Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

12 "Mother's waiting for you at home," Tommy told him. "Too bad." Eddie spoke indifferently. " But I can't go now." Tommy's eyes glinted. "What do you mean, you can't go now?" he said sharply. "I suppose you've for- gotten what day this is." "It's my birthday," said Eddie sullenly. "Right first time. And mom's throwing a party for you. She's baked a chocolate cake, and his fixed up a big spread. Come on. let's go!" "I can't." Eddie sounded definite about it. Then he knew he had to find a reason. Tommy always had to have a reason for things. "I—I've got a job to do to-night." "Where?" "Right here." Tommy stared at him in amazement. "You mean you're working for Hearn?" he said. Eddie nodded. "Yeah. There's something he wants me to do for him." Tommy looked disgusted. Hearn of all people! Hearn was noted as a crook of the worst type. Nobody knew very much about him—nothing that could be proved, anyway—but evei-yone was agreed that he was a bad hat. "Why don't you be smart?" Tommy said. "Hearn'll get you into nothing but trouble, Eddie. Let's get out of here." Eddie hesitated. He knew that Tommy was right. But just then Spike called across the room. Spike spoke as though he had some authority in the joint. Perhaps he had. He was always seen around with Hearn, anyway. "Come on. Eddie!" Spike said. "It's your shot again. What's he—your nurse- maid?" Eddie hurried back to the table as though scared. Tommy followed. He went up to Spike and-said: "Why don't you keep your trap shut?" Spike looked him up and down offensively. "Why don't you try to make me?" he asked. Tommy shook his head. "I've got better sense than to start a fight in joints like this," he answered. "If you want trouble, come outside." "Yellow, huh?" Spike jeered. His tone got Tommy on the raw. Tommy's Irish blood started to boil. "That's right," he said. "I'm yellow." And then he hit Spike clean between the eyes! IN A JAM IT was lucky for him that the place was empty, except for Spike and Eddie. Otherwise the noise Spike made when he hit the floor would have brought quick reinforcements. And the kind of rein- forcements that were to be found in Hearn's Place did not know how to fight clean. Spike picked himself up, still holding on to his billiard cue. Eddie grabbed hold of Tommy's arm. " Cut it out. Tommy," Eddie said. " Get to blazes out of here. I can manage my own affairs." "Maybe you can," said Tommy. "But if that rat makes anothei crack about me being yellow, I'll slay him." "Tommy, pipe down !" Just at that moment someone came in through the door. It was Mike Hearn himself—a tall, broad-shouldered indi- vidual whose eyes had the coldness and hardness of the born killer. "What's going on here?" he demanded. His voice had something in it which made even Tommy pause—and Tommy wasn't used to stopping for much. "That skunk called me yellow," he said. "So 1 showed him I wasn't." Hearn's eyes flicked with momentary anger, then went dead again. "I won't have any fighting here," he snapped, and turned to Spike. "How many more times do I have to tell you that I won't have any rough stuff here?" October 28Ui, IM'J. BOY'S CINEMA "He started it," Spike mumbled. Hearn spun round on Tommy again. "Get out of here, you!" he ordered. "And stay out!" Tommy shrugged. "All right, I'll go," he said. "Coming, Eddie?" Eddie hesitated, and looked at Hearn. Hearn's face was expressionless, but all the same there was something in his manner which told Eddie he had better stick around. "No," Eddie said at last. "Okay. It's your choice." And Tommy turned and walked out. As soon as he had gone, Hearn crossed to a door and opened it. He then turned. "You'd better keep that kid brother of yours quiet, Eddie," he said Eddie nodded. Spike put down his billiard cue. " Hey, I want to talk to you, Hearn," he said. He tried to speak toughly, as an equal, but somehow didn't quite manage it. "All right. Come into the office," Hearn replied. Yet another youth came into the pool room just then. He had a cap on the back of his head and a half-smoked cigar- ette in the corner of his mouth. He was known in Hearn's Place as Knuckles Malone. He followed the others into the office. Hearn sat down at his desk and looked at him questioningly. "Well, what's on your mind, Knuckles?" he asked. Knuckles sat on a corner of the desk and swung one leg. " I could use a couple of bucks," he said. " I dare say you could." Hearn remarked. "But why come to me?" "Well, I'm working for you, ain't I?" Hearn laughed. It was an ugly sound. "Working for me!" he said. "Four old tyres off some college boy's flivver! If I make a buck on them, I'm lucky." "Well, that's the kind of junk you said you wanted," Knuckles retorted. Hearn shook his head. "Not any more," he said. "All right—what