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

"I don't know what to suppose," admitted Burke frankly. "I'm no detective, although when I was a police
reporter I knew as much as any dick on the force. I don't swallow this jinx stuff, as a rule; yet sometimes
it seems to work.

"But let's suppose that Chatham got hold of that sapphire. Then something would have happened to him.
Instead, the evidence shows that he killed Wilkinson."

"Burke," interposed Clarendon, "your ideas are interesting, even though they are scarcely tangible. There
is a definite angle to this situation, however.

"We know that Harriman purchased the sapphire at a fraction of its value. Therefore it is possible that he
was pursued, not by a fanciful danger, but by living men who sought to get the jewelтАФ"

"Wait!" exclaimed Burke. He pulled a clipping from the pile that he had previously consulted, and
showed it to Clarendon:

Harriman was in a mix-up, not long after he bought the sapphire. He was held up on a road in Florida.
Some bandits searched him, and took fifty dollars and his watch. He didn't have much money with him
that night.

"Keep those clippings, Burke," Clarendon said, returning the slip. "We may find a connection there. But
in the meantime, let us consider this case of Chatham'sтАФand the murder of Seth Wilkinson. Your point is
well chosen; that the motive was not sufficient for Chatham to kill Wilkinson. We also have the question
of the note.

"Why did Chatham leave it there?"

"I don't know," confessed Burke.

"Have you seen the note?"

"I haven't been out of the office. The police have the note, all right. They're holding it as evidenceтАФ"

"You know them at headquartersтАФthrough your former connection with the Clarion?"

"I know all of them."

"Come along then." George Clarendon rose from his chair. Clyde Burke followed, and a few minutes
later the two men were riding in a cab to police headquarters.

"The police have two letters from Chatham to Wilkinson," Burke mentioned as they traveled along
Broadway. "Those and the note are being held. I think we can get a look at them."

CLARENDON nodded, but said nothing. He seemed to be deep in thought. He remained silent until
they arrived at headquarters.

Burke led the way into the building. He inquired for Detective Steve Lang, and when the man appeared,
Burke introduced him to George Clarendon.

"Whatcha doing now, Clyde?" the detective asked Burke.