"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 114 - The Strange Disappearance Of Joe Cardona" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

detailed to a case made the situation acute.
"Five disconnected deaths," mused Weston. "An obscure mechanic, a
university instructor, a radio announcer, a Wall Street promoter, a
pawnbroker.
None, apparently, ever knew the others. Four competent detectives missing. Two
-
Lacey and Kirk - gone before they learned anything. Two others - Jenkins and
Doolan - vanished after delivering clues that have not helped us.
"Jenkins found a fountain pen, significant only because it contained
ordinary purple ink. Doolan found a common button from a shirt cuff; not the
commonest sort of button, but one that is common enough. These clues may be
valuable, should we find a suspect; but in themselves, the clues are useless."


CARDONA pondered over Weston's words, then remarked:
"Maybe the clues mean more than we think, commissioner. They were
important enough for the man who's behind these deaths to snatch the
detectives
who found them."
Weston shook his head.
"I don't think so," he declared. "The perpetrator of the purple death is
merely flaunting his power in our faces. He wants us to know that our efforts
to unearth him will prove futile."
Weston drove a heavy fist down upon his desk. This was characteristic of
him.
"Five men have died," announced Weston, "from the effects of some
baffling
poison that turns their bodies purple. We know that the poison is similar to
known ones, but it coagulates the blood of the victims to such extent that we
have been unable to learn the time at which death struck them. That fact,
Cardona, has masked the murderer's movements."
Cardona nodded, listening to facts that he already knew. Suddenly,
however, he put a question:
"What about those new types of blood tests, commissioner? The ones you
mentioned yesterday?"
"I have talked with three experts," returned Weston. "Only one believes
that results are possible. He is Professor Kinsley Murkden. He has made a
special study of chemical reactions in the blood stream. In fact, he has been
delivering lectures on the subject."
"Did Murkden make any tests for you?"
"Yes. Using blood from the most recent victim. The test failed because
the
victim had been dead too long. Murkden believes that he could ascertain the
exact time of death if he could make tests within twelve hours after a
victim's
death."
"Perhaps he may have the chance."
Weston glared, for the moment, at Cardona's utterance. Then he sank back
in his chair, nodding soberly.
"You may be right, Cardona," he declared, solemnly. "We may have to meet