by you, proves you were in with Dupree.”
Hollister slipped out of the car, ran
“Finished now?” Cumming asked.
back to the house and let himself in. He “Because I intend to finish you quite reached the library. It was empty, but the wig permanently, say you came back here to attack wasn’t under the chair any longer. All he me and I shot you in self-defense.”
hoped was that Cumming fully believed it had The gun steadied. Hollister braced
slipped off Dupree’s scalp when they were himself and for some unaccountable reason he carrying him out.
started to pray that the gun wasn’t loaded with Then Hollister saw one whole dum-dums. He’d been reading about the way bookcase start moving. It was on rollers and Japs fight. He was positive that he was dead pushed out. Cumming emerged from this and death was full of pleasant dreams when he hidden door and the secret room behind it. He saw Cumming slowly lower the gun and
saw Hollister, who had no chance to move. A finally drop it.
gun appeared in Cumming’s fist and leveled.
Lieutenant Valentine came into focus.
“It worked nicely, Hollister,” he said.
CAUTIOUSLY Hollister raised his arms. “So
“We’ve been looking for the head of a
it was you,” he said slowly. “I got away from big blackmail ring for more than three years.
the cop and came back because I figured you Cumming is it.”
really had killed Dupree. Shall I tell you why?
Hollister knelt on the floor first, then Because Dupree was part of a backmailing he sat and finally he stretched out. He wasn’t ring which you headed.
tired either.
“As a great philanthropist, you were
Some time later, Hollister glanced at
never suspected. Dupree held out. He’d just bold headlines, got up from the uncomfortably come from Angus McVicker’s and was hard pallet of his cell and went to the barred, supposed to have picked up twenty-five door. Across from him was Angus McVicker
The Big Money Man
11
wringing his hands and wishing he’d made Cumming. Yesterday I was broke and
some of his money the honest—and hard—
bankrupt. Then, almost as fast as I could way. Next door to Hollister’s cell was handle it, I became rich. A thousand from you, Cumming.
then a second thousand. Then fifteen from Hollister passed the newspaper to him.
Dupree, then eight more from you. Finally,
“Cumming,” he said. “I failed you.
twenty-five thousand from Angus, who was in The money you paid to keep your name out of on the racket as a go-between. Money slips the papers is yours again, naturally. I can’t through my fingers, but I like being broke.
accept it because I failed to keep your name You don’t have worries. Hey, Angus, how are out of the papers. You can pick up the ten you feeling?”
thousand from Lieutenant Valentine. I’m
Angus McVicker peered through the
certain he’ll be glad to act as my agent in the bars. “Very hungry. Do they ever feed a man matter.”
in here?”
“I hope they give you a hundred
“They certainly do,” Hollister said.
years,” Cumming roared.
“Not bad food either.”
Hollister
grinned.
“Without charge?” McVicker inquired.
“I’m going to be let out pretty soon.
“It’s all on the town,” Hollister assured They just want me here as a material witness.
him.
Valentine says I’ll be forgiven for removing Angus sat down.
Dupree from your house because I’ve been a
“Ah well, there is always a ray of
good boy and I talked. It’s a great life, Mr.
sunshine amidst a man’s troubles.”
The Big Money Man by Wayland Rice (hhouse pseudonym, credited to Norman Daniels) Page 3