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

He didnТt have to be, thought Morley. Morley didnТt want to kill him, just
capture him alive, find out who had put him up to this attempt to commit murder.

There was a narrow ledge running around the house about four feet above the
ground. Morley leaped to the ledge. It wasnТt as high as he would have liked,
but it would do for his purpose.
He moved along the ledge slowly. When he had turned the corner, he found no man
in sight. He made his way toward the next corner, and peered cautiously around
it.
The would-be murderer was lying on the ground, his eyes shifting uneasily. Which
way would Morley come?
He was looking too low, and Morley, from his perch up in the air, almost
laughed. He pointed his gun at the nervous figure on the ground, and gave cool
orders.
УDrop that gun. Put up your hands!Ф
Startled, the gunman looked around in bewilderment. It took him a full second to
see Morley. Then his gun leaped into action.
The slight pop that came from the silenced weapon was drowned out by the roar of
MorleyТs own automatic. The figure on the ground stiffened in agony, and the arm
holding the weapon relaxed. The gun fell to the ground.
Morley leaped down from the ledge. Although the manТs shot had torn a hole in
his left trouser cuff, it hadnТt touched his leg. The man himself was not yet
dead, but the bright arterial blood pouring from the wounds in his side didnТt
look too good.
Morley cursed quietly. He had meant to hurt and disarm the man, not to kill him.
But he had reacted to the manТs attempt to commit murder intuitively, without a
chance to think, and his own training had been too good. He himself had shot to
kill.
УWho hired you to kill me?Ф Morley snapped. УQuick!Ф
The man opened his mouth, and a gush of blood poured through it. The face was
coarse and pockmarked, and the eyes, before MorleyТs bullets had dulled them,
must have been hard and shifty. Morley stared helplessly. In the short time left
him, this man wouldnТt talk. HeТd die, but he wouldnТt talk.

PAIR of policemen made their appearance, guns drawn and ready for action. Their
eyes popped when they saw the dying man with Morley in mud-stained mufti bending
over him.
УHey, whatТs going on?Ф one of the cops demanded.
УGet a doctor before he passes out,Ф Morley ordered.
УYou killed him!Ф And then the policemenТs eyes widened still further. УWhy itТs
Big-Foot McCrea! HeТs poison. What theЧФ
Big-Foot McCrae shuddered for the last time and lay still.
УCancel that call for the doctor,Ф Morley said. УCall the morgue.Ф
УWhat did you kill him for?Ф
УBecause he tried to kill me.Ф
УWhy?Ф
That why was the important thing. Somebody had hired this gunman to put him out
of the way because he was dangerous to the saboteurs. The funny thing was that
Morley himself didnТt see how he was dangerous. He had examined the factory and
found nothing wrong. What were the saboteurs afraid of?