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

"That was ten minutes after the attack at the Halcyon -"
"But Bryland's call was from his home in Fairfax. A full half-hour's
drive
from Washington. It was unquestionably a Fairfax call. The operator
interrupted
twice while I was talking to Bryland. There was some trouble with the
connection."
Though Vic Marquette was a keen investigator, he did not jump to the
conclusion that The Shadow had formed regarding Bryland's methods. As in the
case of the false call to Follingsby, Marquette was convinced. He did not link
Bryland's inventive genius with the matter in question. The fact that Bryland
could fake Virginia calls from his Washington apartment slipped Vic
completely.
"That lets Bryland out," grumbled Marquette. "Lets him out completely! I
guess that covers everything, senator."
"Not quite!"


THE senator's tone was stern. Marquette looked up to see that Releston
had
risen. Mildness was gone from the senator's rugged features. His expression
was
one of severe indignation.
"There is something else to settle, Marquette," announced Releston. "You
have interrupted me twice when I have tried to speak of it. I refer to your
accusation that I did not cooperate with the secret service. You owe me an
apology on that score."
This time, Marquette showed amazement.
"I did not call you," asserted Releston, "because I received instructions
to the contrary. Early to-day I received a telephone call, telling me to refer
all special investigators to a certain man in your own department."
"Who made that call, senator?"
"Your man himself. One whose integrity could not be questioned. The call
came from Agent F-3."
Marquette was on his feet, trying to find words. He heard Releston add:
"Agent F-3 told me that he was in Washington. Recalled here under special
orders -"
"But he can't be!" blurted Vic. "Agent F-3 is dead!"
Releston stepped back, aghast. Marquette was prompt with further details.
"We received the news this morning," he explained. "A body in the Paris
morgue - a corpse taken from the River Seine - was identified as that of James
Murtrie, otherwise Agent F-3!"
Releston reached for the memo pad. From memory, he wrote the H Street
address; handed the slip to Marquette, saying:
"This is the address the false F-3 gave me. I told Cranston that The
Shadow was to go there."
"There's time to block that," asserted Marquette. "Let me have your
telephone, senator."
 TWENTY minutes later, creeping men were approaching the gloomy house on H
Street. The old mansion stood completely dark, foreboding ill to all who