"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 116 - Intimidation,Inc" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

mayor's hand. The Shadow saw the expression that froze upon Wrightley's
features. The mayor's pompous air was gone. His lips were opened like a fish's
mouth; his eyes had the bulge of a bullfrog's.
Among the blank forms, Wrightley had found a typed letter. In reading its
lines, he had become horror-stricken; too overwhelmed to speak. It was not
until the mayor's hands sank to the table that the other men saw that
something
was amiss. One look at Wrightley's distorted face made them think that the
mayor
had experienced a stroke.
Hugh Bursard sprang to steady Wrightley. From quivering lips, the mayor
managed to gasp something about a letter. Elwood Clewiss gripped the sheet of
paper, took it from Wrightley's loosened hands. Seeing that Wrightley had
settled to his chair with Bursard's aid, Clewiss stared at the letter. His jaw
thrust forward as he scanned the typed lines.
"What is it, Clewiss?" questioned Newell Radbourne. The financier's tone
was anxious. "Something that concerns the committee?"
"Yes," returned the lawyer, savagely. "It is a letter addressed to us. I
shall read it."
Clewiss' tone became a contemptuous sneer as he proceeded to read as
follows:

"Dear Sirs. You will proceed at once to accept the bid of Ralph C.
Markallan for construction of the exposition stadium. No delay will be
tolerated; you will make the announcement, by telephone, to the Evening
Clarion
within fifteen minutes after your receipt of this letter.
"Others have followed instructions of this sort, and in so doing have
shown their wisdom. The penalty for disregarding this warning, or mentioning
this correspondence outside your conference, will be death.
"You are prisoners - for the door of your conference room has been
latched
from outside. Every word that you say will be heard - for the microphone on
the
corner table is connected. Under the corner table is a bomb, ready to be
discharged by an electric current.
"Destroy this letter. Make no false move. Fulfill instructions, or death
will be the verdict. Signed: "Intimidation, Incorporated."

Clewiss flung the letter to the table and looked about the group. The
lawyer's challenging expression faded as he saw the faces of the others. Mayor
Wrightley looked pitiful; Hugh Bursard was solemn; Newell Radbourne quaked as
he gripped the edge of the table.
Only The Shadow showed no change of expression. His face was immobile;
but
Clewiss was not interested in the reactions of the visitor who styled himself
Lamont Cranston. Clewiss was concerned with the other committee members; in an
effort to restore their morale, the lawyer stepped away from the desk and took
long strides to the door.
Clewiss gripped the knob to turn it. His effort failed. His rugged face