"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 064 - The Death Sleep" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

"Something has happened, Mabel," he said, in a solemn tone. "Go to the elevator and speak to the
operator when he arrives. I can't understand this."

As Mrs. Doring walked toward the elevator, the car arrived. A passenger stepped forth. Mrs. Doring
stopped him and the operator. Breathlessly, she began to explain the mysterious happenings at Seth
Tanning's apartment. The man who had come from the elevator walked over to join Doring. The
operator followed.

"My name is Brooks," stated the passenger, speaking to Doring. "Just coming up to my apartment - at
the other end of the hall. What's the trouble here, old man? Something that worries you?"

"Yes," nodded Doring. "Listen. That place is as silent as a tomb. When we arrived - about five minutes
ago - there was plenty of noise. It stopped. I knocked. The telephone rang. Yet no response."

Brooks knocked at the door. He listened; then shrugged his shoulders. He drew a key from his pocket
and motioned toward the other end of the hall.

"We'd better call the police," he said. "Come on, old man. We can use the phone in my apartment."

"Stay here, operator," ordered Doring, as he followed Brooks. "You wait here also, Mabel. Knock
occasionally. If they give any signs of life, let us know."

"They couldn't possibly have gone out," put in Mrs. Doring. "They might have been leaving the living
room -"

"Not a chance," insisted Doring. "It's only a one-room apartment - nothing but alcoves for dressing room
and kitchenette. There is no exit other than the door to this corridor."

BROOKS hurriedly conducted Doring to his apartment. There Doring put in a call for detective
headquarters. He held a short conversation while Brooks listened. Finally Doring hung up and prepared
to make another call.

"Talked with an acting inspector," he explained to Brooks. "Chap named Cardona. He's coming up here.
But he told me to put in a call to the precinct in the meantime."

Doring then called the precinct. He and Brooks left the latter's apartment. They relieved the operator and
sent him down to inform the door man what had happened. Doring and Brooks lighted cigarettes and
paced nervously back and forth in front of Tanning's door. At intervals, Doring stopped to knock upon
the panel. As before - no response.

The clang of an elevator door announced the arrival of a tall, haggard man who introduced himself as the
superintendent of the apartment building. He explained that there was no master key to Tanning's
apartment. He rapped at the door; hearing no answer, he deliberated. While the superintendent was thus
engaged, an elevator arrived and a bulky police sergeant stepped forth, followed by two bluecoats.

These men were from the precinct. The sergeant listened to Doring's story; then looked at the closed
door. He heard the superintendent's statement that there was no master key. The sergeant hesitated.

"I don't like to break into the man's apartment," he declared. "You heard no unusual noise. Nothing to
indicate violence -"