Flashing Knives

by Unknown Author

Originally published in Scoop Comics #1 in 1941.

"Do we have to watch the knife-throwing act?" Gale asked as she gripped the hand of her escort, Ray Cardell, better known as the Master Key. I'm always afraid that they'll miss."

Ray settled back in his chair. "Don't worry, Gale," he said, "Luigi is the most famous in the business. Besides he's going to marry the girl he throws the knives at, so you can bet he will be careful." 

They sat back in their seats as Nick Banton, the manager of the nightclub, stepped into the spotlight and raised his hand, “I take great pleasure in introducing Luigi. the greatest knife thrower of this day."

Luigi stepped out, smiled, bowed, and then bowed toward his partner. He nodded and the girl skipped across the room. She spread her arms and smiled towards her partner. 

Luigi took his station and fingered the long line of knives on the table before him. With a sudden lunge, he flipped his wrist and one of the knives thudded in the board, a fraction of an inch from the girl's outstretched arm. 

"Ahhh," Gale sighed, as she clutched Ray's arm, which was too close for comfort." 

In split-second rapidity, Luigi flipped knife after knife towards the girl. One by one they buried themselves in the backboard. 

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream filled the room and the girl fell to the floor, a gleaming knife buried in her chest. 

Quick as a flash, Ray Cardell changed, from the cool placid figure to the Master Key, cleverest of all crime fighters. Leaping from his seat, he raced up to the stage and knelt beside the fallen girl. Death stared from her rapidly glazing eyes. 

The curtain dropped, closing out the startled audience. Banton, the manager, rushed from the wings and wailed, "Get a doctor! Call the police!" 

Luigi was on his hands and knees, beside the fallen girl. Tears streamed from his eyes as he sobbed, "Mabel, speak to me. I didn't mean to do it. I don't know how it happened." 

In a few minutes police arrived and took charge. A burly sergeant walked over and snapped a pair of handcuffs on Luigi's wrists. Banton broke into the scene. "It was murder," he shouted, "he did it on purpose. I heard him argue with her in their dressing room this afternoon. He threatened to kill her." 

The bent form of Luigi shook as he sobbed, "It was only a petty quarrel. I wouldn't hurt her for the world. Why tomorrow we were to be married." 

The Master Key watched the drama before him. He sensed the sincerity of Luigi's words. Carefully he focused his radioactive eye on the group. Immediately, the ray revealed gleaming steel concealed under a cloth. He stepped forward and with a grip of iron seized Banton's arm, 

"Sergeant," he said curtly, "this is the man you want. Open his shirt and you'll find a knife." 

Banton tried to pull away but in so doing his shirt ripped open revealing a knife strapped to his waist. 

"But how, why?" the sergeant asked. 

"Simple," Ray responded. "Banton knew Mabel was going to marry Luigi. He tried to stop her and she refused. In a fit of jealousy, Banton bought a knife like those used by Luigi. He hurled it from the wings and in the excitement picked up one of Luigi's knives and hid it in his shirt. Luigi started with twenty knives and a count now will show twenty. The one in Banton's shirt is the odd one." 

When the police removed Banton, the sergeant turned to Ray and said, "You kept an innocent man from going to jail. But how did you know of the knife concealed by Banton?" 

Ray said nothing as he turned to find Gale. The answer to that question was what made Ray Cardell, the Master Key to all crime—his radioactive eye. 

END