The Big Money Man by Wayland Rice (hhouse pseudonym, credited to Norman Daniels)

by Monte Herridge

  he was comparatively rich and hailed a taxi.

  Nary a one contained a word about the finding He had himself driven all the way to the of a strange corpse on Angus McVicker’s

  medium-priced hotel where he lived and only front porch.

  owed six weeks rent.

  At noon, he ventured out again.

  On his way in he stopped at the desk

  Hollister gave no thought about going to his and paid up his account. He needed some

  office. Financial troubles were over, but what smaller bills anyway. He whistled softly as the took their place was a thousandfold worse.

  elevator whisked him up to his floor. Then he The noon papers, facetiously labeled as early grinned. Somebody was going to be mightily evening editions, carried a small item. The surprised and he hoped it would cost him corpse of a man, shot through the heart, had money. Hollister meant no one but Angus

  been discovered on the shore of the East McVicker.

  River. The police stated that it was hardly Safe in his own room, the full impact

  suicide because the man had been shot

  of what he’d done came back to him. Of

  through the heart and was dead before being course he had committed a crime but then he dumped near the water.

  felt it was in a good cause. The dead man had Hollister wondered just how much a

  spitefully killed himself. Cumming didn’t man could perspire and still live. He thought deserve such treatment.

  he’d about reached his capacity. Very

  No,

  indeed.

  Cumming was the type of

  resolutely, he told himself that life must go on.

  man who deserved a break. Hollister buoyed If he didn’t show up at the office, someone up his spirits with such thoughts. They needed might ask questions.

  buoying up. So much so, that he called the bar He took a taxi, traveling in style. The

  and ordered some drinks sent up.

  meter ticked comfortably for the first time in These helped too and when he started

  Hollister’s career. He had money. Plenty of it, for bed, his brain was reeling slightly. Until he but what in the world he’d do with that fifteen thrust a hand into his coat pocket and hauled thousand—and the wig it came in—he didn’t out the dead man’s wig. His mind cleared like know. He smiled somewhat complacently

  magic. He let go of it as if the thing was red though. Old Angus wouldn’t ride a cab like hot. It hit the floor. Hollister frowned and this.

  picked it up. The thing was stiff. Wholly taken

  “Angus!” he shot the word out of his

  by curiosity, he examined the wig closer. It mouth. Old Angus had carried the body to the seemed to be composed of two parts. There shore and merely dumped it down. Why? Why was a slit through the substance that lay close in the name of every green molded nickel he to the head. Hollister pried this apart a little.

  nursed, would McVicker do such a thing.

  Then he sat down with a thump. His fingers And why would the dead man have

  removed two bills. One was for ten thousand, appealed to Cumming for help if he carried while the other was a five-thousand-dollar bill.

  fifteen grand in his hair? Hollister’s life was Now he couldn’t sleep at all. At first,

  suddenly a confused jumble again.

  he contemplated calling Cumming and telling Half an hour after he reached his

  him about it, but gave up the idea. It was office, a messenger delivered a plain envelope better to wait and see what developed. and took his receipt. Automatically, Hollister Something told Hal Hollister it wouldn’t be ripped it open. Money fell out. Eight bills! It good.

  was coming at him from every direction. This In the early dawn he went out and

  was Cumming’s final payment. All eight

  bought all the newspapers on the stands so far.

  thousand dollars were there as well as a typed,

  The Big Money Man

  7

  unsigned note, stating, neatly, that the writer had to find out who the dead man was, first of was well satisfied with Hollister’s services, all. That was essential. But if the cops appreciated same and payment was enclosed.

  couldn’t identify him, how could he?

  Hollister burned that note.

  More and more, he thought about

  Tony Arnold came in soon after and

  McVicker. Perhaps the old scrooge knew the Hollister forced himself to straighten out. man. Perhaps he’d come to Angus and tried to Arnold took one look at him, sighed and sat beg and McVicker believed he’d taken

  down.

  questionable revenge by knocking himself off

  “You’re taking it tough, Hal. I wish

  on the front porch. Cumming had experienced there was something I could do. Cumming

  that feeling. It was natural that McVicker didn’t come through! I can tell by just looking would too. And he was too tight to hire

  at you.”

  someone to ditch the corpse. The answer

  Hollister passed over some money. seemed to lie with Angus McVicker. Perhaps

  “He came through handsomely only the old he could furnish the identification, if he was boy kept me up all night with his plans. How sure he wouldn’t be involved with the police.

  that man hates publicity. He’s paying me to Certainly, the old tightwad was under

  see that his name stays out of the papers. On a some mental anguish. Little short of a fatal yearly basis too. What a client!”

  illness would have kept him away from his Arnold folded the money and wrote

  office for even one day. Hollister made up his out a receipt for it. He passed over the slip of mind. He seized the telephone, shoved it back paper. “I wish Angus was in today,” he said.

  and reached for the phone book until he had

  “I’d like to see his face when I hand him this the number of Angus McVicker’s residence.

  dough and tell him it’s from you. Ever see He dialed it.

  him? No, I doubt it. Angus never sees anyone.

