Children of the Whirlwind
Page 28
CHAPTER XXVIII
Old Jimmie did not like meeting the police any oftener than a meetingwas forced upon him, and so he slipped away and allowed Barney Palmerto undertake alone the business of settling Larry. Barney found Gaveganexactly where he had counted: lingering over his late dinner in the cafeof a famous Broadway restaurant--a favorite with some of the detectivesand higher officials of the Police Department--in which cafe, in happierdays now deeply mourned, Gavegan had had all the exhilaration he wantedto drink at the standing invitation of the proprietor, and where evenyet on occasion a bit of the old exhilaration was brought to Gavegan'stable in a cup or served him in a room above to which he had hadwhispered instructions to retire. The proprietor had in the old daysliked to stand well with the police; and though his bar was now devotedto legal drinks--or at least obliging Federal officers reported it tobe--he still liked to stand well with the police.
Gavegan was at a table with a minor producer of musical shows, towhom Barney had been of occasional service in securing the predominantessential of such music--namely, shapely young women. Barney noddedto Gavegan, chatted for a few minutes with his musical-comedy friend,during which he gave Gavegan a signal, then crossed to the once-crowdedbar, now sunk to isolation and the lowly estate of soft drinks, andordered a ginger ale. Not until then did he notice Barlow, chief of theDetective Bureau, at a corner table. Barney gave no sign of recognition,and Barlow, after a casual glance at him, returned to his food.
Barney, in solitude at one end of the bar, slowly sipped with a sort ofindignation against his kickless purchase. Presently Gavegan was besidehim, having most convincing ill-luck in his attempts to light his cigarfrom a box of splintering safety matches which stood at that end of thebar.
"Well, what is it?" Gavegan whispered out of that corner of his mouthwhich was not occupied by his cigar. He did not look at Barney.
"Any clue to Larry Brainard yet?" Barney whispered also out of a cornerof his mouth, glass at his lips. Like-wise he seemed not to notice theman beside him.
"Naw! Still out West somewhere. Them Chicago bums couldn't catch a crookif he walked along State Street with a sign-board on him!"
"Saw Larry Brainard to-night."
Gavegan had difficulty in maintaining his attitude of non-awareness ofhis bar-mate.
"Where?"
"Right here in New York."
"What! Where'd you see him?"
"Coming out of the Grantham."
"When?"
"Fifteen minutes ago."
"Know where he went to?--where he hangs out?--know anything else?"
"That's everything. Thought I'd better slip it to you as quick as Icould."
"This time that bird'll not get away!" growled Gavegan, still in awhisper. "Twenty-four hours and he'll be in the cooler!"
Finally Gavegan managed to get a flame from one of those irritatinglysplintery Swedish matches made in Japan. Cigar alight he walked over toBarlow's table. He conversed with his Chief a moment or two, then wentout. After a minute Barney saw Chief Barlow crossing toward the bar.Barney seemed not to notice this movement. Barlow likewise paused besidehim to light a cigar; and from the side of the Chief's mouth thereissued: "Room 613."
Barlow passed on. Presently Barney finished the dreary drudgery ofdrink and sauntered out. Five minutes later, having exercised the propercaution, he was in Room 613, and the door was locked.
"What's this dope you just handed Gavegan about Larry Brainard?"demanded Barlow.
Barney gave his information, again, but this time more fully. Of coursehe omitted all mention of Maggie and the enterprise which Larry hadsought to interrupt; it was part of the tacit understanding betweenthese two that Barlow should have no knowledge of Barney's professionaldoings, unless such knowledge should be forced upon him by events orpeople too strong to be ignored.
"Did Brainard drop any clue that might give us a lead as to where he'shiding out?"
Barney remembered something Larry had said half an hour before, which hehad considered mere boasting. "He said he knew I had some game on, andhe said he knew who the sucker was I was planning to trim."
"Did he say who the sucker was?"
"No."
"If Larry Brainard really did know, then who would he be having inmind?"
Barney hesitated; but he perceived that this was a question which hadto be answered. "Young Dick Sherwood, of the swell Sherwood family--youknow."
Barlow did not pursue the subject. According to his arrangement withBarney, the latter's private activities were none of his business.
"I'll get busy with the drag-net; we'll land Brainard this time," saidBarlow. And then with a grim look at Barney: "But Larry Brainard's notwhat I got you up here to talk about, Palmer. I wanted to talk about twowords to you--and say 'em to you right between your eyes."
"Go ahead, Chief."
"First, you ain't been worth a damn to me for several months. You'vegiven me no value received for me keeping my men off of you. You haven'tturned up a single thing."
"Come, now, Chief--you're forgetting about Red Hannigan and JackRosenfeldt."
"Chicken feed! They're out on bail, and when their cases come up,they'll beat them! Besides, you didn't give me that tip to help me; yougave it to me so that you could fix things to put Larry Brainard in badwith all his old friends. You did that to help yourself. Shut up! Don'ttry to deny it. I know!"
Barney did not attempt denial. Barlow went on:
"And the second thing I want to tell you, and tell you hard, is this:You gotta turn in some business! The easy way you've been going makesit look like you've forgot I've got hold of you where the hair's long.Young man, you'd better remember that I've got you cold for that Gregorystock business--you and Old Jimmie Carlisle. Got all the papers in asafety-deposit vault, and got three witnesses doing stretches in SingSing. Keep on telling yourself all that! and keep on telling yourselfthat, if you don't come across, some day soon I'll suddenly discoverthat you're the guilty party in that Gregory affair, and I'll bring downthose witnesses I've got cached in Sing Sing."
Barney moved uneasily in his chair. He knew the bargain he had made, anddid not like to dwell upon the conditions under which he was a licensedadventurer.
"No need to rag me like this, Chief," he protested. "Sure I remember allyou've said. And you're not going to have cause to be sore much longer.There'll be plenty doing."
"See that there is! And see that you don't pull any raw work. And seethat you don't let your foot slip. For if you do, you know what'llhappen to you. Now get out!"
Barney got out, again protesting that he would not be found failing. Hewas not greatly disturbed by what Barlow had said. Every so often therehad to be just such sessions, and every so often Barlow had to let offjust such steam.
Barney's errand was done. The police of the city were on Larry's trailand his share in the matter was and would remain unknown. Thus far allwas well. He had no doubt of Larry's early capture, now that he wasback in New York, and now that the whole police force had been promptlywarned and were hotly after him, and now that all avenues of exit wouldinstantly be, in fact by this time were, under surveillance and closedagainst him--and now that every refuge of the criminal world was only atrap for him. No, there wasn't a doubt of Larry's early capture. Therecouldn't be. And once Larry was locked up, things would be much better.Barlow would see that Larry didn't talk undesirable things, or at leastthat such talk was not heard. It wasn't exactly pleasant or safe havingLarry at large, free to blurt out to the wrong persons those thingsabout Barney's being a stool and a squealer.
Greatly comforted, though eager for news of the chase, Barney startedon his evening's routine of visiting the gayer restaurants. Business isbusiness, and a man suffers when he neglects it. True, this was a neatproposition which he had in hand; but that would soon be cleaned up, andBusinessman Barney desired to be all ready to move forward into furtherenterprises.