"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 052 - Crime Circus" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

"Because Dombo Carlin is too wise a mug to stick around for no good reason."
"He's got a reason, Joe!"

"He has, eh?" Cardona's gaze narrowed. "So there's more than what you've already told me? I thought
so. Come on, Dowdy. Spill it!"

"I don't want to make trouble for nobody," whined the rat-faced prisoner. "But I ain't tryin' to stall you,
neither. I thought maybe you'd know why Dombo was stickin' aroun' town, Joe. He's after Beef
Malligan."

"Beef Malligan?" Cardona laughed gruffly. "Say, Dowdy, what's this you're handing me now? Beef
Malligan cleared town a month ago - or more - along with his pal, Croaker Zinn."

"Croaker got out, Joe, but Beef didn't. He's still here in town, hidin' out somewhere."

"What's he hiding out for? I'm not looking for him - or Croaker, either. I thought the two of them had
dived for the sticks, along with those mugs that used to work with them before their bum racket busted."

"Croaker cleared out," explained Dowdy, "an' so did the muscle men. I don't know where they went,
Joe. There ain't nobody in the know. But Beef stayed aroun' - alone."

"Why?"

"To send the gorillas along to Croaker. They've been sorta slidin' out one at a time. It looks like Beef has
been hearin' from Croaker."

"And sending the old boys along the line, eh? Well, that doesn't bother me. The more that clear out, the
better. But why is Beef keeping under cover?"

"So Dombo Carlin won't find him."

"I get you now, Dowdy," nodded Cardona. "Why didn't you spill this story in the first place? Let's see" -
the detective paused thoughtfully - "first the racket goes haywire. Croaker Zinn leaves town. He finds
some happy hunting ground and Beef Malligan stays here to steer the mobsters along to join Croaker."

"That's what it looks like, Joe."

"And all the while, Beef is hiding out. He's afraid of Dombo Carlin. Now we're looking for Dombo and
his best bet is to take it on the lam. But he's sticking around a while hoping that he can take a shot at
Beef."

"That's the dope, Joe."

CARDONA arose and paced across the floor. Dowdy eyed him with an anxious gaze. All the while,
Fritz continued with his slow, methodical mopping.

"Do you think Dombo has located Beef?" queried Cardona, suddenly.

"Yeah," responded Dowdy. "That's what he's stickin' aroun' for, ain't it?"