"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 006 - The Death Tower" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

Wilkinson's outburst.

"Let me tell you something about Palermo!" Wilkinson stopped his discourse long enough to light his
pipe. "He's a smooth rascal, who pretends to be a man of importance. I wouldn't trust him for five
minutes, and he knows it!"

"But you trusted him once," objected Palermo, mimicking Chatham's voice. "He told me so himself. In
factтАФ"

"That was before he tried to swindle me," interrupted Wilkinson bitterly.

"Listen, Chatham. I'll wager that of all the people Palermo knowsтАФ and he is well acquainted among
persons of wealthтАФI am the only one who understands his game. More than thatтАФI'm the only one who
can make trouble for him; and that's exactly what I intend to do!"

"Why?"

"Chatham," said Wilkinson, sitting in a chair, and twisting his pipe between his hands, "I've kept silent on
this whole affair. I don't know why you've come here, but since I know you well, I'm sure that Palermo is
trying to dupe you, also.

"Six months ago, Palermo dropped in to see me. He told me about some wonderful experiments that he
was conducting in his laboratory.

"I believed his story, and when he said that he needed thirty thousand dollars, I agreed to give it to him.
In fact, I was all ready to pay him the money with no security whatever, for I believed in him.

"But I suddenly came to my senses, and proposed that he sign a note for that amount. He tried to dodge
the issue, but when I became suspicious, he suddenly acted in a very agreeable manner. He signed the
note, and took the money."

"Exactly what he told me," interposed the man disguised as Horace Chatham.
"Yes," retorted Wilkinson grimly, "but I'll wager that he didn't tell you anything further, did he?"

"No, he did not."

Wilkinson laughed.

"I saw Palermo quite frequently after that. He was always talking of his great experimentsтАФthat they
were coming well, but slowly. He was working up to what he wantedтАФan extension on the note.

"About two weeks ago, he dropped in to see me. He showed me some bonds on Consolidated Airways.
He suggested that I take them as security instead of his note.

"I looked over the bonds. They were better security, but I followed a hunch. I told Palermo to wait until
the end of the six-month period; then I would take the bonds.

"That satisfied him, and he left.

"But I noticed something, Chatham. I remembered the numbers on two of the bonds. The next day, I