do you want?" Hearn rubbed his chin and looked the three youths over speculatively. "Well, a good fur coat might make you fifty bucks," he said. "A couple of coats of the right kind might bring you some real gravy." ' Knuckles nodded. He knew what Hearn was getting at. Up to now, Hearn had been satisfied with small stuff, but just lately he had been throwing out hints that he was going to get interested in bigger merchandise. Not that he took any risks himself. His bi->iness was that of planning the jobs and paying for the results. It was the gang—youths like Spike and Knuckles— who took all the knocks that were coming. "So you want fur coats!" Knuckles said eagerly. "That's okay by me. I'm sick of working for small change, anyway. Where dd I get them?" Hearn leaned back and put the tips of his fingers together. He looked like some modern Pagin, teaching kids to steal so that he could make a living. "Knuckles will be on the job with you to-night, Spike," he said, and turned to Eddie. "How about you, youngster? Do we count you in?" "Sure," Eddie said. "I could do with some good money too." "Fine! Take them away. Spike, and tell them all they have to know. I've fixed everything. The skylight will be un- fastened. All you have to do is to go in and collect the stuff." "And get away without being caught," said Spike nervously. "That's right," said Hearn indifferently. "If you run into trouble. I don't know a thing about you." With that the meeting broke up. Meanwhile Tommy had gone back home. He had not hurried As he made his way along the sidewalk, he kept looking behind him, hoping that Eddie nad changed his mind. Every Tuesday He found his mother fussing around the cooking stove. "Where's Eddie?" she asked. "Didn't you see him?" "No," Tommy answered, then hurriedly changed his mind. "That is, I did. But only for a minute." "Then why didn't you bring him back with you? The roast is going to be ruined." Tommy swallowed hard. He knew how she felt about Eddie. Eddie was her favourite. She saw Tommy hesitating, and instantly her eyes became wide with fright. "Tommy, something's happened to him," she said. Tommy shook his head. "It's all right, mom," he answered. " Nothing's happened to him. It's just that he's got a job, that's all." "A job!" She sounded so relieved that she almost cried. Then she said irritably: "But that doesn't stop him from coming home. His job can keep till morning, can't it?" Tommy racked his brains for something to say. He dared not tell her the truth. It would break her heart. "He says he has to work to-night," he managed, after a second or two. " It's very important." "To-night?" She sounded imhappy about it. Then she brightened up. "But I'm being silly. I couldn't think of a better birthday present for Eddie than getting a job." Tommy saw that the situation was saved. She didn't suspect anything. "I'll tell you what," he said quickly. "We'll pretend that it's my birthday to-day. We can celebrate Eddie's to-mor- row. Then there'll be two parties instead of just one." Mrs. O'Meara nodded eagerly. "We'll sure have a grand time. Tommy boy," she said. "Let's eat," Tommy went on. "And afterwards I'll take you to a movie. Sit you down at the table, and I'll wait on you. Go on, now." And, l3,ughing. Tommy pushed her into a chair, sharpened the knife, and began carving the roast. Late that night, a short time before the programme at the cinema came to a close. Spike went running into Hearn's office. He was breathless, and not a little scared. "They grabbed Knuckles!" he gasped. " They got him!" "Who did?" asked Hearn shai'ply. "The cops." Hearn shrugged. He didn't care very much what happened to Knuckles. He was more interested in his profit. "Where's the stuff?" he wanted to know. "Eddie's got it in a car we picked up over on Eight Street." "Where is he now?" "I don't know." Hearn jumped to his feet and began pacing the office, chewing savagely on a cigar. " You boys had better get out of town for a while," he said. " But " " Get out of town, I tell you!" "But what'll our folks say?" " I don't give a darn what your folks say. Go down to the freight yards and jump on a moving train. Get off at the first stop, grab a car, drive it to another town, and then pick up another car. Cover your trail as much as you can, and when you're safely away, let me know your address." Hearn put his hand into his pocket and produded some bills. "Take this and get going. And find out what Eddie's been doing since you saw him last. He might try to double-cross us." "Okay, boss!" Spike replied, pocketed the money, and hurried out. Meanwhile Tommy and his mother left the cinema and went back home. Tommy went into his room and turned on the light, ready for bed after a long day. Suddenly a voice said: "Turn off those lights, Tommy, will you?"