  “I wish to talk to Mr. McVicker about

  Even has a private elevator and entrance. He’s something vitally important,” Hollister told sour-faced. Why that man would curdle potted the woman who answered. She was obviously cheese. Well, I’m glad you’re on the beam a maid because she called him “sir.”

  again, Hal. May your good luck keep up.”

  A harsh, half whining voice came on.

  “No,” Hollister shouted. Then he Hollister said, “Mr. McVicker, I must see you realized what he’d said. “I mean yes, of very soon. Don’t ask who I am, but it is in course. Thanks, Tony. I’m grateful. Maybe connection with what happened last night.”

  you brought me luck.”

  “Another one!” Angus’ voice became

  completely a whine. “Well, I can’t refuse, and UNCOMFORTABLY Hollister shivered as listen to me, I didn’t kill Dupree. I swear I Arnold went out. He locked the door, went didn’t. He was dead when I found him. No back to his desk and sat there for two hours.

  one knows—”

  His mind was full of strange ideas. Men who

  “No one had better,” Hollister said

  begged for money and carried a small fortune ominously. “I’ll see you tonight—about ten.

  in their wigs. Tight-fisted millionaires who Be there—or else.”

  found corpses on their front porches and

  “I’ll be here,” Angus McVicker half

  promptly dumped them down by the river. It sobbed. “Listen—I paid Dupree last night.

  was all very confusing.

  Before he was k-killed. I can’t pay again, I tell But something had to be done. you. It’s impossible. These days things aren’t Hollister was, oddly enough, honest. That so good with me. Tenants don’t pay their rent.

  fifteen grand belonged to someone else. He I have to sue.”

  Black Book De
tective

  8

  Those words stopped Hollister from

  by the river. The other was more important.

  blurting the whole truth over the phone. Let Had Cumming murdered Dupree?

  the old boy suffer a little. He and his non-Hollister started across the porch. A

  paying tenants and his eviction suits! Driving man was coming toward him. They passed

  a man to involuntary bankruptcy. He deserved and the man gave him a sharp glance. Sharp to sweat. Hollister actually felt smug about the enough to make Hollister shudder. Maybe this whole thing as he hung up.

  was another of the blackmail gang. It was best Promptly at the specified hour, he was

  that he get away as promptly as possible. The admitted to McVicker’s home. Angus, man was burly, harsh-looking and Hollister himself, let him in and the dour old tightwad hadn’t liked his peculiar stare.

  was wringing his hands when Hollister sat Hollister took a taxi to the City

  down and stared at him coldly.

  Morgue. There, on pretext of looking for a

  “I did pay off last night,” Angus said.

  missing relative, he was escorted through the

  “I swear I did. Why should Dupree come back ice box. Hollister got himself another case of and kill himself on my front porch?”

  jitters. Then a slab was rolled out, a sheet

  “How do I know you paid.” Hollister

  raised and the body of Dupree revealed. His was enjoying this.

  bald pate glistened dully. Hollister shivered Angus groaned dismally. “I did, but I

  and not from the dankness of the morgue

  can’t prove it. I’ll have to pay again even if it either.

  turns me into a pauper. If I pay, will you

  “I—I don’t see the man I want,” he

  promise not to come here again for months?”

  said weakly. “I—I’ve had enough of this. L—

  Hollister thought rapidly. Why not let

  let me out.”

  Angus go through the exquisite agony of

  “Sure, pal,” a heavy voice said behind

  paying off? He shrugged. Angus, with a him. “We’ll let you out after you answer a piteous cry, arose and went to a wall safe. He couple of questions.”

  took out of it an enormous stack of new, crisp Hollister turned and faced the burly

  currency, counted twenty-five like a man who man he’d encountered on his way out of

  counts his last heartbeats and—placed twenty-McVicker’s house. Now the man held a

  five thousand dollars in Hollister’s hands.

  leather case in one hand and Hollister was

  “Now go,” McVicker wailed. “Get out

  almost blinded by the meaning of the gold of here and don’t let me see you again. Fifty shield it contained.

  thousand it cost me this time just because

  “Detective Lieutenant,” Hollister read

  Dupree decided to kill himself. I’m a broken as if it were his own name on a tombstone.

  man.”

  “Valentine is the name,” the detective

  Hollister arose slowly, not quite said. “Headquarters Squad. I saw you come knowing what to do about all this. It suddenly out of Angus McVicker’s house. What were occurred to him that Dupree had been a you doing there?”

  blackmailer, that Angus was paying off

  handsomely and perhaps Cumming had paid

  PANIC-STRICKEN Hollister swallowed with

  off too.

  some difficulty.

  Hardly thinking, Hollister stuffed the

  “Oh—that. Why, Angus McVicker is

  money into his pocket. He decided not to tell my landlord. I rent an office in his building McVicker anything at the moment. He first and I went there to tell him I’d paid some back had to be sure about several things. One was rent to his manager. You can check up. So the positive identity of the corpse found down long, Lieutenant. Nice to have met you.”

