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Chapter 20: Radar Meets the Green Hornet

Another challenge for THE GREEN HORNET. His aide CATO, & their rolling arsenal, THE BLACK BEAUTY! On police records a wanted criminal. THE GREEN HORNET is really BRITT REID; the owner-publisher of (DULUTH'S) THE DAILY SENTINEL. His dual identity known only to his secretary, & to the District Attorney. & now to protect the rights of decent citizens rides THE GREEN HORNET! It was dark & stormy & foggy night in DULUTH as some of RADAR'S deputies whom were on loan to the narcotics squad of the DULUTH P.D. got just a wee bit careless, & opened fire on a black 1966 CHRYSLER IMPERIAL, only to have their bullets hit the car w/o making a scratch. As a result they found their bullets on pavement of the streets because that car was bulletproof. At first they thought the car was registered to DICK CORVETTE, but when they turned in the license plate it was registered to THE GREEN HORNET!

This naturally arose the suspicions of D.A. FRANK SCANLON when he learned of it. So SCANLON paid an emergency call on THE GREEN HORNET himself, namely, BRITT REID, which resulted in REID saying "FRANK! CATO & I were trailing EDDIE THE SCHNOOK, when he lead us into that narcotics stakeout on purpose!" CATO replied "The local police opened fire with only warning shots. It was those out-of-towners whom shot at THE BLACK BEAUTY!" SCANLON said "HMMMM! It sounds to me like, those deputies from ITASCA COUNTY got a little too careless as you put it, but why would EDDIE THE SCHNOOK lead you 2 into that stakeout?" REID said "He probably thought that there maybe some shooting, & he assumed that he may just make THE GREEN HORNET a shooting victim!?" SCANLON replied "So this narcotics drop was just a rouse to get you into a trap, which therefore, makes it possible for them to try again?" "Exactly, FRANK!" "I'M gonna place a call to that SHERIFF RADAR O'REILLY in ITASCA COUNTY, & let him in on this. As for his 2 deputies, well, I think he'll have them cleaning out stalls for the horses of the HONOR POSSE for a few good months to keep them out of action for a while." "Good idea, FRANK. But how do I keep MIKE AXFORD from finding out about this?" "Put him on a 2 weeks vacation time fishing at GRANT'S PASS in OREGON, or something, but keep out of DULUTH for the time being until we link FRANK FARKEL of SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN to the midwest operations of the BUBBLINO crime family!?" "I'll get on it, FRANK."

Then a call came into RADAR'S office at the courthouse in GRAND RAPIDS, & he answered saying "SHERIFF O'REILLY speaking." Then SCANLON replied "SHERIFF O'REILLY. This is District Attorney FRANK SCANLON of DULUTH, & I was wondering if you'd like to see something special?" RADAR said "I'M happy with my job, & I have no need of a residential location in a metropolitan area, thank you." "But SHERIFF O'REILLY, I only want you to meet my friend MR. BRITT REID, the owner-publisher of THE DAILY SENTINEL, which happens to be DULUTH'S #.1 selling newspaper, especially with it's stories about THE GREEN HORNET!?" "I've never subscribed to a metropolitan newspaper, & I never will for that matter!" "Well, you don't have to subscribe to it, or anything. Just meet MR. REID at his home in DULUTH, & I'll handle all of the formal introductions, so on, & so forth, etc. etc." "Well, since you put it that way I'll do it!" "I knew that reasoning with you would work, SHERIFF RADAR O'REILLY. Just a matter of precision, & playing it cool!?" "How do I get there?" "Just follow U.S. 2 into DULUTH, & meet me at city hall, & I'll lead you to MR. REID'S residence. Of course, we'll have to use the secret entrance for security purposes!" "Whatever you decide is fine with me, MR. SCANLON, Sir!?" "How about THURSDAY, perhaps?" "Certainly! I'M free from noon to 4:00 P.M., if you agree?" "Come by anytime!?" "BYE!" "BYE!"

The following day RADAR drove to the city hall building in DULUTH, & met up with SCANLON whom then took him to the residence of BRITT REID aka THE GREEN HORNET! Upon entering through the secret entrance RADAR was totally stunned at what he'd seen so far. Then MR. REID asked "FRANK, is this SHERIFF O'REILLY as you've described to me?" SCANLON replied "The very same one, BRITT." RADAR said "How come the owner-publisher of big city newspaper battles crime, his other identity is a wanted criminal on police records?" REID answered "Good question, SHERIFF O'REILLY. I took on the identity of THE GREEN HORNET to fight crime & clean up corruption in DULUTH. There mafia bosses out there willing to pay a king's ransom to learn whom THE GREEN HORNET really is!?" RADAR replied "I honestly had no clue of that!?" SCANLON said "Well, whom could blame you for not having a good enough clue as to why THE GREEN HORNET is really a crusading newspaper publisher instead of being the wanted criminal which he happens to be on police records?" RADAR said "Since you put it that way, well, I guess I'll just have to be sworn to secrecy to keep from identifying you later on?" REID replied "Well, I guess it's alright to swear RADAR hear to secrecy, FRANK?" SCANLON responded "Certainly, BRITT. I guess we're as safe as we'll ever be, & then some!?" So after having sworn RADAR to secrecy he knew from now on if things got a little too hairy when it came to fighting crime in ITASCA COUNTY, well, he'd call in THE GREEN HORNET for back up whenever the need arose!