"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 298 - The Stars Promise" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

"So he wound up with a legitimate sale," said Margo, sadly. "Too bad, Lamont. If only he'd left a few
odd items that could have revealed his past, especially the sort that you might have returned to their real
owners."

"He did leave a trifling collection of that type," declared Cranston. He was watching from the window as
the train snailed across the drawbridge that brought it into Seaview City. "It consisted entirely of hotel
keys."

"Hotel keys!" exclaimed Margo. "Why did Trenkler steal those?"

"He didn't exactly steal them. His housekeeper said he intended to return them, but the jackdaw in him
made him forgetful. That is, Trenkler planned to return all his hotel keys except this one."

From his vest pocket Cranston brought a sizeable key that bore the number 608. Staring at it, Margo
didn't notice that the porter was gathering the luggage as a sign that the train was practically at the depot.

"Returning a hotel key is a simple matter," explained Cranston. "You simply drop it in the mail-box. But
this one was posted in a little package."

"That's odd," remarked Margo. "Do you know why it was mailed that way?"

"Certainly," replied Cranston. "Because it was sent to Trenkler. That's odd, too, having a hotel key come
to a person instead of the other way about."

Margo was looking closely at the key, noticing that it bore no tag to identify the name of the hotel. Before
she could question Cranston on that point, he was motioning her to her feet, since the train had come to a
stop.

"The package was postmarked Seaview City," undertoned Cranston, as they moved toward the line of
passengers waiting at the door. "So it seemed worthwhile coming here, since the long distance call was
from Seaview City too."

"What long, distance call?"

"One that the housekeeper received last night. She said that Mr. Trenkler wasn't feeling well, but she
didn't specify how well he wasn't feeling."

"Who made the call?"

"Some man who didn't give his name. He said for Trenkler to come tomorrow - that meant today - or to
send somebody. Today would be his last chance."

The line was through the doorway now, but Margo paused to ask another question.

"How will you find out where the call was from?"

"The man said something else," replied Cranston. "He told the housekeeper to remind Trenkler to take
the blue green cab."

"The blue green cab!"