Boy's Cinema (1935-39)

20 "No, sir." confessed Eddig and for the first time considered thaf possibility. "Al had a job, 1 understood, but, come to think of it, I never knew where. Oil, and 1—I spilled everything to hint. What a sap!" "You're no sap." Curtis assured him. "All the banks and all the legitimate loan agencies have been trying to stamp out this racket. My office has been investigating the loan sharks for two years. I've personally interviewed five hundred victims—and you are the first man who has ever had the nerve to come through with a definite state- ment." " Well, 1 don't know anything about that, sir," said Eddie, "but I've been scared plenty. I'm still scared." "Well, you've agreed to make these identifications I've suggested—and that takes courage." Eddie reached out to a glass of water standing on a table beside him and took a long drink. "This is the way I look at it, sir," he said then. "Suppose we move again. Suppose I backed down and ran away. They'd find me. And every time my wife was ten minutes late com- ing home from anywhere I'd get cold inside. I'd be watching the kids all the time. After what happened to me to- day, why, I—I'd be always looking over my shoulder. Where's the sense of going on like that?" "Suppose I give you the money to pay off your debt?" The two plain-clothes men who were in the room looked at one another in dismay; but Eddie instantly ■ shook his head—and winced because it hurt. "No," he said definitely. "In a way, I'd bo lining up with them by paying off and keeping quiet. No, I'll go through with it, sir. I want to do everything I can to put them out of business." "Mr. Lang." said Curtis, "will you do me a favour ?" "Sure." replied Eddie. "I've been around for a long time. I've been a criminal lawyer and a poli- tician. I don't rate my fellow-citizens very high—there are some days when I'd give you the whole human race for a dime—yes, and give you nine cents change. Tf you don't mind, I'd like to shake your hand." Eddie gripped the hand that was held out to him. He thought the District Attorney was a fine fellow; but he didn't like the District Attorney's next remark, which was: "You're going to be our star boarder down at the gaol until Friday." "The gaol?" he echoed in a horrified voice. "They'll see that you're comfortable. I want you where we can find you ■when we need you." "Oh. but Mr. Curtis, do I have to go? You see, I—I've got a family at home." "We're taking care of them." "Yes. but T think I ought to be there, too." He nearly mentioned the fact that it was Mary's birthday, but thought that might sound a poor argu- ment. "I'll be at your office on Friday all right, but 1- T think I ought to go homo." "All right, just as you say." returned Curtis. "So-long. Eddie." Eddie went home in a squad car. and Martin and Gregg went with him. There wore onlv throe rooms in the little cabin, and the detectives pro- posed to Occupy one of them, so they shifted the bed into the kitchen. Eddie wanted to help, but Mary made him go and sit down. "Sorry there isn't an extra bed for you." she aaid to the plain-clothes men • August 21st, 1937. BOY'S CINEMA after the rearrangement had been com- pleted. "That's all right, Mrs. Lang," Gregg informed her cheerfully. " We've got a couple o' chairs in there—and Marty- has a detective magazine. He likes to read about detectives in stories, then he looks in the glass, and does he feel embarrassed ?" "Come on," snorted Martin, "get out of here! Goodnight." "Good-night, fellows," said Eddie, "and thanks a lot." Mary said good-night, and the two retired to the bedless bed-room. Mary immediately went over to her husband, who was sitting at the kitchen table close to an open window. "N^ "Let me look at you, Eddie," she said anxiously. "I haven't seen you alone. Was it awful, honey? Did they hurt you very badly?" "Well, it wasn't so good." he re- turned wryly, "but I'm okay now. Thanks for sending along my clothes —I had to make 'em take the bandage off so I could wear the hat! Is Judy all right ? I kinda thought she might wake up with all this noise." "You hoped she would!" accused Mary. "Aren't you going to take Bill up?" Mary shook her head. Judy and little Bill were fast asleep in the third room. Judy in a bed, Bill in his crib. "You know Bill always sleeps right through the night, Eddie," she said, studying his worried face. "Why are you so anxious to have the kids wake up?" "Well, you see, I didn't talk to them to-night," he replied lamely, "and 1 like 'em." She was not deceived. "Even with those two men in the next room," she said, "you're still afraid something's