THE SPIDER-City of Doom Read Free

the deputy sheriff, found a welted red knot behind his left ear where Jigg's gun had struck. A slosh of water from the kitchen and the man stirred, moaning. Wentworth watched him a moment, then nodded and stopped fleetingly by each of the two men he had slain. He pressed something that glinted to each forehead and when he stepped away, a blob that was red as their spilled blood glowed upon the brow of each. That blob had sprawling hairy legs, and viciously ready fangs— the seal of the Spider!
    A thin mocking grin was on the Spider's lips as he left his prey, reloaded and holstered his guns, and crossed to the woman. She lay face down on the floor, arms thrown protectingly over her blond head. Her silken gown hung from her in tatters, exposing the smooth tense curve of her back.
    Wentworth dropped the blanket over her. "The gangsters are gone," he said swiftly, "but police will be here within minutes and I must be gone when they arrive. You know by now that the Spider is your friend. You must answer some questions."
    The girl stirred slightly, and he helped her sit up on the floor. Her eyes were red-rimmed. She locked her even white teeth upon her lower lip and fought down sobs. Wentworth drew the blanket about her shoulders and squatted before her.
    "I'll tell you what I know," Wentworth said swiftly, and recounted what he had learned of her husband's death.
    While he spoke, the girl's eyes quested over the room. She saw the dead men and her eyes flew back to Wentworth as if for protection. Her gaze clung desperately to him now.
    "I want to know what invention your husband was working on," Wentworth said. "Can you tell me?"
    The girl shook her golden head. Her hair slipped down across her shoulder. "Those gangsters were after something like that, too," she said. "They wanted something they said was in Jim's papers. But it wasn't there."
    "You don't know what it was?"
    "No, except Jim said—" she choked and her eyes filled. "Jim said it would put us on Easy Street forever. We could . . . could . . ." Her voice died out.
    Wentworth heard Collins stir behind him and jerked his head about. The deputy surged abruptly to his feet, stood with clenched fists, his eyes darting about. He took in the twisted bodies on the floor, glared at Wentworth. "One of them got away," he growled hoarsely.
    "Do you know what Jim's invention was?" Wentworth asked sharply.
    The man's dark eyes narrowed. "I reckon it wouldn't be any of your business if I did," he said.
    * * *
    Wentworth straightened. "That's where you're wrong," he said coldly. "Two days after Jim Collins died, a bank was robbed near here. The crooks who broke into that bank had something brand new in the way of burglar tools. It smashed steel like sugar. I associate your brother's death with that robbery."
    Deputy Collins came forward slowly. He was a heavily built man, over six feet tall, with wedge shoulders. His neck was corded. "I reckon you'll have to explain that last remark," he said. His voice was soft and slow, but there was a hard ring to the words.
    Wentworth uttered an impatient exclamation. He knew the police must be close. He could not understand why they had not come before this.
    "I mean that gangsters murdered your brother for his secret," he said swiftly. "Now, for heaven's sake, if you know anything, spill it fast."
    The huge man stared at him with his big head thrust forward, the heavy shock of brown hair tousled. He seemed to be studying the man beneath the false face that Wentworth had built over his own to create the character of the Spider.
    "I reckon we do owe you a mite of consideration," Collins said slowly. "You sure pulled us out of a powerful tight hole." He shook his head. "We don't know much. Only that Jim was figuring on selling his invention to the government. But there's two men that know more than we do. They're Bill Butterworth, who worked with Jim at the steel plant, and . . . ." A scowl twisted the man's features. "DeHaven Alrecht, a