"Shadow - Back Pages - 370515 - The Kid Faces Death" - читать интересную книгу автора (Brown Roswell)

"When you deal with crimes of passionЧlove and hate," Slug O'Donnel
snapped, reciting something he had read in the police journal, "the solution is
bound to be simple. A person who murders under emotional strain is so worked
up that he doesn't care whether he is caught or not. You can play the pin machine
over there, Ryan, and chant about things being easy if you want, I'm going after
Shirly Parker!"
Mike Ryan seemed a little sad as he watched Slug leave the store. He
glanced back at Danny, then at the corpse, and said, "He's probably right, but I
hate to admit it."
He bent down and scooped up some of the lipstick. While he gazed at the
cosmetic, Danny told him about seeing the florist next door.
"Maybe we ought to go over and question him, Mike."
"Maybe so," Ryan replied. "Come on."
They went out the back way and into the florist shop through its back
entrance. Miller finished attending a customer and turned to see them standing
there. The squat man, light shining from his bald head, looked at the small
shoe-shine boy, then up at the red-faced detective.
"What's the meaning of this?"
"Maybe you haven't heard of the murder next door."
"Sure," Miller grunted, "I heard of it."
"But it doesn't make you very sorry, does it?" Mike Ryan asked.
. Miller shrugged. Danny saw that he had a bandaged. finger. Ryan saw it too.
"Cut yourself?"
Miller nodded. "I broke a vase and had to take it outside."
"Yeah?" Ryan snapped. "Let's see what the wound looks like!"
Miller took off the bandage and showed it to them. It did not look unnatural.
Afterward Ryan, followed by Danny, went outside and saw the broken vase to
verify Miller's story.
Danny Garrett began to wonder at the turn of events. Miller's story was
logical. He had every right to be out in the small back yard; and he had an excuse
for the blood. Then Shirly Parker must be guilty!
Ryan took Miller back inside to grill him; but Danny did not go along this
time. He entered the stationery store again. He had no trouble, for the cop
guarding the door had seen that he was with the homicide detective.
Danny saw them carry out Paul Hudson. He would like to believe that any
one but Shirly had committed the crime; and yet, from fairly close relationship
with Hudson, he had seen no one whom he could look upon now as a suspect.
He thought of Doctor Sims. Yet Sims must have been out of the place long
before this happened. Maybe Miller had broken the vase to cover up for any
questioning such as he was now undergoing.
Suddenly an idea came to Danny. He scooped up some of the lipstick as he
had seen Ryan do; scooped it up with his finger nail. Again he left the store, and
headed down the street toward a drug store.
It was a half hour later when Slug O'Donnel brought the police car to a skid
in front of the stationery store and hopped out, a bundle under his arm. Danny
Garrett and Mike Ryan saw him.
"She's gone," Slug wailed. "Can't find her anywhere! Skipped the city, I guess.
I suggest we go right down to headquarters and send out a general alarm with her
description and all that, Ryan."
"Where did you look?"