The Garaucan Swindle

Начало книги

DUSK had settled on Manhattan. Mammoth office buildings were pouring forth their human throngs.

Sidewalks were jammed with crowds that bunched at subway entrances. The streets were filled with hooting taxicabs that tried to jam their way through the crush of slow-moving traffic.

The press was thickest in front of the Halbar Building. This colossal edifice — one of New York’s newest skyscrapers — towered like a mighty monolith above the structure of an elevated line. A taxi, trying to pull up in front of the huge arched entrance, was stalled by a truck that swung in from a pillar of the elevated.

“Near enough, driver,” came an irritable voice. “Here’s my fare. Keep the change.”

With these words, a passenger stepped from the cab. He slammed the door behind him, dived in front of another taxi, and reached the curb in safety. He began to fight his way against the human press that was coming from the Halbar Building. Edging toward the wall, he made his way into the spacious lobby.

Читать дальше →