"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 011 - Double Z" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

"I heard the shots that killed Caulkins," explained Ward. "But it was what happened before then that is
most important. He was in a hurry when he called me. Before they bumped him off, he told me that Judge
Tolland was there with him."

"Judge Tolland!" Fennimann raised his eyebrows incredulously. "That's impossible, Ward! If Tolland was
anywhere around New York, we'd have located him before this. Say! You aren't going to run any stuff
like that, are you?"

"That wasn't all that Caulkins said. He told me that Tolland knew all about Double Z. He was just going
to let me know who Double Z was when -"

Ward stopped as the door opened. In stepped the familiar form of Joe Cardona, the dark-visaged
detective whose reputation as a crime investigator was known throughout New York.

"I'm glad you're here, Joe!" exclaimed Fennimann. "This Caulkins killing has got me worriedтАФwith
Inspector Klein away and you off on an other job. This is Mr. Ward, city editor of the Classic. What
about this Caulkins case, JoeтАФhave you seen Wentworth?"

"Yes," replied Cardona tersely, while he was solemnly shaking hands with Ward.

"I stopped at East Eightieth Street on my way home from the Bronx. I've seen the placeтАФthe bodyтАФand
Wentworth's report. Happened to call here while you were out, and they told me about the murder."

Fennimann turned to Ward.

"Tell Joe what you told me," he said.

Cardona was expressionless while he heard the city editor's statement. Then he became thoughtful. He
scratched his chin and turned toward the newspaperman.

"How many shots did you hear over the wire?" he questioned Ward.
"Four."

"Did the receiver click right after that?" continued the detective.

"Not for fifteen or twenty secondsтАФperhaps half a minute."

"Four shots," said Cardona thoughtfully. "That's the number of bullets that were in the dead man's body."

"Which means -"

"That if anybody was with him when he called, it's a sure bet that's who killed him."

"He said that Judge Tolland was there," Ward asserted.

"So you told me. Was Caulkins reliable?"

"He was the Wise Owl," said Ward without a smile. "Apt to get fanciful at a typewriterтАФbut not on the
telephone, when talking with me."