going to a hell of a lot of trouble, it seems to me, to catch just one man with a few pounds of happy-dust.”
She hesitated. “You don’t understand; it’s not just one man we’re concerned with. At present, the syndicate is more or less out of the drug business, except for a few greedy, rebellious individuals like Frank Warfel. Right now, Frankie’s superiors would certainly crack down on him if they knew he was planning to involve the organization in a risky gamble with dope. But suppose he manages to hold them off until he can show them a smoothly functioning gold mine from which they can all profit? In that case, they’ll be much less likely to chastise him, won’t they? They may even be tempted to change their official policy once more. And even if they don’t, they may find more and more backsliders like Frankie defying their edict—”
“Actually, from what little I know about them, I gather the various families don’t really have much authority over each other.”
“That’s right.” Charlie looked at me almost pleadingly. “You see how important it is, Matt? You see that it’s got to take precedence over your quest for vengeance. I mean, thousands of lives will be ruined by drugs if Frankie succeeds; or if… if somebody kills him so we can’t catch him red-handed and make such a big public stink that his Cosa Nostra friends will continue to stay out of the drug business, permanently.”
Well, she had a point. I might kid her about the strange legal logic that tries to cure an addict by making a criminal of him, but I hold no brief for anyone who tries to cash in on his addiction.
I said, “Well, to the best of my knowledge, I’m not really after Frank Warfel.”
“Perhaps not. But judging by your record, which I’ve read with great interest—the parts we were able to obtain—you certainly wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him if he got in your way. And that mustn’t happen.” She drew a long breath. “Look, I’ll make a bargain with you. You leave us our Frankie and we’ll do our best to get you your Nicholas. Okay?”
I said, “Some bargain. You’ve got instructions to assist me. I’ve got no instructions to assist you—” It hit me belatedly, and I stopped and stared hard at her. “Just what do you know about Nicholas, sweetheart? As far as we know, he’s never been connected with dope, so where did you get the name?”
She looked down, clearly embarrassed. “Well, I… I just heard something…”
“Heard?” I said grimly. “Oh, I see. Over the phone.” After a moment, I couldn’t help grinning. “Charlie, I’m surprised and shocked at you, eavesdropping like that. And there I thought you were being so kind and cooperative, saving me from wearing out my dime in a public booth.”
She said without meeting my eyes, “All our phones are monitored, naturally.”
“Oh, naturally.”
“You asked your chief to check up on me. I heard you. Did you think I wouldn’t check up on you?” She forced herself to look at me defiantly. “Do we have a deal, Matt? Frankie for Nicholas and whoever else was involved in killing your girl—as long as it isn’t Frankie.”
I said, “Hell, I’m not a homicidal maniac, doll, whatever you may have read in my record. If it
is
Frankie, and you put him away on drug charges, that’ll serve our purpose just as well as shooting him. It’s a deal.” I held out my hand and she shook it. “Okay,” I said, “that’s settled. Now you’d better give me some license numbers and descriptions. Did you recognize the man who ran you off the road?”
“Yes, it was the ugly one who was driving you around earlier in that beat-up old station wagon.”
“Willi Keim?”
“Willy Hansen is the name we know him by.”
“What model jeep?”
“It wasn’t the little Universal, but the longer one, kind of fancy, they call a Jeepster. White. California plates.” She gave me the number.
“And Blame’s wheels?”
“A sporty convertible,
She hesitated. “You don’t understand; it’s not just one man we’re concerned with. At present, the syndicate is more or less out of the drug business, except for a few greedy, rebellious individuals like Frank Warfel. Right now, Frankie’s superiors would certainly crack down on him if they knew he was planning to involve the organization in a risky gamble with dope. But suppose he manages to hold them off until he can show them a smoothly functioning gold mine from which they can all profit? In that case, they’ll be much less likely to chastise him, won’t they? They may even be tempted to change their official policy once more. And even if they don’t, they may find more and more backsliders like Frankie defying their edict—”
“Actually, from what little I know about them, I gather the various families don’t really have much authority over each other.”
“That’s right.” Charlie looked at me almost pleadingly. “You see how important it is, Matt? You see that it’s got to take precedence over your quest for vengeance. I mean, thousands of lives will be ruined by drugs if Frankie succeeds; or if… if somebody kills him so we can’t catch him red-handed and make such a big public stink that his Cosa Nostra friends will continue to stay out of the drug business, permanently.”
Well, she had a point. I might kid her about the strange legal logic that tries to cure an addict by making a criminal of him, but I hold no brief for anyone who tries to cash in on his addiction.
I said, “Well, to the best of my knowledge, I’m not really after Frank Warfel.”
“Perhaps not. But judging by your record, which I’ve read with great interest—the parts we were able to obtain—you certainly wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him if he got in your way. And that mustn’t happen.” She drew a long breath. “Look, I’ll make a bargain with you. You leave us our Frankie and we’ll do our best to get you your Nicholas. Okay?”
I said, “Some bargain. You’ve got instructions to assist me. I’ve got no instructions to assist you—” It hit me belatedly, and I stopped and stared hard at her. “Just what do you know about Nicholas, sweetheart? As far as we know, he’s never been connected with dope, so where did you get the name?”
She looked down, clearly embarrassed. “Well, I… I just heard something…”
“Heard?” I said grimly. “Oh, I see. Over the phone.” After a moment, I couldn’t help grinning. “Charlie, I’m surprised and shocked at you, eavesdropping like that. And there I thought you were being so kind and cooperative, saving me from wearing out my dime in a public booth.”
She said without meeting my eyes, “All our phones are monitored, naturally.”
“Oh, naturally.”
“You asked your chief to check up on me. I heard you. Did you think I wouldn’t check up on you?” She forced herself to look at me defiantly. “Do we have a deal, Matt? Frankie for Nicholas and whoever else was involved in killing your girl—as long as it isn’t Frankie.”
I said, “Hell, I’m not a homicidal maniac, doll, whatever you may have read in my record. If it
is
Frankie, and you put him away on drug charges, that’ll serve our purpose just as well as shooting him. It’s a deal.” I held out my hand and she shook it. “Okay,” I said, “that’s settled. Now you’d better give me some license numbers and descriptions. Did you recognize the man who ran you off the road?”
“Yes, it was the ugly one who was driving you around earlier in that beat-up old station wagon.”
“Willi Keim?”
“Willy Hansen is the name we know him by.”
“What model jeep?”
“It wasn’t the little Universal, but the longer one, kind of fancy, they call a Jeepster. White. California plates.” She gave me the number.
“And Blame’s wheels?”
“A sporty convertible,
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