  The Big Money Man

  9

  One single step Hollister took before

  coming clean. That’s the lingo you use here, that huge hand descended on his shoulder and isn’t it? Give me a break.”

  stopped him.

  Hollister was looking at the thousand-

  “That’s funny,” Valentine said. dollar bills strewn across the detective’s desk.

  “McVicker told me you were an insurance

  “What sort of a break?” Valentine

  salesman. Come on, pal, what’s it all about?”

  demanded. “Anyway, it’s up to the D.A. to Hollister looked around the morgue bargain, but I’ll put in my two cents worth if and wondered if they’d put him here too, after you talk.”

  he had been electrocuted for a murder he

  “Your promise is good with me,”

  didn’t commit.

  Hollister said. “First off, take me to my

  “L—look,” he said weakly, “I can talk

  apartment. Then we’ll go to Cumming’s. Yes, better in more cheerful surroundings.”

  Clark Cumming. From there on, you’ll have to Valentine

  grinned.

  work with me. Give me a full head of steam or

  “Sure—my office is a very romantic

  I won’t utter another word.”

  place. It’s got a desk, some chairs and a lot of Valentine studied Hollister’s purse and

  privacy. Also, I keep a string of nice cells in papers which he’d taken from him. He mulled the same building. Remember that.”

  over the idea for a moment, made a few phone Valentine took him to Headquarters in

  calls concerning Hollister’s alleged reputation a police car, closed the door of his office and and then agreed to his demands.

  sat down. He looked directly at Hollister.

  “And take along that money,” Hollister

  “All right—shoot. What do you and

  said. “Give me fifteen thousand of it now.

  your gang have on Angus McVicker? Why

  Then we’re going to my apartment. I want to would he crash through with blackmail pick up Dupree’s wig.

  dough? And, incidentally, lift your arms. I

  “Wig?” Valentine muttered. “Yeah,

  haven’t given you a frisk yet.”

  sure, and should I take along a straitjacket, my He pulled out the twenty-five one-friend?”

  thousand bills Angus had given him. He found

  “Just handcuffs,” Hollister said grimly.

  the fifteen one thousand dollar bills which had

  “And they won’t be for me.”

  come from a dead man’s wig. He discovered Half an hour later, they were at

  nine thousand in one-thousand-dollar bills—

  Cumming’s elaborate home, seated in his

  Cumming’s fee for service rendered.

  library and watching Cumming regard them

  “Just small change.” Hollister offered

  with utter amazement.

  with what he hoped was a grin. It didn’t work.

  “This man,” Cumming pointed to

  Valentine threw the money on his desk and Hollister, “claims I paid him to dispose of a stuck his nose an inch from Hollister’s face.

  corpse? Sheer nonsense. I never saw this man

  “Come through,” the police officer before In my life.”

  said ominously. “I’ll tell you this much. We Valentine shrugged and got up.

  were looking for Dupree when he was found

  “Come on, Hollister,” he said. “I’ve

  near the river. Dupree had passed a one grand had enough of these monkeyshines. The cell bill in a bar and the guy who took it thought it block is your next stop.”

  might be phony so he called us. It was really Cumming didn’t move from his chair.

  all right and we traced the bill from a bank to Hollister bit his lip, wrenched h
imself free of Angus McVicker.”

  Valentine’s grasp and made a dash for

  Hollister

  sat

  down.

  Cumming. On his way he covertly thrust

  “Look, Lieutenant,” he gulped, “I’m

  Dupree’s wig under the chair in which the

  Black Book Detective

  10

  corpse had been seated. Valentine got him thousand dollars. He said McVicker only gave before he reached Cumming. This time he put him ten. You took this, knew he was holding cuffs on his wrists.

  out and let him have it. You searched him and

  “Sorry, Mr. Cumming,” Valentine found nothing—because the money was apologized. “I didn’t think this rat had nerve hidden in Dupree’s wig.”

  enough to make a break. Stay right where you

  “Have you finished?” Cumming asked

  are. I know the way out.”

  quietly.

  He yanked Hollister out of the house,

  “No, not quite. You had to get rid of

  but fumbled with the door a moment. He put the corpse and it was too risky so you thought him in the car, started the motor and drove up a scheme to get me into it. I was your very about a hundred yards.

  delightful stooge. But Cumming, for a wealthy

  “Now what was the rest of the deal?”

  and intelligent man, you made a bad mistake.

  he asked.

  You paid me in one-thousand- dollar bills.

  Hollister came out of the doldrums.

  You sent me eight more one-grand bills.

  “You mean I still get a break?”

  “I found fifteen thousand more, in

  “Listen,” Valentine said. “Cumming’s

  similar bills, in Dupree’s wig. Later on, Angus hands were wet on the palms. He’s scared handed me twenty-five more of those bills stiff. A detective notices those things. I when he thought I was another member of suppose you want to go back. Well, I fixed the your blackmail ring. All those bills were new, door so it isn’t locked. Here—I’ll take those numbered in rotation and possession of them cuffs off you.”