The Shadow Man Read Online Free PDF Page A

me back. As soon as you can.’
    The words themselves seemed to restore some of her urgency. She was breathing hard when she hung up the telephone. She turned and looked up at Simon Winter, who continued to stand awkwardly by her side.
    ‘Where could he be? It’s dark. He should be at home.’ ‘Perhaps he went out for a bite to eat.’ ‘Yes. That must be it.’ ‘Or a movie.’
    ‘Possibly. Or a meeting at the synagogue. Sometimes he still goes to the fund drives.’
    ‘There you have it.’
    The innocence of these explanations did not seem to relieve her anxiety.
    ‘Are you going to call the others?’ Simon Winter asked. ‘I have to wait,’ Sophie Millstein responded nervously. ‘It’s Tuesday. On Tuesdays, Mr Silver takes Mrs Kroner to the bridge club over at the senior citizen center. He does this ever since we started our meetings with the rabbi.’ ‘Perhaps you want to make another call?’ To who?’
    ‘Your son? Maybe speaking with him would help you feel a bit better.’ ‘You’re very thoughtful, Mr Winter. I will do that in just
    a moment.’
    ‘Do you have something to help you sleep? You’ve had quite a fright, and it might be difficult…’
    ‘Oh, yes, I have some little pills. Not to worry.’ ‘How about something to eat. Are you all set?’
    ‘Mr Winter, you’re too polite. Yes. I will be fine. I feel much better now that I’m home and safe.’ ‘I thought you might.’ ‘And tomorrow, you will help me? And the others.
    To….’
    ‘… get to the bottom of all this. Of course.’ ‘What will you do?’
    This was a good question, and he wasn’t precisely certain of the answer. ‘Well, Mrs Millstein, I think the least I can do is check out the circumstances surrounding Mr Stein’s death. At the same time, perhaps, we can all consider what it is exactly you want to do. Perhaps your friends and I can get together and we can map something
    out.’
    This prospect seemed to cheer Sophie Millstein. She
    ‘Leo,’ she said, ‘Leo was like you. He made decisions. Of course, he was a haberdasher, not a detective, so what would he know about solving this mystery, right, Mr Winter?’
    ‘I’ll leave you, then. Make sure you lock the door after I go out. And don’t hesitate to call if you’re still frightened. But I think a good night’s sleep would be best. Then a fresh start in the morning.’
    ‘Mr Winter, you are a complete gentleman. I will take a pill as soon as you leave.’
    She rose and walked with him to the door. He saw the cat leap up into her chair, curling down into the spot made warm by her body.
    ‘Lock the door,’ he said.
    ‘I could be wrong,’ she said hesitantly. ‘It’s possible. I could have been wrong, correct?’
    ‘Anything is possible, Mrs Millstein. The point is, we will sort it all out.’
    ‘Until tomorrow, then,’ she replied, nodding gratefully.
    He stepped into the hallway and turned back just long enough to catch his neighbor’s wan smile as she closed the door behind him. He waited until he heard the sound of the dead-bolt lock clicking shut.
    Simon Winter walked out into the courtyard of the Sunshine Arms and let the sticky night air cover him. A weak street lamp from beyond the apartment’s entrance threw a thin shaft of light onto the statue of the cherub, making it glisten as if wet. The darkness surrounding him seemed rich, thick as coffee. He had an odd, droll thought: Well, if you’re not going to kill yourself, you might as well get something to eat. Will it be death or chicken tonight?
    He did not think himself particularly amusing, and decided to head out, rapidly considering potential places to get some food. He took a step forward, then another,
    then he paused. He turned and looked back at Sophie
    Millstein’s apartment. The curtains were drawn. He could
    hear the sound of a television playing loudly coming from
    another apartment. This mingled with some laughing
    voices coming from down the street. He could hear