Chapter XIV
A NEW ARRIVAL
A YOUNG man with light brown hair and brown eyes stepped out of a cab on the corner of 7th and Main in Hillsboro, a small town just west of New York City. Even through he wore a nice navy blue, single-breasted suit, one could easily tell he was from the Mid-West. He scanned down 7th Street and found what he was looking for; he headed in that direction, carrying his small suitcase.
The young man was Daniel Atkinson, the brother of Jessie Atkinson and lifelong friend of Harry Vincent. As Daniel went along his way, the sun glistened off a ruby-colored pommel stone, a girasol, on his left hand, the only identifying mark of an agent of The Shadow.
When he reached the house he was looking for, he put the suitcase down and rang the bell.
The door opened timidly and showed the face of a young woman who had known much fear. Her face suddenly lit up with recognition. "Daniel!" She exclaimed as she embraced her brother.
He returned the hug. "It's great to see ya, Jessie."
"I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. Harry still isn't back yet."
Daniel suddenly stopped before picking up his suitcase. "Harry?"
"Harry Vincent. He also stopped by. He had to go back to New York for a business thing, but he should be back really soon."
"Great. It's been awhile."
Jessie picked up Daniel's suitcase and the two entered the house.
"SO, can ya wait for the big day?" Daniel asked once everything was settled.
Jessie paused for a moment. "The wedding has been cancelled."
"I'm sorry. What went wrong?"
She bit her lip, trying to find a way to properly form the news into words. Daniel put down the cup of coffee he was drinking and walked over to her, gently placing his hands on her upper arms.
"Jessie?"
She looked her brother straight in the face. "He was murdered. And thank goodness."
He stepped back, shocked at her sudden outburst. "But…" He couldn't complete his statement.
"Remember Tracy Trinh?"
Daniel nodded and mentally shuddered.
"I'm sure she was behind it. For awhile I was the one being held responsible, but thankfully Harry arrived in time to sort it out."
"I didn't realize Harry had become a lawyer."
"He's not. He was helped by…" She cut off her sentence, not sure if it was wise to tell her brother about The Shadow. Light reflection of something on his hand caught her eye. She looked down to notice the same ring Harry wore, also on his left hand. Her brow furrowed slightly in confusion.
"Helped by who?" Daniel asked, wondering who could Harry could have ties with.
She shook her head. "It's not important. Really." She smiled weakly. "I'm fine."
He realized that she was keeping something from him, but he wouldn't be able to learn of it now. He nodded in acceptance and fumbled around for a new conversation.
VINCENT finished his lunch at the Hillsboro Inn and decided to pay Jessie a visit before finding more information about Miss Trinh. He stopped by the registration counter first to see if he had received any mail. He had and it was the one he was waiting for. He opened it and the blue ink faded into existence:
Another agent on way to help. Fill in with current information. Report to Fellows any new information.
Harry nodded as the page became blank and mentally logged the number at the bottom of the page; they were still coming in numerical order. Slightly confused on where he would meet this new agent, he decided to go on with his plan. May be they would happen to run into each other.
VINCENT pulled up into Jessie's driveway and headed to the door. He was able to knock when Jessie opened it.
"I heard you pull up."
"…Oh." He managed to say, getting over the initial shock.
"Come in, Daniel's already here." The excitement in her voice was very present.
Harry grinned and walked inside. Daniel greeted his friend a manly pat on the back, almost catching him off guard.
"I heard you came by just in time to help my little sister out."
Harry smiled modestly and nodded. "Just call it luck, I guess."
"Impeccable timing for more accurate terms."
Harry shrugged. "I was sent down here for business and happened to be driving by while she was being arrested."
Daniel chuckled. "Have all the modesty you want. You have my gratitude."
Vincent's eyes strayed to the ring on Daniel's left hand. He glanced at his own ring, as if comparing the two. An almost impossible thought crossed his mind; does the Shadow have agents in the Mid-West as well?
