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

"I was informed that Senator Releston might contact a special
investigator," stated F-3. "That is why I suggested this meeting. It would
have
been unwise for me to appear at the court-martial. I am supposed to be in
Paris;
not in Washington. There is a certain man who knows that. His name is Hugo
Creelon."
The keen burn of The Shadow's eyes told F-3 that his visitor had
recognized the name. The pale man leaned forward; spoke solemnly.
"Hugo Creelon is the most dangerous of all international spies," he
declared. "Creelon always protects himself; never makes an open move. His game
is to purchase information stolen by others."
"I have heard of Hugo Creelon," returned The Shadow. "Unfortunately, I
have never met him."
"It might be unfortunate for Creelon, if you did meet him," spoke F-3,
grimly. "You can deal with crooks as we cannot. But Creelon is hard to find;
he
is so well hidden that I, alone, of all United States government agents, have
even learned of his existence.
"Creelon's position is so strong, his contacts so high and so important,
that I would find it difficult to make my fellow operatives believe that such
a
man existed! Only my long experience abroad has enabled me to recognize the
menace of Hugo Creelon!"
The Shadow nodded. His own exploits had carried him to Europe, where he
had discovered traces of the evasive Hugo Creelon. The notorious spy was a man
who had no country; yet who always adopted one when he saw chances of shrewd
espionage.
"I came to Washington," added Agent F-3 in a low, emphatic tone, "because
I am sure that Hugo Creelon is here. He knows that the National Emergency Code
is stolen. If Creelon can negotiate with the actual thief, he will buy the
code
intact. Wherever Creelon is, one thing is certain. We cannot reach him. He has
powerful friends. He would deny his identity and no one could prove it.
"Our only course, therefore, is to uncover the NEC before Creelon learns
who stole it. We must find the thief before Creelon does. Once the two make
contact" - the pale man spread his hands in a gesture of despair - "our cause
will be lost!"


THE SHADOW was considering all that Agent F-3 had said. It fitted
completely with The Shadow's own opinions. He knew that the NEC had been
stolen
by an opportunist, who knew its value but had found no chance to dispose of
it.
Foreign spies in Washington did not advertise in the classified section of the
telephone directory.
The thief's hope was that some master of espionage, provided with
unlimited funds, would somehow learn who held the National Emergency Code.
Evidently, he credited foreign spies with greater shrewdness than that of