going to happen." "What could hap " He rose abruptly and thrust his head out at the open window because he had heard foot- steps in the tiny garden. "What is it?" she asked in alarm. "What's the matter?" Instead of answering, Eddie made for the back door and went out into the darkness, stumbling along a path he could not. see. Suddenly the light of an electric torch blazed in his face, and he raised his left arm defensively, clenching his right fist. But it was only the night- watchman from the newly made road who was holding the torch, and the night-watchman had deserted his job to inquire after Eddie. "Well. I'm not much better for see- ing you!" exclaimed the overwrought young man. "I thought it was one of those crooks!" That night Captain Hall issued in- structions to all the plain-clothes men under him, and next day there was considerable police activity in the city. The tobacconist in the arcade of the Welch Building was one of the first to be arrested, but Fats was caught very soon afterwards. Al Anslie was playing snooker in (he Aloha Social Club when its premises were invaded by half a dozen officers, but the detective who caught hold of his arm did not address him as Anslie. lb' said grimly: "Come on. Johnson!" "What's this. Lefty?" demanded Al indignantly. "You ain't got nothing on me!" "D'you want the bracelets on?" in- quired his captor. "No. I'll go quiet." growled Al. "but I a ; n't done nothing. Sav, are you guys gonna bound me till I'm eiglitv just because I did time five years back?" Every Tuesday "Shut up. sweetheart, will you?" snapped the detective. "Come on, we've got a date with the D.A." Throughout that day every man with a record who could be found was taken down to headquarters and detained, and next morning nearly fifty men were marched out from the cells in which they had spent the night. Fats turned on one of the guards in a fury. "If you think some tin-horn flatfoot can pick me up on a vagrancy charge, hold me overnight, and give me no chance to talk to my lawyer " he began. "You were given a chance to use the 'phone, brother," interrupted tho guard. "A fine chance!" roared Fats. "The 'phone wouldn't work!" "Can I help it if your friends don't want to talk to you?" jibed the guard. 'Right face, forward maich!" The day was Friday, and Eddie was with Morgan Curtis in a big bleak room at police headquarters, sitting in comparative darkness with a long and narrow platform some .wenty feet away in front of them. The arrested men were about to be subjected to an iden- tity parade, or "line-up." "Now, you won't see all of them," said Curtis, "that's too much to hope for. I've picked up most of those who have police records—got 'em for vagrancy, carrying weapons, failure to report to the parole board, reckless driving, illegal parking, and anything else we could think of, but I can't hold them beyond to-day. Take your time and make sure, because I'm counting on you." "I couldn't forget one of them," de- clared Eddie. Curtis pointed to the narrow plat- form, floodlighted from above and below by powerful arc lamps. Behind it was a white background, measured off with vertical and horizontal hues, and at each end of it were steps. "They'll stand under those flood- lights." he explained. "You'll be able to see them, but they won't be able to see you." Several policemen were standing iit the room. silhouetted against the lights. The District Attorney called across to one who was near a door of steel bars, and tho door was opened and five men were marched into the room and made to ascend the platform. "Stand between those vertical linos." directed a sergeant brusquely. "Take your hands out of your pockets!" "I don't know any of those fellows," whispered Eddie. The five men were marched away at the command of the District Attorney, and live others took their place or. the platform. "Face front!" barked the sergean*. "Take your hats off!" Eddie diew a long breath. "That's Al Anslie in the centre." he whispered, and pointed a finger. "That man on the left there is the tobacconist. I don't know the others." The identity parade continued, but Eddie failed to recognise any of the other men oxeept the one with the scarred face, and Fats was released with the rest of the unrecognised and went off to report to Farra at his pent- house. Roardon was with Farra. and Farra was lying on a table in a room fitted up as a gymnasium, being pommelled and kneaded by a stalwart masseur. "The\ got ten boys from my club." Fats informed a broad, bare back, "and they got the cigar-counter man with a book on him. They got me. and I'd (Continued on page 26)