"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 078 - The Third Skull" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

maintained contact - all were on their way to The Shadow!

CHAPTER III. THE SHADOW ENTERS
"BURBANK speaking."

"Report -"

The order came in a sinister whisper. The single word was uttered by hidden lips. The Shadow was in his
sanctum, a strange room wherein the bluish rays of a shaded lamp glimmered upon the surface of a
polished table.

Earphones clamped to head, The Shadow was hearing from Burbank, his contact man who kept in touch
with active agents. Burbank's call was bringing the details of Clyde Burke's report.

The Shadow's right hand, beneath the glow of the blue light, was tracing details as his ear received them.

"Report received."

The left hand thrust the earphones across the table. The Shadow's eyes, hidden in darkness, began to
study the names and notations that his hand had inscribed. A whispered laugh sounded in the blackness
beyond the sphere of the blue light.

Like Joe Cardona, The Shadow was considering possibilities. But he was studying the case from a
perspective; in forming his conclusions, he was exacting where the detective had been spontaneous.

Upon a sheet of blank paper, The Shadow inscribed a single word; one that shone in letters of vivid
blue:

Death

Hildrew Parchell had been expecting death. A man of considerable consequence years ago, his illness
had gained but passing mention in the newspapers. His critical condition could have been learned only by
persons who were interested in his affairs.

Excluding Tristram, there were only two persons who had known of Parchell's ailment for a long time.
One was Doctor Raymond Deseurre; the other was Weldon Wingate. Selwood Royce, presumably, had
not heard of old Parchell's condition before tonight.

Cardona had made a note to the effect that Deseurre, Wingate, and Royce were no more than
acquaintances. He had added that their visits, as physician, lawyer, and friend, were to be expected, in
view of the death that Parchell had anticipated.

Reasoning had caused Cardona to reject his hunch that there was some reason for the trio being
summoned. Reasoning, in turn, was the very process whereby The Shadow picked up the conclusion that
Cardona had dropped.

Hildrew Parchell had obviously made it a practice not to bring different associates together. The proof of
that lay in the fact that his lawyer and his physician had only met by chance in the past.

Tonight, for the first time, Parchell had so arranged his appointments that Wingate and Deseurre could