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

illusion had been perfect. Though he had changed his position, The Shadow had
always kept the same distance away. His voice had come through the connecting
doorway from wherever he stood; hence Bryland had noticed no change in its
tone.


AS Bryland stood flat-footed beside the telephone, he heard a sound
behind
him. It was the door from the hallway to the living room. The Shadow was
opening
it, returning to intercept Bryland's path of escape.
Madly, Bryland sprang for the bedroom light switch, jabbed it just as The
Shadow, in from the hall, turned off the lights in the living room.
Bryland, like The Shadow, had gained darkness; but The Shadow held the
advantage. He was armed; Bryland had only an empty revolver. That thought
drove
Bryland berserk. With a savage snarl, the thwarted murderer pounded through to
the living room, swinging his empty gun in hope that he could sledge The
Shadow.
 Figures clashed in the darkness. The barrel of a swinging automatic met
the revolver handle and nearly clanged it from Bryland's hand. The crook
grappled; suddenly broke free and made for the connecting door by which he had
entered.
Bryland encountered a chair on the way. He stopped to grab it with one
hand, to hurl it back toward The Shadow.
Against the window, Bryland and the chair formed an outline. The Shadow
opened fire; but his shots were high. He aimed for the chair, not for Bryland.
Bullets, sizzling from the mouth of a big automatic, splintered the chair back
just above Bryland's hand.
That was enough for Bryland. Expecting shots in his own direction, the
crook made a dive for the door of the adjoining suite, profiting by the short
respite that The Shadow had given him. The Shadow fired again as Bryland went
through the doorway; he gave the fleeing man no chance to close the door after
him.
Cutting through the next room, Bryland reached the hallway just before
The
Shadow began to fire from the connecting door.
There was a fire tower at the end of the corridor. Again, luck seemed to
be with Bryland. He was on the tower when he heard The Shadow reach the
corridor. A single shot told that The Shadow was continuing his pursuit.
Bryland headed down the tower.
The Shadow stopped at the top. He could hear the pound of Bryland's
footsteps, as the thwarted murderer continued pell-mell. From an alleyway
below
came the roar of a starting motor. Bryland was driving to a car to make a
get-away.
There were shouts from the fourth floor corridor. Hotel employees had
reached The Shadow's suite. There were other calls from below. People in the
street had heard the gunfire; also the start of Bryland's car. Roars of other
motors told that a belated pursuit had begun.