"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 159 - The Dead Who Lived" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

"I need ten thousand more."

"But you already have it! You said you had ten thousand to begin with -"

Brellick glowered an interruption.

"My finances are my business," he declared, testily. "But since you seem to think they are yours as well, I
might as well make it plain. I wanted twenty thousand dollars. I had ten thousand to begin with, so I
arranged to borrow ten thousand. Is that clear?"
The girl nodded.

"And now I want to borrow ten thousand more," continued Brellick. "What does that mean?"

The stenographer's jaw slackened.

"You want thirty thousand!" she exclaimed.

"Bright girl!" rejoined Brellick. "Yes, I want thirty thousand dollars. The deal I'm going into may be larger
than I expected. A friend of mine" - Brellick chuckled deeply - "may be dropping out of it!"

THE telephone repair man arrived in the outer office. Brellick decided to let the telegram go, hoping that
the phone would soon be available. The repair man started testing the wire in the outer office. Brellick
retired to his inner office; he was there when the stenographer ushered in a dry-faced man who carried a
doctor's satchel. Brellick recognized him.

"Hello, doctor!" said the portly man. "You're the medical examiner from the Southeastern Mutual, aren't
you?"

The physician nodded; he began to unpack a stethoscope.

"Some mistake," remarked Brellick. "I haven't applied for any more life insurance."

The doctor, himself, looked puzzled. Then:

"This must be a special examination," he declared. "Possibly to learn if you are entitled to preferred class
rates. I received word to come here."

"Go ahead with it, then," grumbled Brellick. "I'm handcuffed, anyway, until they get the telephone fixed."

The doctor completed the examination. Brellick walked out through the outer office, chatting with him.
Tapping his heart, the portly man remarked:

"So the old ticker's all right, eh, doc?"

"Excellent!" returned the physician. "Particularly for a man of your weight."

In the hallway was a listener - a man in overalls. Brellick took him to be the repair man's assistant. It was
after Brellick had returned to his inner office that the fellow entered, to speak to the stenographer.