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

inflation behind it. Meldon's letter was tangible proof. The notebook
statements coincided with The Shadow's deductions. Meldon had died because his
plan to leave Dorchester had been guessed. There was one odd factor, however:
why the murderer had left the letter and the notebook They stood as evidence
against the supercrook; they also proved that Meldon had neither murdered
Lenning nor committed suicide.
A sound came from a radio in the corner of the office. MXDO, a local
station in Dorchester, was coming on the air at eight-thirty, after a two-hour
silent stretch. The announcer was introducing Hugh Bursard, owner of the
station. A deep, well-modulated voice began to speak about the State
exposition, soon to be held in Dorchester. Bursard was stating that the
exposition committee would meet on the next day, to decide the matter of
building contracts.
The Shadow went to the radio and pressed the switch to cut off the
program. He went to the outer door; listened there. He started toward the door
in back of the desk. He heard a slight sound from beyond it. Quickly, The
Shadow glided across the office and stationed himself behind the open door of
the closet.


THE door from the next office opened; a sweatered man sneaked into view,
pocketing a key as he came. The Shadow saw a thuggish face. He watched the
intruder stare at the bodies of Meldon and Lenning. The man's ugly lips showed
a pleased grin, as if sight of death pleased him.
His gloat finished, the rowdy stroked his stubbly chin. It was plain that
the sight of the bodies was a treat that he had not anticipated. After
deliberation, the thug picked up the telephone and turned the dial with his
stubby forefinger. The Shadow heard his low growl:
"That you, Brad?... Yeah, this is Skeet... Sure, I'm up in the office.
Listen, Brad. There's a couple of stiffs here. Looks like one guy croaked the
other and then rubbed himself out... Sure, I'll go through with it, Brad.
"Yeah, I just wanted you to know about it... Sack Balban didn't say
nothing when he slipped you the orders, did he?... All right. I'll give the
joint the torch."
The Shadow recognized the name of "Sack" Balban. He had expected to hear
it after reaching Dorchester, but not so soon as this. Sack Balban was a
racketeer who had gained a notorious reputation in the city of Dorchester, but
who had managed recently to keep himself within the law. It was known that
Sack
had numerous underlings; obviously, "Skeet" and Brad were members of the
tribe.
Skeet lost no time after getting Brad's O.K. The Shadow watched him rip
open desk drawers and bring out sheaves of paper. Skeet strewed these along
the
floor; he added paper-laden folders that he took from the filing cabinet.
Picking up a wastebasket, he dumped its contents beside the desk. With a sweep
of his hand, Skeet shoved Meldon's letter and Lenning's notebook into the
debris.
Stepping almost to the edge of the closet door, Skeet drew a cylinder
from