"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 153 - Murder For Sale" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

that was a tribute to the notorious Pinkey Findlen, no longer a member of The
Hand. It might also have been done to call attention to the ring finger of
each hand, for both Thelden and Dembrick sported a diamond solitaire.
At any rate, the signal was sufficient. It brought smiles to the lips of
both participants.
"A good job you did yesterday," commended Dembrick, his rumble lowered to
an undertone. "Ring Brescott liked it. He wanted me to ask you about the
alibi, though. How did it work?"
"Perfectly!" assured Thelden. "Rulland left the Lotus Club at
four-thirty. I met him, and started out to Bala with him. When we were on a
secluded drive, I told him I thought we had a flat. He stopped. That's when I
gave it."
"And afterward?"
"I met the cab that trailed us, and was back here by five-ten. I'd set
the office clock a half hour slow. I told Miss Deems to note the time when I
made an important call. She did."
Dembrick gave a broad-jawed grin. He didn't have to ask if Thelden had
later set the clock ahead to its right time. He could guess that the insurance
broker had done so.
Through Miss Deems, Thelden would have a perfect alibi for his story that
he had seen Rulland at half past four but that he had come immediately to his
own office. The set-back clock would show but little past that time.
Dembrick had information that he knew would interest Thelden.

"WHIZ Birsch did a slick job," stated the pretended real estate man.
"Ring knew he would, because Whiz used to be a stunt driver. He dumped that
car through the bridge in A-1 style. Nobody spotted his getaway."
Thelden nodded. The news pleased him. It fitted with the accounts in the
newspapers; but Thelden had worried a bit, fearing that the police had held
something back.
So you get your twenty-five hundred bucks," complimented Dembrick. A nice
price for croaking a guy. Ring always says it's worth while to pay high. Only,
what was the idea of banking the dough?"
"That's the best part of it," returned Thelden. "Those houses you talked
about are real, aren't they?"
"Sure, they are," returned Dembrick. "But I'm not going to close the
option I have on them. That's through, inside of thirty days."
"The same with the insurance policies," declared Thelden. "They'll be
issued by the company, but I don't have to settle, until the end of the month.
When that time comes, I'll have the policies canceled, saying you didn't pay
up.
"Meanwhile, if anything goes wrong, I can cover the emergency by actually
letting the policies stand. In that case, you'll have to close the options.
I'll pay the insurance company, you'll have the houses. Your check will stand
as proof that the transaction was legitimate, rather than my payoff for
bumping Rulland."
There was confidence in Thelden's tone; and the set-up pleased Dembrick.
Behind both of them stood a hidden power in the person of Ring Brescott.
The murder manipulator was fat with wealth that he had gained through
crime. Such matters as buying blocks of residences and paying insurance on