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

Martha tried to draw away as they neared the outer door. Bryland said
something about the unfinished dinner; Martha snapped back that she had signed
the check, putting it on her father's account. Bryland stopped her by the
cloak
room.
"Your wraps," he said quietly. "Don't forget them, Martha."
The girl waited impatiently while Bryland obtained the wraps. Smiling
slightly, Bryland remarked:
"Let's forget it, Martha. It's nearly theater time. You know that I have
tickets."
"I'm going home," returned the girl. "Straight home! If you care to call
a
cab, you can do so! If not, I shall call one myself!"
Bryland bowed; he conducted Martha out through the door. Several persons
had stopped to witness the spat; Marquette stepped up beside them. He saw a
cab
pull up outside the club. Martha entered it and Bryland followed, despite her
protest. The cab drove away with the pair inside.
Vic Marquette nodded to himself. He was glad that he had not met Bryland.
A better plan had come to Vic's mind.
Seeing Bryland with Nina Valencita and having knowledge she had acted as
a
spy for the Spanish royalists, Vic decided Bryland's knowing her was reason
enough to make a search of his home for the NEC.
But first, Vic looked up Congressman Leeth's home telephone number. There
was one thing Marquette wanted to find out; that was who had won the argument,
Bryland or Martha.
 Vic's bet was that Bryland had talked the girl into going to the theater.
He hoped so, anyway; for he wanted Bryland to be placed for the next few
hours.
Marquette had his fingers crossed when he called the number.
No one answered the telephone. Evidently all were absent from the Leeth
homestead. That explained why Martha might have listened to Bryland's
protests.
The prospect of an evening alone at home could easily have won the girl over.
Marquette dialed again to make sure. There was no response; so Vic put in
calls to members of his squad.


WITHIN fifteen minutes, Vic and two carloads of operatives were ready for
a speedy trip to Fairfax. Marquette had decided to make the first search at
Bryland's Virginia mansion.
One man was standing on the curb. Marquette gave him special instructions
about guarding Bryland's Washington home:
"Stay outside of Bryland's apartment house, Chandley. Don't stop him if
he
goes in; you might get the wrong man by mistake. Grab anybody, though, that
comes out - anybody that you think might be Bryland.
"It's a cinch he didn't have the NEC on him when he left the Apollo Club.
If he has it, it's one of two places; his home or his apartment. We won't give