"Death Takes Wings" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morrison William)

their work. And IТll tell you something else, gentlemen. The F.B.I.Тs pretty
busy these days, and they didnТt have too many men to assign to this job of
investigation. ThatТs one of the reasons it was handed over to me.Ф
УWe donТt doubt your competence to investigate, Lieutenant.Ф It was Bracken,
plant engineer, who spoke. УBut weТve had about a dozen private detectives
assigned to the job, and theyТve found nothing.Ф
УIТm not a detective myself, and I donТt promise to find anything. But the
second reason the job was handed over to me is thisЧI know planes. I know the
way theyТre supposed to be made, and I know how they should operate. Most
private detectives donТt. And, gentlemen, I intend to go over this plant of
yours from top to bottom.Ф
УThatТs okay with us.Ф Wyatt pushed back his chair. УIf thereТs anything wrong
here, we certainly want to find it. Would you like to take a look at the wing
assembly building first?Ф
УWhatever you please. I know that a wing came off my own plane, but I donТt know
what happened to the others that crashed. No one saw them crash, and the reason
for their cracking up remains a mystery. I donТt insist that somethingТs wrong
with the wings. I just say that somethingТs wrong somewhere.Ф
Armstrong, the plant superintendent, was standing up.
УFirst IТll show you the plant personally, Lieutenant. After that, youТll be
able to find your way around alone.Ф
Morley nodded. Five minutes later he was in the wing assembly plant.
Most of the work was being done by men, but there were a few women, recently
hired. The job required skill, no great muscular strength. A few of the workers
looked up as he entered, then turned back to their jobs. Some of them did not
even look up.
УThey donТt look it,Ф Morley was thinking, Уbut among these men and women
thereТs a good chance of my finding a murderer. Eight men are already dead. And
more will die if I donТt succeed.Ф
He stepped close, watched one manТs flying fingers. The man was about thirty,
dark, close-shaven, with a small black moustache. For a second he caught
MorleyТs eye, and a trace of a smile crossed his face. He was proud of his
skill, liked to have his work observed.
Morley passed on to the next man, then to a woman. They did not even spare him a
glance. On the wall was a huge poster:
SMASH HITLER, MAKE THE RISING SUN SET
All of them, men and women, were working as if they took the words to heart.
Half an hour later, he was out of the wing assembly plant. He had seen nothing
suspicious.
УWe get some of our parts readymade,Ф Armstrong explained. УTheyТre inspected at
the factories that send them out, and theyТre inspected again here. No chance
for dirty work.Ф
УIТd like to take a look at the inspectors.Ф
УSure.Ф

E SAW them. Here again, there was nothing suspicious. He passed through the huge
building where the motors were being put together, examined planes that were
almost ready to take the air. Nowhere was there anything wrong.
Morley felt exasperated. Somebody was being too clever for him. The saboteurs,
whoever they were, were not doing the obvious things. No clogging of the gas