help.”
“Okay, if you say so.”
When the man was gone Smitty said, “Our dead chum had something to do on Demon Island, huh?”
“Apparently. He wanted to find out when the movie crew would be here.”
“Think it had something to do with the movie? You know, was he planning a stickup or a kidnap of one of the dames?”
“No, I think it was something else,” said the Avenger. “And when we find out exactly what, we’ll know what happened to Cole.”
CHAPTER XIV
Technocracy
Lt. Bonner turned his back on the dead man. “I should have recognized your name right off,” he told the Avenger. “You’re Richard Henry Benson, aren’t you?”
“I am.”
“Well, judging from what I’ve heard of the Avenger,” said the policeman, “you didn’t come out here just for the scenery. Did you expect this murder?”
Benson shook his head. “We’re on Demon Island for another reason.”
“I’d like to know about it.”
“One of my associates, Cole Wilson, is a friend of Terence O’Malley,” explained the Avenger. “He was taking a vacation, spending some time here in southern California. He accompanied O’Malley and the film crew here. And then he disappeared.”
Bonner said, “Nobody told me about that.”
“A disappearance doesn’t always involve a crime.”
Smiling, Bonner said, “His disappearance brought you out here.”
“We have a habit of looking after each other, Lieutenant.”
“And Wilson wasn’t working on a case . . . on any Justice, Incorporated, business?”
“No, I assure you he wasn’t.”
The lieutenant jerked a thumb in the direction of Tucker’s body. “Think this guy’s death is just a coincidence? Or does it have something to do with Wilson’s vanishing?”
The Avenger said, “I think there are some other people on Demon Island. People who have nothing to do with the motion-picture company.”
“And this guy was one of those others,” said Bonner. “Could be then that the ones who are still alive have gotten hold of Wilson. So what do you figure to do next?”
“Find them,” said the Avenger.
Smitty thrust his huge hand into his suitcase. “It’s time to let the marvels of technocracy take over.”
“You mean technology,” said Nellie.
“Naw, technocracy. That’s technology and democracy mixed together.” He extracted an object about the size and shape of a ripe avocado. There were dials and knobs dotting its mechanical surface. “I’m going to turn my mechanical bloodhound loose on this case.”
“Good notion,” said the blonde. “Cole’s been lost an awful long time.”
Smitty tossed up the hunting device and caught it. “Should have used this gizmo right off.” He strode to the door of his room and went out into the hall.
Nellie followed. “I have a feeling he’s still alive.”
“Aw, sure. You can’t kill that guy.” The giant let himself into the room which had been Cole’s. He took his mechanical bloodhound over to the closet. “Okay, junior, take a whiff.” After Smitty pressed a button and turned a dial the oval object actually began to make a faint sniffing sound.
“I remember we did pretty good with that thing when we were mixed up in the cartoon-crimes business out on Long Island.”
Nodding, Smitty pushed another knob. “Now we’ll go outside and let it do its stuff.”
When they were at the rear of the castle, beneath Fanny Fiddler’s window, Smitty held the device near the ground. After some thirty seconds it gave out a very low humming. Dials clicked.
“It’s picked up his scent?” asked Nellie.
“Sure thing. Now we just got to follow the arrow.”
The afternoon was still sunny. In among the trees, however, there seemed to be an extra darkness and a chill.
“I always thought Pacific islands were warm,” remarked Nellie.
“Not when they’re loaded with spooks.”
The pair pushed deeper into the woods. After a while the mechanical bloodhound led them to the spot where Cole had been tripped
“Okay, if you say so.”
When the man was gone Smitty said, “Our dead chum had something to do on Demon Island, huh?”
“Apparently. He wanted to find out when the movie crew would be here.”
“Think it had something to do with the movie? You know, was he planning a stickup or a kidnap of one of the dames?”
“No, I think it was something else,” said the Avenger. “And when we find out exactly what, we’ll know what happened to Cole.”
CHAPTER XIV
Technocracy
Lt. Bonner turned his back on the dead man. “I should have recognized your name right off,” he told the Avenger. “You’re Richard Henry Benson, aren’t you?”
“I am.”
“Well, judging from what I’ve heard of the Avenger,” said the policeman, “you didn’t come out here just for the scenery. Did you expect this murder?”
Benson shook his head. “We’re on Demon Island for another reason.”
“I’d like to know about it.”
“One of my associates, Cole Wilson, is a friend of Terence O’Malley,” explained the Avenger. “He was taking a vacation, spending some time here in southern California. He accompanied O’Malley and the film crew here. And then he disappeared.”
Bonner said, “Nobody told me about that.”
“A disappearance doesn’t always involve a crime.”
Smiling, Bonner said, “His disappearance brought you out here.”
“We have a habit of looking after each other, Lieutenant.”
“And Wilson wasn’t working on a case . . . on any Justice, Incorporated, business?”
“No, I assure you he wasn’t.”
The lieutenant jerked a thumb in the direction of Tucker’s body. “Think this guy’s death is just a coincidence? Or does it have something to do with Wilson’s vanishing?”
The Avenger said, “I think there are some other people on Demon Island. People who have nothing to do with the motion-picture company.”
“And this guy was one of those others,” said Bonner. “Could be then that the ones who are still alive have gotten hold of Wilson. So what do you figure to do next?”
“Find them,” said the Avenger.
Smitty thrust his huge hand into his suitcase. “It’s time to let the marvels of technocracy take over.”
“You mean technology,” said Nellie.
“Naw, technocracy. That’s technology and democracy mixed together.” He extracted an object about the size and shape of a ripe avocado. There were dials and knobs dotting its mechanical surface. “I’m going to turn my mechanical bloodhound loose on this case.”
“Good notion,” said the blonde. “Cole’s been lost an awful long time.”
Smitty tossed up the hunting device and caught it. “Should have used this gizmo right off.” He strode to the door of his room and went out into the hall.
Nellie followed. “I have a feeling he’s still alive.”
“Aw, sure. You can’t kill that guy.” The giant let himself into the room which had been Cole’s. He took his mechanical bloodhound over to the closet. “Okay, junior, take a whiff.” After Smitty pressed a button and turned a dial the oval object actually began to make a faint sniffing sound.
“I remember we did pretty good with that thing when we were mixed up in the cartoon-crimes business out on Long Island.”
Nodding, Smitty pushed another knob. “Now we’ll go outside and let it do its stuff.”
When they were at the rear of the castle, beneath Fanny Fiddler’s window, Smitty held the device near the ground. After some thirty seconds it gave out a very low humming. Dials clicked.
“It’s picked up his scent?” asked Nellie.
“Sure thing. Now we just got to follow the arrow.”
The afternoon was still sunny. In among the trees, however, there seemed to be an extra darkness and a chill.
“I always thought Pacific islands were warm,” remarked Nellie.
“Not when they’re loaded with spooks.”
The pair pushed deeper into the woods. After a while the mechanical bloodhound led them to the spot where Cole had been tripped
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