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

SHAKILY, the committee men arose. Bursard was the first to reach the
door.
He tried the knob, looked startled when he found that it still failed to turn.
The Shadow, strolling up as a spectator, took hold of the knob and gave
it
a firm twist.
"It wasn't locked at all!" ejaculated Radbourne, who saw the action. "The
inside knob was merely tightened, so that it would stick."
"It fooled me," expressed Clewiss, angrily; then he added to Bursard:
"But
you fell for it, too."
"I did," gritted Bursard, "but I'll be a fool no longer!"
Striding across the room, Bursard grabbed up the microphone that stood on
the corner table. The other committee members gaped when they saw a loose cord
follow the instrument.
The microphone was not attached to any circuit!
Clewiss, not to be outdone, made a dive for the rug beneath the table. He
yanked it away. Instead of a bomb-filled hole, the viewers saw solid floor.
Like the door and the microphone, the bomb threat was a bluff!
Four angry men went into a huddle. Standing by the opened door, The
Shadow
could catch snatches of their conversation. It was too late to call off the
deal; the Evening Clarion was already printing news that the contract had gone
to the Markallan company.
Then came a buzz of cautious words. Despite the fact that they had been
bluffed, the committee men were willing to agree that Intimidation,
Incorporated, was a real threat. The buzz became a whisper. The Shadow heard
no
more until Radbourne joined him at the door. Leaving the others, the financier
beckoned for The Shadow to follow him.
Reaching the street, they entered Radbourne's car. The financier put a
prompt query:
"We can rely upon you, Mr. Cranston, to keep this episode a secret."
 "Absolutely," replied The Shadow, calmly. "You may rest assured on that
point, Mr. Radbourne."
"Good!" Radbourne looked relieved. "That will aid us immensely. We have
an
idea as to the identity of the culprit who threatened us."
The Shadow's expression showed interest. Radbourne explained at length.
"There is a racketeer in town," he confided, "who calls himself Sack
Balban. The rogue has been working within the law, running slot machines and
number games that are legalized in this State. There has been no way in which
to get rid of him."
"In my opinion" - Radbourne spoke with emphasis - "Sack Balban is the man
behind Intimidation, Incorporated. He has evidently been successful with
previous threats. This time, he has gone too far. His game is ended. He chose
the wrong men.
"Wrightley, as mayor, can make trouble for Balban. So can Clewiss, for he
will be our next district attorney. Bursard is also powerful, for he controls