"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 035 - Murder Mirage" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

bare pavement. He clop-clopped over to the little car. His vision caught the music store window. He stared for
a moment, his lower jaw dropping.

Beyond the coup├й, the two men from the second sedan started running. They held automatics. Both
stumbled as if partly blinded.

"Hold it, you two!" barked Patrolman Brennan. "WhatтАЩs this all about? Stop, I say!"

This was a mistake on the part of the policeman. His voice provided the two white-faced men with a target.
Their hands whipped up and the automatics erupted with a mean ripple.

Patrolman Brennan sagged, and he coughed. One hand on the side of the coup├й prevented him from
collapsing. The erupting streams from the automatics were all that guided his aim. Though his big body was
slowly sinking, Patrolman BrennanтАЩs hand was steady.

Three jumps of the service revolver and both running men rolled into the snow. One lay still. The body of the
other jerked. Patrolman Brennan was now on his knees. He was unable to rise, so he crawled. He clawed his
way into the street, making toward the halted, second sedan.

The driver of this car ignored the bodies in the street. The sedan moved away mockingly. Patrolman Brennan
lifted his revolver. His finger curled around the trigger. But his strength left him.

Scarlet fluid trickled from the policemanтАЩs lips. It stained the snow in a circle around his head.

The yellow coup├й stood alone and empty. All life had gone from the block. The three bodies were only dark
lumps. These were whitening with the still-falling snow.

In the space where the young woman had been before the plate-glass window of the music store was a
blackened area. The pavement looked as if a searing iron had been run over it.
The young womanтАЩs body could not be seen.

On the sidewalk in front of the music store was a queer little collection of objects.

Directly before the plate-glass window lay a satchel purse of metallic chain mesh. The purse had flopped
open. A small caliber automatic pistol, such as a woman might have carried for protection, had slipped out.

A dozen bright metal buttons lay in a glittering cluster. From these emanated the greenish glow which still
lingered over the street.

A diamond ring had rolled to the edge of the curb. An expensive wrist watch and earrings set with emeralds
were close to the window of the music store.

Of the lovely figure which the jewelry had adorned, there was no slightest trace.



Chapter II. "CORPUS DELICTI" IN GLASS
CORDED bronze hands moved deftly among a variety of gleaming instruments affixed to a panel of black
marble. The tiny lights set in the panel were reflected in flaky, golden eyes. The specks of light moved in the
bronze manтАЩs orbs as if they had been caught in small whirlwinds.