"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 243 - Room of Doom" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

IT was Nevlin who called for order among the startled, horrified guests.
There were nearly a dozen of them by this time, and men were giving excited
exclamations, while women were on the verge of screams - with one exception.
Joan Kelburn was moving toward the den, a fixed expression on her face.
She
felt that Arthur Aldriff had cheated her of the purpose that had brought her
here: the vindication of her uncle. If Aldriff still had life, the girl
intended
to force a confession of his own guilt from his lips.
It was Joan's move, as much as any other, that prompted Nevlin to
efficient
action. He sprang past Joan, reached the door and stood with his back against
it, calling for others either to join him quietly and promptly or to go to the
reception room across the hall and calm themselves there.
Servants were appearing from other parts of the house, and Nevlin snapped
orders at them. He told them to go outside and make sure that no one had
broken
in by one of the den windows; then to stay there and keep watch, until
summoned
back into the house.
Fortunately, some of the guests were joining Nevlin before the servants
had
time to start. Since people were blocking the route to the vestibule from
which
The Shadow watched, the servants chose other ways to go outside, leaving The
Shadow in comfortable possession of his convenient lookout post.
Nevlin was rattling at the knob of the den door. Finding it latched, he
announced ruefully that Aldriff had the only key. The guests suggested
breaking
it down, but Nevlin preferred to pound away, shouting through the door in hope
of an answer from Aldriff.
None coming, guests hurried away to find implements for breaking down the
door.
Two guests met a servant coming in to report that the bars of the windows
were still tight in place, the panes of glass unbroken, and the shades drawn.
The windows were well up from the ground, but the servant suggested breaking
them.
He produced a fire ax from the closet under the stairs, and the guests,
considering Nevlin in charge, decided to ask the secretary if he wanted the
windows smashed.
At sight of the ax, Nevlin seized it.
"What would be gained by smashing the windows?" he demanded. "You might
see
Mr. Aldriff, but you couldn't help him. We'd have to tear down the house walls
to get those bars out of place!"
Turning to the door, Nevlin poised the ax and took a hard slash at a
panel.
The wood was stout, but the ax blade cracked it. Another slash, and Nevlin
splintered away a chunk of wood. He chopped again, widening the hole.