"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 053 - Tower of Death" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

Luskin, doomed, was stretched upon his back, his eyes were closed. His lips were moving feebly. Above
him, a specter of blackness, crouched The Shadow. Burning eyes were upon the moving lips. The
Shadow was seeking to read the utterances that were inaudible.

тАЬFifty thousandтАФdollarsтАЭтАФLuskin framed the words. тАЬHeтАФcan getтАФa millionтАФтАЭ

тАЬWho?тАЭ

The Shadow's question was a whisper.

тАЬHaverly,тАЭ gasped Luskin, тАЬA millionтАФif he can get it. A million dollarsтАФтАЭ

The lips twitched. They did not respond to the dying man's delirious thoughts. Luskin's head sank back.
The man was dead.

The Shadow did not rise. Still crouching, he let Luskin's body slide gently to the sidewalk. The Shadow
could hear the shouts of policemen on the other side of the cab. New sirensтАФother cars were coming.

A cordon was forming in this street. Already, officers were starting to come around the cab. Listening,
The Shadow knew that they would soon be at this spot where he still lurked unseen. Then came an
opportunity.

A shout arose from the other side of the cab. A policeman, heading for the sidewalk, dashed back
toward the street. A revolver barked; a man cursed. A police car came to a sudden stop as it whirled up
beside the cab. There were sounds of a brief scuffle.

Jake, the fake cab driver, had tried to escape. He alone had escaped The Shadow's bullets. Reviving
from the knock-out blow which the gloved fist had dealt to his chin, Jake had made a bolt, only to be
stopped by a policeman's shot.

THE SHADOW rose swiftly. During the momentary interval, he made a quick whirl toward the building
wall beyond the sidewalk. His figure merged with darkness just as another policeman approached the
sidewalk by the cab.

A glimmering flashlight swept the pavement. Its rays passed by The Shadow's feet. They did not disclose
the lurking form. Then the flashlight revealed the body of Luskin. A shout brought another officer. He
stumbled over the form of Burnetti.

Heavy footsteps sounded on the pavement. A stocky, swarthy-faced man appeared within the flashlight's
glare. He was in plain clothes. It was Detective Joe Cardona, ace of the Manhattan force.

Cardona's verdict was a quick one, formed as soon as the sleuth had spied the face of Luskin.

тАЬThis was the fellow they were after,тАЭ declared the detective. тАЬHe's no gorilla. They got him all rightтАФbut
they had a tough time doing it.тАЭ
Cardona swung to survey the face of Burnetti, which was now spotted in the circle of a policeman's
flashlight. The detective grunted.

тАЬThere's a tough mug,тАЭ decided Cardona. тАЬI know the guy. Burnetti. I've been waiting to pin something