The Demon Hound: Chapter I

Chapter I
Crime Undetectable

In his semi-retirement, The Shadow no longer troubles himself with even murders unless the circumstances seem unusual, or the police are at a loss to find the culprit. He has always preferred to weasel out the more hidden crimes the law has overlooked. Nonetheless it’s hard not to notice when the murder rate rises rapidly. Many of the suspects are caught quickly, with motives frequently involving flaring tempers coinciding with easily available means. Men and women who have walked a line in their lives are, one way or another, pushed to their limits and past them. In the bustling, mad city of New York, these are everyday crimes. News of the details reaches The Shadow’s ears, by newspaper, radio, television, and his agents via Burbank. His agents are fewer these days, Burbank’s hours more limited, but still the reports come in. There’s little the agents can find about the individual homicides that the police miss, but as the numbers rise each day the larger picture points to some greater crime. The Shadow briefly entertains the idea that he’s growing paranoid in his old age, but gradually the nature of the reports begins to change.( Read more... )