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

Hildrew Parchell's body had been removed. Yet, to The Shadow, the spot where the corpse had lain
was as plain as if it had been marked in outline. The overturned table was a pointer to the spot where the
body had sprawled. Scattered objects from the table had escaped the fire.

Even the candle and its stick had dropped free after the bedclothes had ignited. Ravaging flames had
gone upward, licking at the bed itself. Tristram's valiant efforts with the fire extinguisher had saved all
objects about the spot where his master had lain.

Stooping, The Shadow stretched forth a black-gloved hand and picked up the fountain pen. Brief
examination indicated that it had been recently used. The pad of paper lay on the floor.

The Shadow lifted it and noticed that the top sheet was absent. It had been torn away in ragged fashion.

Producing a tiny flashlight, The Shadow threw its glare upon the pad. He brought forth a tiny box that
contained a blackish powder: graphite. Removing a glove, The Shadow spread the powder on the pad
with his finger tips. It formed a smudge; that was all.

This was The Shadow's method of tracing messages, by impressions on a lower sheet. It failed on this
occasion; yet The Shadow, as he tore off the smudged paper, still held to his theory that something could
have been written on that pad.

Looking toward the floor, he spied the book. A whispered laugh came from The Shadow's lips. Though
the message was lost to him, he was satisfied that it could have been written. The Shadow knew that
Hildrew Parchell had used the book as a rest for the paper.

No impression could be gained from the book cover. It was too hard to take the pressure of the pen. But
as The Shadow's keen gaze steadied on the floor, they made another discovery. Near the bed, The
Shadow saw crumpled ashes.

These traces of burned substance were in an isolated spot. They were different from the remains of the
burned bedclothes. Picking up a fragment of ash, The Shadow immediately discerned its composition.
These ashes were the residue of burned paper.

Some one - Tristram, perhaps, or Cardona - had stepped upon the paper ashes. Though he used his
flashlight steadily, The Shadow could not find more trace than that of a few brownish letters. There was
no chance of deciphering the burned message.

This new discovery, however, was the wedge that The Shadow needed to form a reconstruction of the
scene. His keen mind pictured the events that had preceded Hildrew Parchell's death.
HILDREW PARCHELL had been well enough to summon certain persons to conference. He had
prepared a document for their consideration. He had replaced articles upon the table beside his bed. He
had kept the paper that he had written.

The segregated clump of ashes were proof that the paper had been burned independently. Parchell must
have destroyed it himself; any one else would have carried it away intact, if possible.

Viewing the burned bed, The Shadow built a mental image of the fray that had taken place here. He
could picture Parchell propped up in bed, facing a challenger who had entered the room. He could see
the old man's frantic efforts to destroy the paper; he visualized the effort of the intruder who had tried to
prevent the deed.