not supposed to know Carl Sayre is lying dead, is he? How else can he turn on the light without bumping into the corpse? The Shadow knows!
Logical thinking, Terry. You may be on to something, there!