Maxwell Grant - The Shadow 152 by The Rackets King

Author:The Rackets King
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-11-15T00:48:26+00:00

CHAPTER XII. THE FORCED MEETING

JOE CARDONA saw Irene Marcy that evening, out at Formion's. So did Kent Allard; he happened to be driving in through Westchester, so he said, on his way back from a trip to the Berkshires. Both found opportunity to talk to Irene.

The inspector's comments were occasional questions, that he introduced in the presence of Weston and Formion. The police commissioner and the business magnate were still working on the figures that told of Formion's business losses. Of all the stockholders in various companies, Formion had suffered more than any other individual.

His losses, however, were but a small percentage of the total; and that brought in a study of many names, all persons who had been associated with Formion. Weston was trying to find a key-name among them, while Cardona was concentrating on Irene.

The inspector found plenty of chances to slide in questions; all led to Irene's actions on the nights when Tex and Grell had been murdered.

Cardona didn't openly ask for alibis, but he was after them. Irene happened to mention that she had gone to the movies on the night that Tex was murdered, without dwelling too noticeably on the actual date. She also dropped a remark about the evening that she had spent with Allard. That covered the time of Grell's death.

It was actually the Allard angle that nonplused Cardona. He hadn't an idea that the commissioner's friend was covering up for Irene. In fact, Cardona found his whole theory slipping, and was glad that he hadn't mentioned it to Weston when he had stated his theory regarding Channing. The commissioner hadn't been too pleased with that one.

Nevertheless, Cardona resolved to keep tabs on Irene. He'd begun to think about the fact that the girl had a brother. True, Dick was away from New York; but he might be involved, somehow. What was more, two facts stuck in Cardona's mind.

He recalled that she had received a telegram the day after Tex's death. He also overheard that Irene had been called on the telephone, late yesterday afternoon, here, at Formion's.

That came out when Weston and Formion were discussing certain papers that they had examined in the living room the day before.

While Cardona was bewildering himself with suspicions, Allard had his own chat with Irene. It took place on the sun porch; there, Allard advised the girl to watch out for Channing. It was plain that the gambler was trying to involve her in something; probably to help himself out of his present predicament.

In any event, Irene wasn't to fall for the game. Allard was quite willing to handle it for her. He gave her exact instructions what to do in case she heard again from Channing.

THE next day passed with only one event. Cardona had stationed Markham out at Formion's, on the ground that Formion's records were valuable enough to serve as evidence later.

Markham's job was to watch them—a rather odd necessity, since Formion had plenty of trusted servants and expected to keep them, for his business affairs had already started an impressive upturn.

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