CHAPTER VII
VERBECK INVESTIGATES
Roger Verbeck and the chief looked at the sheriff aghast. Hisannouncement had startled them. In his previous career of crime, themaster criminal had raided that establishment, and had almost wrecked itbecause he removed so many assets.
"How do you know that, Kowen?" the chief demanded.
The sheriff told the story, not sparing himself, for he wanted toconvince the men before him, and now that the recapture of the BlackStar seemed so near, he could afford to speak the truth.
He related the story of Mamie Blanchard's first visit to his office, andof how he had trailed her after meeting her on the street.
"That woman," said Verbeck, after Kowen had described her carefully, "isa member of the old organization, and is known as The Princess. Shecaused us a lot of trouble before."
"She certainly did!" the chief admitted. "She is almost as clever as theBlack Star, is trusted by him, and handles a lot of his work. We didn'tget her when we caught the Black Star and smashed his old gang, and wehad supposed that she had left the country--possibly had gone to SouthAmerica. She came from Brazil, originally."
Then Kowen continued his story, and told of finding the papers on thetable in the basement.
"That's the part of it I don't like," Verbeck said. "It isn't like themaster crook to leave papers like those scattered around."
"Didn't you get into his old headquarters once and find papers andorders there?" the sheriff demanded.
"I did, I'll admit. But really I do not like the appearance of this.Describe that basement room to me again, Kowen."
The sheriff did so.
"Well, you seem to have described the room I saw last night," RogerVerbeck said. "Perhaps you are right; but I think we are assuming toomuch when we think the Black Star's people are not aware of the visit ofyou and your men there. It would be more like him to have the placewatched continually."
"It all looks good to me," the chief put in. "I happen to know that theNational Trust Company has a lot of gold in its vault just now--and youcan bet that the Black Star knows it, too. That organization of his is awonder. Why, my own secretary might belong to it, for all I know. Wefound a police captain in the old one, remember."
"Well, what are we going to do about it?" the sheriff asked.
"What have you to suggest? It's your game," the chief reminded him.
"I've got to have the help of the police, of course," Kowen replied. "Ihaven't men enough, and this job calls for trained men. I think weshould combine forces."
"Certainly," the chief agreed.
"We ought to have a gang around the block that contains that cottage,ready to nab anybody that goes in or comes out; and we ought to beready for the crook and his gang at the National Trust."
"How do you want to work it?" the chief asked. "Do you want to watch thecottage with your men?"
"I'll send some of my men there, and you do the same," Kowen replied."And we'll both have men around the bank. I want to be there when thebig row comes off. Let's figure it out!"
"Mr. Verbeck is in command of this, as far as I am concerned," the chiefinformed him.
"That suits me," the sheriff replied.
They spent an hour perfecting their plans, and then the chief beganissuing his orders. Those orders went to officers in all parts of thecity. They were of such a nature that the Black Star, if someconfederate reported them to him, would not be exactly sure what theymeant, except that the chief of police expected him to attempt somegigantic crime and would have his men in readiness.
"If you see that Blanchard woman again, put her in the jug!" the chieftold the sheriff. "If you are afraid of a suit for damages, turn herover to me. I'm not! She's The Princess, and there is a little chargepending against her right now. Don't forget that."
"If I had arrested her to-day, I wouldn't have found the crook'sheadquarters," Kowen retorted. "But I'll nab her if I see her again, allright!"
The sheriff, well pleased with the arrangements that had been made, leftpolice headquarters and hurried to his own office, to give orders to hisown men. Kowen was exceedingly well pleased with himself. Even the chiefof police, his ancient enemy, admitted that he had done the work. Kowencould see, in fancy, the newspapers of the following morning, withtheir glowing accounts of how, within twenty-four hours after the BlackStar's escape, he had located the crook's headquarters, had learned hisplans, and had captured him again and broken up his band. That should bepolitical capital, Sheriff Kowen thought.
He reached his office, called his chief deputy, and gave himinstructions. He warned the man that orders should be issued carefullyso that the Black Star might not learn what was planned.
"We don't want to let that crook think we are wise to his game," Kowensaid. "If he does, he'll simply move his headquarters and call off thislittle robbery. Then we'll have to start all over again--and I want toget that man back in a cell before to-morrow. Newspapers and public jumpon me, will they? To-morrow they'll be saying how great I am!"
The chief of police had remained in his office to make further plans.Roger Verbeck left, and went out to the roadster. He ordered Muggs todrive to a certain corner across the city. That meant that Roger Verbeckhad some deep thinking to do, for, when he had not, he drove the bigroadster himself. So Muggs, with a thousand questions trembling on hislips, kept silent, though he looked at Verbeck reproachfully now andthen.
Muggs reached the corner Verbeck had designated, and glanced aroundscornfully. Muggs did not favor this section of the city. It remindedhim too much of certain quarters of Paris where he had existed in yearsgone by, when he had been a criminal.
"Wait here," Verbeck said.
"Aw, boss, ain't I in on this?" Muggs protested.
