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

secret service agents.
If Hugo Creelon happened to be in Washington, the thief's belief would be
justified. The Shadow knew that Creelon was unexcelled in methods of
espionage.
While The Shadow was still analyzing these prospects, Agent F-3 produced
a
typewritten copy of the court-martial proceedings. Thumbing through to the
last
pages, he remarked:
"These were delivered to me, a short while ago. They contained complete
testimony up until the time of adjournment. I have scanned the testimony,
hoping that it might give some shred of vital information. There is nothing of
value."
"The last pages contain a clue," remarked The Shadow, calmly. "One that
should be useful to us."
"A clue to what?"
"To the identity of the man who stole the NEC."
Agent F-3 bobbed upright in his chair. His expression showed amazement;
then he laughed, without changing the straight line of his lips.
"You are jesting -"
The pale man's remark showed annoyance. It ended as he abruptly finished
his sentence. He saw that The Shadow was intensely serious. Looking at the
sheaf of papers, F-3 studied every line of the final testimony. He stroked his
forehead; let his hand slide down to his pointed chin. He shook his head.
"I find nothing here," he declared. "Nothing except a trivial mention of
Colonel Follingsby's cane, which he thought he left in a taxicab; but which
was
found in General Darson's anteroom. That proves simply that Follingsby visited
Darson, a fact that both admit.
"The cane cannot implicate Colonel Follingsby. It certainly casts no
reflection upon General Darson. It could not possibly concern any other
person."
"It does concern another," returned The Shadow, emphatically. "By
properly
analyzing the possibilities that the cane provides, we can place suspicion
upon
the thief who stole the NEC. The cane explains how that opportunist guessed
that Colonel Follingsby held the National Emergency Code."


AGENT F-3 cocked his head intently, confident that he was to hear
important facts. The Shadow gave them.
"To begin with," he declared, "there were two canes. One belonged to
Colonel Follingsby, who carried it because he wore civilian clothes. The other
belonged to General Darson who seldom used it because he was in uniform."
The Shadow paused as Agent F-3 glanced at the notes, to check on the
mention of the second cane. When the pale man nodded, The Shadow resumed:
"The canes were similar. Both officers had received them while stationed
in the Canal Zone. It was not surprising, therefore, that Colonel Follingsby,
when he visited the war department, happened to walk out with General Darson's