"012 (B043) - The Man Who Shook The Earth (1934-02) - Lester Dent (b)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

much doubt that the fellow was dead. His head was nearly severed from his body.

Chapter VI. THE MAN WHO COULDNТT TALK
MEN less trained than DocТs aids would have become excited at the discovery of
the manТs body, and dashed forward. Such action might have destroyed clews left
by the murderer. DocТs men came to a stop where they were.
Doc himself did not advance immediately. His keen eyes appraised the scene.
"Notice the door lock," he suggested.
"Yep," said Monk. "ItТs torn out. The door was forced by somebody."
"It was forced by the man dead on the floor," Doc said.
The others showed surprise. They could see nothing to indicate that the slain
man had opened the door.
"How come?" Monk asked.
"Notice that the dead man wears a yellowish overcoat. The coat is wet from
melted snow. Now, about shoulder-high on the door, you can see faint yellowish
marks. These are stains of dye squeezed from the coat as the man shoved hard
against the door."
The other four eyed the door. Now that they knew what to look for, they could
see the vague stains.
Doc Savage stepped into the room. Near the murdered man, he discerned two
objects. He picked these things up, inspected them.
One was a large screw driver. It had the type of handle preferred by
electriciansЧof black insulating compound. In the proper hands, this could
become a really vicious stabbing weapon. On the handle was a stamped name:
S.S. JUNIO
The second object was a radio-message envelope. It was empty. It did not appear
to have been sealed, and was creased as if it had been carried in a coat pocket.
Rapidly, Doc searched the slain man. He found the usual stuff men carry in their
pocketsЧcoins, bill fold, cigarettes, matches. Only the bill fold yielded
information of value. In it was an identification card. The name on this read:
S. E. COILS
"
WeТve heard that name once before tonight," Doc said slowly.
"Sure," said Monk. "ThatТs the name of the radio operator on the steamer Junio
Ч the fellow who disappeared right after the ship docked."
Doc Savage finished his inspection with a scrutiny of the slain manТs vest
pockets. One contained a bit of paper. Names and numbers which it bore proved it
had been torn from the page of a telephone directory.
Written in pencil on the fragment of paper was the address of DocТs office
laboratory.
"He seems to have looked up my address here in town," Doc announced. The bronze
man fingered the radiogram envelope. "He evidently carried something which he
had in this envelope. Whoever killed him took it."
"This John Acre was supposed to have sent you radiograms, Doc," said Monk. "Do
you reckon maybe this radio operator didnТt send them?"
"That would explain our not getting them," Doc replied. "But why should he hold
them up? And why should he come here to the office with them? Was he slain to
get them?"
"And who killed him?" Ham finished the mystery, giving his sword cane a
flourish.