sprayer. He raised it, depressed the trigger, and a misty stream of bright orange paint came hissing out at Lamont.
It caught him in the chest and made a bright stripe across his ribs.
“I’ll be able to keep track of you now,” said the Avenger. “I advise you to—”
Lamont made a dive at the door. He threw a shoulder into Benson as he rammed his way out into the living room.
“Come back,” said the Avenger.
The paint spray was gone from his hand, replaced by the unique blue-steel tube pistol he called Mike. He aimed and fired.
The .22 slug cut a groove across the running man’s side. He howled and fell to the rug.
“Damn you,” he said. “Now you’ve spoiled everything.”
His blood became visible as it ran down his side.
“I can’t stop now,” insisted Lamont. “I’m not finished.”
“You’re finished,” the Avenger told him.
CHAPTER XXV
Loose Ends
Nellie made another seemingly casual trip to the window of the hotel room. The streets of Nolansville were hot and yellow in the midday sun. “I see the sheriff is up and around,” she remarked.
“Was he down and out?” asked Josh.
“Got hit on the head a couple of days ago,” the little blonde replied, “when he was chasing Dr. Lamont and a stolen car.”
“That’d give you a funny feeling,” said Smitty. “Chasing a jalopy that didn’t seem to have nobody driving it. Spooky.”
Nellie remained at the window. “Still no sign of Cole.”
“Geez, Nellie,” said the giant, flushing slightly, “don’t worry so much about the guy.”
“That must be some breakfast,” the girl said. “It’s past noon.”
“You know how Cole is—he likes to gab more than he likes to eat. He’s probably spinning out some cock-and-bull story to Jenny Keaton.”
“She’s rather hardboiled-looking, don’t you think?” said Nellie. “I suppose you have to be, though, in her line of work.”
“I think Jenny Keaton’s sort of cute,” said Smitty. “She can’t hold a candle to you, of course, but still—”
The door of the suite opened and the Avenger entered. “We’ll be leaving in roughly three hours,” he announced.
“If Cole’s finished breakfast by then,” said Nellie in a very small voice.
“What’s that?”
“Nothing, chief.”
“Everything seems tied up.” Benson sat in a straight-back chair. “There is one slight hitch though.”
Josh asked, “Such as what?”
“Werner Konrad has escaped.”
“Don’t tell me,” said Smitty, “he learned how to turn himself invisible too?”
“No. What he did,” explained Benson, “is somehow manage to get out of his jailhouse cell during the night and into the drunk tank. Got turned loose early this morning, looking like a panhandler with a hangover, along with the rest of the sobered-up prisoners.”
“He’s still a great actor,” Josh said, with a touch of admiration. “And he sure jived us pretty out on the desert with that old-coot act of his.”
“They got no idea where Konrad took off for?” Smitty inquired.
“Probably hopped a freight,” answered the Avenger. “I think we may encounter Mr. Konrad again.”
Nellie asked, “What’s the latest word on Dr. Lamont?”
“He’s visible,” said Benson. “Apparently the formula wears off after a certain number of hours. Lamont is still refusing to tell where he hid his notes and the vials of fluid, but he’s hinting he may talk if a deal can be worked out.”
“What he did comes under the heading of treason, don’t it?”
“Right, Smitty.”
“He could never stand trial for treason,” said Nellie. “Once he started telling that story about taking revenge for his brother’s murder, they’d realize he was mentally ill.”
“Of course he’s insane,” agreed the Avenger, “but in wartime he can’t count on that as a defense.”
“It’s sad really,” said the girl. “He was so fond of his brother . . . but it only fouled up his whole life, his affection for him.”
“I been
It caught him in the chest and made a bright stripe across his ribs.
“I’ll be able to keep track of you now,” said the Avenger. “I advise you to—”
Lamont made a dive at the door. He threw a shoulder into Benson as he rammed his way out into the living room.
“Come back,” said the Avenger.
The paint spray was gone from his hand, replaced by the unique blue-steel tube pistol he called Mike. He aimed and fired.
The .22 slug cut a groove across the running man’s side. He howled and fell to the rug.
“Damn you,” he said. “Now you’ve spoiled everything.”
His blood became visible as it ran down his side.
“I can’t stop now,” insisted Lamont. “I’m not finished.”
“You’re finished,” the Avenger told him.
CHAPTER XXV
Loose Ends
Nellie made another seemingly casual trip to the window of the hotel room. The streets of Nolansville were hot and yellow in the midday sun. “I see the sheriff is up and around,” she remarked.
“Was he down and out?” asked Josh.
“Got hit on the head a couple of days ago,” the little blonde replied, “when he was chasing Dr. Lamont and a stolen car.”
“That’d give you a funny feeling,” said Smitty. “Chasing a jalopy that didn’t seem to have nobody driving it. Spooky.”
Nellie remained at the window. “Still no sign of Cole.”
“Geez, Nellie,” said the giant, flushing slightly, “don’t worry so much about the guy.”
“That must be some breakfast,” the girl said. “It’s past noon.”
“You know how Cole is—he likes to gab more than he likes to eat. He’s probably spinning out some cock-and-bull story to Jenny Keaton.”
“She’s rather hardboiled-looking, don’t you think?” said Nellie. “I suppose you have to be, though, in her line of work.”
“I think Jenny Keaton’s sort of cute,” said Smitty. “She can’t hold a candle to you, of course, but still—”
The door of the suite opened and the Avenger entered. “We’ll be leaving in roughly three hours,” he announced.
“If Cole’s finished breakfast by then,” said Nellie in a very small voice.
“What’s that?”
“Nothing, chief.”
“Everything seems tied up.” Benson sat in a straight-back chair. “There is one slight hitch though.”
Josh asked, “Such as what?”
“Werner Konrad has escaped.”
“Don’t tell me,” said Smitty, “he learned how to turn himself invisible too?”
“No. What he did,” explained Benson, “is somehow manage to get out of his jailhouse cell during the night and into the drunk tank. Got turned loose early this morning, looking like a panhandler with a hangover, along with the rest of the sobered-up prisoners.”
“He’s still a great actor,” Josh said, with a touch of admiration. “And he sure jived us pretty out on the desert with that old-coot act of his.”
“They got no idea where Konrad took off for?” Smitty inquired.
“Probably hopped a freight,” answered the Avenger. “I think we may encounter Mr. Konrad again.”
Nellie asked, “What’s the latest word on Dr. Lamont?”
“He’s visible,” said Benson. “Apparently the formula wears off after a certain number of hours. Lamont is still refusing to tell where he hid his notes and the vials of fluid, but he’s hinting he may talk if a deal can be worked out.”
“What he did comes under the heading of treason, don’t it?”
“Right, Smitty.”
“He could never stand trial for treason,” said Nellie. “Once he started telling that story about taking revenge for his brother’s murder, they’d realize he was mentally ill.”
“Of course he’s insane,” agreed the Avenger, “but in wartime he can’t count on that as a defense.”
“It’s sad really,” said the girl. “He was so fond of his brother . . . but it only fouled up his whole life, his affection for him.”
“I been
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