Black Mask (Vol. 21, No. 8 — November, 1938)
- Автор: Баллард Уиллис Тодхантер, Cave Hugh B.
- Год: 1938
- Язык: английский
- Год: Pro-Distributors Publishing
- Жанр: Другие детективы
Электронная книга - «Black Mask (Vol. 21, No. 8 — November, 1938)». Краткое содержание книги:
Nancy said, “You remember General Rodriguez, don’t you, Bill?”
“I remember the General extremely well.”
The General smiled briefly. “Ah, Mr. Lennox. The pleasure is all mine.”
Lennox looked from the General to the girl, puzzled. “And to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, General?”
The General spread his hands. “I fear that Mr. Lennox does not like me.” He was adressing the girl. “Still, señorita, I trust that you will do what I ask. I assure you that it will be the best for all of us.”
Lennox’s voice was flat, final. “Listen, Rodriguez, and get this straight once and for all. Nancy’s not doing anything for you. She’s keeping entirely clear of this mess.”
The General hesitated for a moment. Then: “It’s unfortunate that you take that attitude, Mr. Lennox. It would be much better for all of us if you would cooperate.” His voice was soft, silky with hidden threat. “What we do is so big that no one man, or group of men, can stand in the way.”
Lennox said, his jaw set: “I’m telling you to keep Miss Hobbs out of this. I mean exactly that, General. Good-by!” He turned and held the door open.
Rodriguez’ shrug was expressive. “So sorry.” He made a stiff bow and went out.
Lennox shut the door. The girl’s eyes were on him as he lowered his voice. “What did that guy want?”
She said. “He wanted me to go down and see Frank. He said for Frank to tell me where they were hidden.”
Lennox’ eyes narrowed. “Where what were hidden?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe I’d better do it. Maybe I’d find out from Frank what this is all about. Maybe then Morgan and Rodriguez would leave Frank alone.”
Lennox said, “Nothing doing. You’re keeping clear out of this. I’ll handle Morgan and the General. I’ll handle Frank, too. Now listen, Nancy, this is serious. I think it would be very, very wise if you got out of town.”
She said, “But I can’t now. Don’t forget I work for a living; that I’ve got a deadline to meet.”
He said, “I’m not forgetting anything, but it’s better to be alive and fail to make a deadline, than it is to be dead. Get your things together and get the afternoon train for ’Frisco. I’m going back to the jail and talk to that screwy cousin of yours. It’s about time he got next to himself.”
She said. “But I—”
“Now listen,” he said. “For once, do as I tell you without arguing. I don’t know Rodriguez, but I do know Morgan. If that mugg sets his head on doing anything he’ll do it, and a little thing like murder wouldn’t stop him. You get your bag packed and get out of here. When you get to ’Frisco, go to the Saint Francis. I’ll call you long distance tomorrow and let you know what’s going on.” He turned to go.
His voice softened. “So long, kid. Take care of yourself.”
She said, “But, Bill, if it’s dangerous for me, maybe it’s dangerous for you, too.”
He shrugged. “I don’t think so. I’ve been up against Morgan’s kind and came through. Anyway, what they want is something from Frank, not me. They’re evidently afraid to go down to the jail and see him themselves. I used to think they wanted him to fly for them for some revolutionist reason, but now I think it’s something deeper.”
She said, “Do you think they killed Mike?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I’ve got to figure some way to get Frank out of jail. I’ve got to get him clear so that we can finish that damned movie. So long.” He closed the door and went along the balcony.
As he came down the steps onto the sidewalk, he saw a car parked at the curb beyond a row of huge palms. But he hardly glanced at it until Rodriguez’ voice stopped him.
“Lennox!”
Bill turned his head. The General said, “Come over here a minute. I want to speak to you.”
Bill did not move. A man came around one of the palms. There was a small gun in his hand that glinted viciously in the sun.
“Get in the car!”
Lennox walked across the wide park-Butcher Morgan was in the back seat. The General was standing beside the open door.
“Get in.” Rodriguez held no gun, but he did not need one. The man with the gun was still at Lennox’ back. Bill got in.
Morgan smiled. “You’re being difficult, Lennox. If you’d used your head this wouldn’t have been necessary.”
Bill said, “These aren’t the old racket days, Butcher, when mobsters’ guns made their own law. You haven’t got a chance to get away with this and you know it. This is about the dumbest play I ever heard of.”
Morgan said, “Not so dumb. Don’t worry. We’re not going to do anything as crude as kill you. We’re just going to lock you up out of the way until you can’t do us any more harm.”
Lennox stared at him. The man with the gun had walked around the car and crawled in beside the driver. Rodriguez was in the back seat at Lennox’ left side. The car rolled away from the curb.
Lennox said, “What’s the game anyway, Butcher? You can’t buy yourself anything by cooping me up. After all, I haven’t got Frank Hobbs. The cops have him and Spellman is pretty bull-headed.”
Morgan nodded. “All we want to do is to get a message through to Hobbs.”
Lennox said, “What message?”
“That,” Morgan told him, “is our business. But whoever tries to stop us gets — hurt.”
Lennox’ eyes narrowed. “Like Mike Farnero got his?”
The big man shrugged. “You don’t think we killed Farnero, do you? Why should we kill him?”
Bill said. “Because he was blocking your game, whatever it is, because he wouldn’t let Frank Hobbs go through with whatever he planned; because he was tryin to make Frank finish the picture.”
The big man laughed. “That’s where you’re wrong. I don’t know who killed Farnero, and I don’t care. All I want to do is get Hobbs out of jail and I am going to get him out.” He leaned forward, said to the driver, “Let us out at the next corner, Harry. Then take Lennox out to the house and keep him there until you hear from me.”
The car pulled to the curb. Rodriguez and Morgan got out. The man with the gun had it resting on the back of the front seat. It was pointed directly at Lennox.
Morgan said to the driver, “After you’ve taken Lennox out to the house come on back here. Rodriguez and I are going to talk to the girl. If she won’t listen to reason we’ll pick her up too.”
Lennox stared at them. “Hey, wait!”
Morgan shook his head. “Nothing stirring, Bill. You had your chance to play ball. Now we’re going to do it my way.”
Lennox started forward. The man with the gun grinned wolfishly. “Easy, punk. I always did want to shoot a big shot.”
Lennox stared at the man. He had chalk-like eyes, set in a flat, unimaginative face. His lips had a sardonic grin. He said, “I ain’t shot nobody for three years.” He sounded as if he was a little disappointed about it.
The car began to move. Morgan was standing on the curb laughing. General Rodriguez hadn’t said a word, but Lennox knew he would get no help from him.
The house sat far up on the hills above Los Feliz, far apart from any others. The man with the gun grinned at Lennox.
“You might as well make yourself at home, sport. You’ve got a long wait.” He was in a chair between Lennox and the door, the gun on a small table at his side.
Lennox sat down on a couch. Morgan evidently did himself well. The house looked like money. The furniture was new and very modern — the bar alone must have cost a thousand dollars. Lennox’ eyes were on the bar.
He said, “Mind if I help myself to a drink?”
The man waved a large hand. “Why not? Butcher paid for it.”
Lennox walked across, put whiskey into a tall glass, coated it with soda and downed it at a gulp. It steadied his nerves but increased the heat of his body. It was already hot in the room. The afternoon sun beat in through the full length windows. A telephone bell rang, sharp discordant sound in the quiet house.