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

Only a small alleyway separated the two structures. Any one bold enough
could bridge the gap by a running leap from the higher building. The logical
jump, however, was not to the roof of the apartment house, but to that of a
penthouse that topped it. The garden roof of the penthouse was only a few feet
below the level of the broad cornice that jutted from the roof of the
neighboring office building.
Coming by that route, The Shadow had found a hinged trapdoor in the
penthouse roof. Instead of using it, he had dropped from the penthouse wall to
the roof of the apartment house.
Here, he skirted the little building along a narrow ledge, high above the
ground. Two sides of the penthouse hovered over this man-made precipice. One
was the rear wall, toward the alley; the other, a long side wall above the
street.
The Shadow found little difficulty navigating the ledge. It was about
three feet broad and ornamented with blocky stones set at twelve-foot
intervals. These ornamental pieces, carved to resemble open-mouthed lions,
were
large enough to be admired from the street below. Each lion's mouth offered a
grip; so did the bulging head above it.
Well along the side wall, The Shadow had stopped by an open window. There
he was listening to a discussion held by two men, who were puffing at thin
cigars. One was Judge Hancock Noy, owner of the penthouse; the other, Hugh
Bursard, the jurist's dinner guest.


"I HAVE summed the matter, Bursard," expressed Judge Noy, in a decisive
tone. "The fact is, I was threatened by an anonymous personage who styles
himself Intimidation, Incorporated; and I have kept the letter that proves
it."
"A serious situation, your honor," agreed Bursard. "One that must
certainly be investigated. What about the messenger who brought the letter?
Have you traced him?"
"Yes. But he was simply a paid messenger, who picked up an envelope
labeled for delivery to me. Someone called the telegraph office to ask if the
message had been sent. They found it under some papers. No one can inform us
how or when it was placed on the counter."
Bursard crinkled papers that he held in his hand. His high forehead
showed
a frown.
"You are asking a great deal, your honor," he said, "when you insist that
I include these statements in tonight's broadcast. I should like more time to
think it over."
"Do as you please," returned judge. Noy. "However, whether or not you
broadcast my statements, I intend to give them to the press later. I shall
merely wait until after you have finished on the air. If you state the facts,
the reporters will come to you. If you prefer not to broadcast the news, I
shall call the newspapers and tell them to send representatives here.
"I am giving you an opportunity, Bursard. Thousands of listeners are
guided by your opinions on civic matters. Your words will carry weight and
will