"Want to have the car tagged for being left longer than the law allowson this street?" Verbeck demanded. "If I am not back in twenty minutes,drive around the block and wait on the opposite corner--and keep that upuntil I do put in an appearance."
"This ain't a sweet end of town," Muggs said.
"Are you feeling a certain amount of alarm for me, Muggs? Have you anidea that I cannot take care of myself, in broad daylight?"
"Aw!" Muggs exclaimed, in huge disgust.
"You'll get plenty of action, Muggs, before this thing is over, if thatis what is bothering you," Verbeck said. "What I am going to do just nowcalls for one man, and only one."
Verbeck walked down the street, and Muggs hunched down behind the wheeland glared at those who passed.
Verbeck turned the first corner and disappeared, as far as Muggs wasconcerned. He journeyed another block, turned another corner, and soapproached the little cottage that Sheriff Kowen had investigated. Hewalked past it slowly, and glanced at the building. There was no sign oflife about it.
Verbeck went on around the block and turned into the alley. He found thelittle door in the wall, but there appeared to be no way of opening itfrom the outside. He hurried on through the alley and made his way tothe front again. If this was, in reality, the Black Star's headquarters,Verbeck did not want to spoil things by having some of the band see himloitering in the neighborhood.
He returned to the roadster, told Muggs to drive him home, and grinnedat the look of disgust in Muggs' face.
"Ain't I in on this at all, boss?" Muggs wanted to know. "Gee! When wewas after that big crook before, you let me know everything. Don't youtrust me no more?"
"Certainly I trust you!" Verbeck told him. "You know that I do! But whybother you with minor details? In other words, Muggs, I am not sure ofanything yet."
Reaching his rooms, Roger Verbeck spent the remainder of the day readingbooks, as if the Black Star and his band did not exist and call forthought. He ordered dinner earlier than usual, and then dressed in aplain dark suit, and put on a soft cap.
"Into the roadster again, old boy," he told Muggs. "Drive me to the samecorner."
Muggs did so gladly; but when the corner was reached, he was disgustedonce more to find that Verbec
k wanted him to remain with the car.
"I don't seem to be nothin' but a chauffeur," he complained to the worldat large. "I used to amount to somethin', but I guess I don't any more."
"Muggs, I told you that this is a one-man job," Verbeck said. "And I amthe one man!"
He walked on down the street, chuckling at Muggs' grumbling. He passedthe little cottage once more. There seemed to be no lights inside it.The yard about it was in pitch darkness, for the glare of the streetlights was cut off by the high buildings on either side, by thebillboards in front and the alley wall behind.
Verbeck slipped inside the yard. For a time he stood against thebillboard and listened, and then he went forward like a shadow, andfinally reached a corner of the cottage.
He made his way around the building, listening at doors and windows. Hefound a window unlatched, and raised it inch by inch, without making theslightest noise. A moment later, Roger Verbeck was inside the house.
He held his electric torch ready, and his automatic. Not a sound reachedhis ears to indicate the presence of any other human being in the house.Verbeck flashed the torch, located a door, passed through it, and was inthe kitchen.
There he found the door leading to the basement, and listened beside itfor some time. Then he opened it, slowly, cautiously, a bit at a time.There was no light in the basement.
Verbeck propped the door open with a chair, and descended the stepscarefully, not flashing his torch. He reached the bottom, listened forsome time, and then pressed the button. The shaft of light flashedacross the room.
"Kowen was right--this is the place!" Verbeck told himself. "Thefurniture--everything seems to be the same. But I don't like it. Itdoesn't seem right, at all. I never knew the Black Star to be carelesslike this before."
Verbeck flashed his electric torch again and looked carefully around theroom. He even walked across to the table and read the orders SheriffKowen had found there. The house was being watched by the police anddeputies by this time, Verbeck knew, for the men had received orders totake up their positions soon after nightfall. The officers could bedepended upon to capture anybody who visited the cottage.
Verbeck went back up the steps, crept through the house, and got outthrough the window by which he had entered, and which he now closedagain. As he moved away from the house, an officer spoke to him.
"I thought that was you, Mr. Verbeck," he said. "Have you been inside?"
"Yes. There is nobody there now," Verbeck replied. "Is the door in thealley wall being watched?"
"Yes, sir," said the officer. "We've got good men scattered all aroundthe place. If that big crook or any of his people come near here,they'll be nabbed!"
Verbeck hurried up the street and sprang into the roadster, smiling atMuggs' sour look.
"Drive to police headquarters, Muggs," he directed. "We'll stay thereuntil a little before midnight, and then we'll go to the National TrustCompany with the chief and his men, and watch for the Black Star. If hereally attempts to rob that place to-night, he is going to be caught inthe act."
"I'd like to get my two hands on him!" Muggs growled.
"Perhaps you'll have the chance," Verbeck said.
"If I do," Muggs said, "you can bet that the big crook will have a sorethroat for a month!"
Black Star's Campaign: A Detective Story Page 7