A NEW ARRIVAL
A YOUNG man with light brown hair and brown eyes stepped out of a cab on the corner of 7th and Main in Hillsboro, a small town just west of New York City. Even through he wore a nice navy blue, single-breasted suit, one could easily tell he was from the Mid-West. He scanned down 7th Street and found what he was looking for; he headed in that direction, carrying his small suitcase.
The young man was Daniel Atkinson, the brother of Jessie Atkinson and lifelong friend of Harry Vincent. As Daniel went along his way, the sun glistened off a ruby-colored pommel stone, a girasol, on his left hand, the only identifying mark of an agent of The Shadow.
When he reached the house he was looking for, he put the suitcase down and rang the bell.
The door opened timidly and showed the face of a young woman who had known much fear. Her face suddenly lit up with recognition. "Daniel!" She exclaimed as she embraced her brother.
He returned the hug. "It's great to see ya, Jessie."
"I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. Harry still isn't back yet."
Daniel suddenly stopped before picking up his suitcase. "Harry?"
"Harry Vincent. He also stopped by. He had to go back to New York for a business thing, but he should be back really soon."
"Great. It's been awhile."
Jessie picked up Daniel's suitcase and the two entered the house.
"SO, can ya wait for the big day?" Daniel asked once everything was settled.
Jessie paused for a moment. "The wedding has been cancelled."
"I'm sorry. What went wrong?"
She bit her lip, trying to find a way to properly form the news into words. Daniel put down the cup of coffee he was drinking and walked over to her, gently placing his hands on her upper arms.
"Jessie?"
She looked her brother straight in the face. "He was murdered. And thank goodness."
He stepped back, shocked at her sudden outburst. "But…" He couldn't complete his statement.
"Remember Tracy Trinh?"
Daniel nodded and mentally shuddered.
"I'm sure she was behind it. For awhile I was the one being held responsible, but thankfully Harry arrived in time to sort it out."
"I didn't realize Harry had become a lawyer."
"He's not. He was helped by…" She cut off her sentence, not sure if it was wise to tell her brother about The Shadow. Light reflection of something on his hand caught her eye. She looked down to notice the same ring Harry wore, also on his left hand. Her brow furrowed slightly in confusion.
"Helped by who?" Daniel asked, wondering who could Harry could have ties with.
She shook her head. "It's not important. Really." She smiled weakly. "I'm fine."
He realized that she was keeping something from him, but he wouldn't be able to learn of it now. He nodded in acceptance and fumbled around for a new conversation.
VINCENT finished his lunch at the Hillsboro Inn and decided to pay Jessie a visit before finding more information about Miss Trinh. He stopped by the registration counter first to see if he had received any mail. He had and it was the one he was waiting for. He opened it and the blue ink faded into existence:
Another agent on way to help. Fill in with current information. Report to Fellows any new information.
Harry nodded as the page became blank and mentally logged the number at the bottom of the page; they were still coming in numerical order. Slightly confused on where he would meet this new agent, he decided to go on with his plan. May be they would happen to run into each other.
VINCENT pulled up into Jessie's driveway and headed to the door. He was able to knock when Jessie opened it.
"I heard you pull up."
"…Oh." He managed to say, getting over the initial shock.
"Come in, Daniel's already here." The excitement in her voice was very present.
Harry grinned and walked inside. Daniel greeted his friend a manly pat on the back, almost catching him off guard.
"I heard you came by just in time to help my little sister out."
Harry smiled modestly and nodded. "Just call it luck, I guess."
"Impeccable timing for more accurate terms."
Harry shrugged. "I was sent down here for business and happened to be driving by while she was being arrested."
Daniel chuckled. "Have all the modesty you want. You have my gratitude."
Vincent's eyes strayed to the ring on Daniel's left hand. He glanced at his own ring, as if comparing the two. An almost impossible thought crossed his mind; does the Shadow have agents in the Mid-West as well?