"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 010 - Hands in the Dark" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

"StrangeтАФstrange," he muttered. "I could have sworn some one was out there, spying on me."

Then he turned again to Hodgson. "Did my uncle have anyтАФenemies, Hodgson? Men who wanted his
ruinтАФhis life, perhaps?"

"No, sir. Not that I know of, sir."

"WellтАФhave you noticed anything peculiar about the old place, Hodgson? IsтАФis Miss Betty all right?"

The old man moistened his lips and hesitated. Then he spoke.

"EVERYTHING is just as it used to be, sir. When Mr. Galvin went away, he closed the house. I went
out to the country house with Miss Betty. We were there when we learned that your uncle had died.

"I came in and opened the place, sir, when I knew that you were coming home. Miss Betty is still in the
country. She said she would wait until you arrived."

"I am going to phone her shortly."

"She will be glad to hear from you, sir. She has been waiting there several days now.

"I am glad that I came in alone, sir. I wouldn't have wanted her to see what I foundтАФin this room!"

"What was that?" Bob's interest was evident.

"A dead man, sir! He was lying right where you are standingтАФby the desk."

"A dead man! Then there was something! Who was he?"

"The police have not learned his name, sir," Hodgson continued. "Perkins, the chauffeur, was with me
when I stumbled on the body. The detectives were sure the man was a thief."

"What killed him? Was he shot?"

"He was strangled, sir. He must have been dead for two or three days when we discovered him.

"We couldn't tell how he came inтАФall the doors were locked, and the shutters were closed and barred.
The detectives think he must have had a key that opened the little side door.

"They are sure he came here with another manтАФboth of them probably thieves -"

"Ah, I understand," interrupted Bob. "One killed the other and escaped. What could they have been
after, Hodgson?"

"I can't imagine, sir," the servant said. "There was nothing here of value. We could find nothing missing,
sir.

"The detectives think that one man had a grudge against the other. That he brought him here to kill him -"

Bob's face gleamed with understanding.