"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 166 - Crime Rides The Sea" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

Every ship that carried one of Barvale's compact cargoes had gone to the
bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
Four boats in all had been lost - an unparalleled series of sea
disasters.
They had sunk too far at sea to permit their salvage. Survivors from the lost
freighters had told conflicting stories; and in every instance, there had been
some element of mystery in the disaster.
Hugh Barvale had shown increased distress, as the clippings on The
Shadow's table told. True, he had collected insurance money on his losses, but
he contended that the sums did not come to two thirds of the full amount. He
claimed that his business was almost ruined, and foreign creditors seemed to
believe it, for they had raised a demand for prompt payment of all
obligations.
Thanks to a provisional lifting of the gold embargo, Barvale was sending
two million dollars to Mediterranean ports. How much gold was in his giant
strong box, now tucked safely aboard the Ozark, no one knew exactly, because
Barvale was satisfying some of his customers with silver payments. The strong
box, however, was insured to the full value of its content: two million
dollars.
Despite certain unproven doubts regarding Barvale's integrity, no one
seemed to think that anything could happen to the cargo on the Ozark. It was
possible that Barvale could have secretly profited through the loss of the
machinery shipments; and even the platinum loss could have helped him, since
the value of that metal had undergone heavy fluctuations.
But silver and gold were a different story. This time, the operations of
Barvale & Co. seemed decidedly on the level.
One person had alone foreseen other possibilities. That person was The
Shadow.
A whispered laugh crept through the tiny cabin. The Shadow had finished
with the Barvale clippings. He laid them aside, reserving only one. It was a
photograph, showing Hugh Barvale and his daughter Edna with a group of
friends.
Portly, with a long face that hung with heavy jowls, Barvale had the
solemn look of a man who expected ruin, although the picture was a year old.
Edna's face was a real contrast to her father's. She seemed a smiling,
carefree girl, with stubby nose and determined chin. Her hair was blond and
fluffy, her light-hued eyebrows barely discernible in the photograph.
Several men were in the picture. Comparing their names with those on the
Ozark passenger list, The Shadow found no duplicates. Nevertheless, he placed
the photo in an envelope that he marked for Harry Vincent. It was possible
that
Harry, covering the passengers, might find some that resembled Barvale's
friends.


A BUZZER sounded beneath the table. The Shadow reached for earphones, to
receive a low-voiced report from Harry Vincent. In giving it, Harry emphasized
his suspicions of Robert Pell, the third officer. While listening, The Shadow
ran his finger down the passenger list. Then:
"The girl on board," spoke The Shadow in whispered tone, "is Ruth Eldrey,