"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 226 - The Blur" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

"Cardona and his squad. We're getting out. This way."

Despite the flickering lights, The Shadow had identified the blocky oblong across the office for what it
was, an open exit. To Margo, the experience of going through that opening was even more uncanny than
Terry had found it.

Shouts dwindled as they reached the bottom of the steps, where The Shadow found the lower door.
Margo had a brief taste of reality when her cloaked companion hurried her through the alley. On the
street a cab wheeled up as though The Shadow had magically produced it.

Thrust into the cab, Margo settled in the cushions, shutting her eyes to end the recollection of the blotty
light. She heard the swish of a cloak beside her, the slam of the door as the cab started. As they whipped
around a corner, Margo felt something tumble from against her arm, into her lap. She opened her eyes
and stared at the objects that she clutched.

Margo Lane was holding a black cloak and a slouch hat. No longer needing those garments, The
Shadow had tossed them into the cab when he slammed the door.

As for The Shadow, he was gone, leaving Margo to wonder where - and why!

CHAPTER IV. TRAIL OF THE BLUR
THE law's arrival at the Century Casino did not do much toward immediately quelling the confusion. The
gasping lights were quite as much a headache to Commissioner Weston and Inspector Cardona as they
had been to the customers of the gambling establishment.

Both Weston and Cardona were giving orders and countermanding them, while they stumbled over
people on the floor. It was bad enough running into bodies, but when some of them were getting up, the
situation became worse. Lost in the twilight of the blinking lights, the members of the raiding squad
became quite as confused as their leaders.
Detectives were mistaking each other for customers, and one even had the commissioner in his clutch,
until he heard Weston bawl out that no persons were to be taken into custody until the lights were fixed.
At that very moment, Cardona was shouting orders to hold everyone, and hearing him, Weston broke
into an irate outburst.

Weston wanted lights; that part of his theme made sense. Detectives supplied flashlights, but they weren't
enough. In the rapid spasms of strong light that came from all about the room, the flashlights were feeble
things. They would have done in total darkness, but not amid the razzle-dazzle light that dominated the
entire premises.

Nevertheless, the commissioner's howl for lights gave Cardona an excellent idea. Steady light, or no light,
anything would be better than the blinkers. Since the flickering was going on everywhere, the trouble
must be with the main switch, so Joe set out to find it.

He'd reached Tex's office, which he identified by blurred glimpses of the furnishings, and he figured that
the room would be the logical place for the main switch.

Feeling along the wall, Cardona ran headfirst into the edge of a closet door. Ricocheting into the closet,
Joe grabbed for the solid wall and found the switch with it. When he pulled the switch, all the lights went
out. Joe yelled for a flashlight and a detective arrived with one. It revealed the source of trouble.