"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 123 - Washington Crime" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

DELIBERATELY, The Shadow descended the fire tower, which was temporarily
forgotten. He reached the alleyway, moved through darkness for the front
street. He saw a cab there, its driver craning to watch the cars that had
started a chase around the block to try to pick up Bryland's trail. There were
other persons on the sidewalk; but all were looking in the same direction,
away
from where The Shadow stood.
Calmly, The Shadow crossed the sidewalk. For a few seconds he was visible
as a cloaked figure, his head topped by a slouch hat. Then his black shape
blended with the darkness beside the taxicab. Opening the door, The Shadow
stepped into the cab, thumped the door shut and spoke quietly to the driver.
Thinking that he had a passenger from the hotel, the driver nodded and
settled back behind the wheel. The Shadow gave an address; the cab started its
journey.
Again, The Shadow delivered a soft laugh. He was not disappointed by the
escape of Frederick Bryland. In fact, The Shadow had deliberately aided it;
and
had delayed his early pursuit in order to bluff Bryland. He wanted Bryland to
be
free for the present; free, with the belief that his identity had not been
learned.
The Shadow had managed that to perfection. Bryland had been in darkness
most of the time. At no time had The Shadow glimpsed the ex-major's face; and
Bryland knew it.
The Shadow's well-faked pursuit had made Bryland think that the cloaked
fighter wanted to identify him. Therefore, Bryland would be positive that he
had remained unknown. Yet The Shadow, without even glimpsing the intended
murderer in the light, had known all along that the man was Bryland. There was
only one person in Washington from whom The Shadow had expected either a
threat
or a surprise visit; and that man was Frederick Bryland.
From Follingsby's court-martial, The Shadow had brought evidence that
Bryland was the thief who had taken the National Emergency Code. How he had
gained that fact was something that The Shadow had kept to himself; but at
present, he was on his way to reveal it to another person.
When he reached the house on H Street, The Shadow would be prepared to
supply Agent F-3 with full details concerning the former army major, Frederick
Bryland.


CHAPTER III

THE HOUSE ON H STREET

WHEN he reached the house on H Street, The Shadow alighted from the cab
as
Cranston. He was wearing his slouch hat, its brim twisted upward along one
side