"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 250 - Death About Town" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

It might be long before The Shadow found that trail, but when he did, he would see it to the finish and
bring Orvill's murderer to justice!

CHAPTER II. THE LAW DECIDES
THE startling murder of Dana Orvill brought very swift results. So swift that they actually outraced The
Shadow in his routine task of shaking off the cars that had pursued him by mistake. By the time The
Shadow arrived back at the Hotel Bayberry, other investigators were on the scene ahead of him.

Naturally, The Shadow did not return in guise of black, nor did he come in Moe's cab. He arrived as
Cranston, in a chauffeured limousine. Stepping from the big car, the leisurely Mr. Cranston immediately
found himself shaking hands with his friend the police commissioner, Ralph Weston.

"Glad to see you, Cranston," spoke Weston briskly. "You've heard about poor Orvill, of course. We just
removed his body. I hear you had an appointment this evening. Tell me, what was it about?"

"Something to do with the Avenue Club," replied Cranston. "Orvill wasn't satisfied with the governing
committee. He said its members were not in harmony."

"Did he mention any committee members by name?"

"No. I think he intended to cover that this evening. He said that some members refused to co-operate
with the chairman, Rudolph Delmot. That was the part Orvill didn't like."

As Cranston mentioned Delmot's name, Weston turned and gestured. Looking that direction, Cranston
saw Delmot approaching in company with a police inspector, Joe Cardona.

Delmot was a tall, broad-shouldered man, of late middle age. He had a long, solemn face, that Cranston
had never seen so firmly set as upon this occasion. Delmot was carrying his hat in his hands in respect for
his dead friend, Orvill. Above his set face, Delmot's gray hair was spreading in the evening breeze.

Usually Delmot wore a kindly look; at present he lacked it. His whole countenance bespoke a grim
determination to avenge the death of Dana Orvill.

Cardona looked grim, too, but that was Joe's way. The stocky police inspector had a swarthy
countenance that always wore a pokerfaced expression. While Delmot was shaking hands with
Cranston, Cardona turned to Weston.

"We're going across the street, commissioner," said Joe. "We want to have a look in Laverock's office.
The shots came from his car, all right. We've got half a dozen witnesses to prove it."

Weston nodded. But when Cardona started off with Delmot, the commissioner decided to remain a few
minutes, and gestured for Cranston to do the same. Weston wanted to know what else his friend knew
about the Avenue Club, but there was comparatively little that Cranston could tell him.

"I haven't been there in months," Cranston explained. "In fact, hardly in years. I bought a life membership
largely because of an insurance benefit that went with it. Orvill was going over the list of charter
members, and found my name. He thought I would agree with some of his ideas regarding the club, so he
looked me up."