Boy's Cinema (1935-39)

26 ^IIHI!IWIIH!!iai!iaillSII!H!IIWI!B!!«lliail^ |' S S PROMISE TO PAY"! = (Continued from page 23) = ■ ■ FiiwiHimimiiHiiHiiiniiniiiBiiiHiiiHiiii bo down there yet only the guy had never seen me before. The heat's on, boss!" "It's nice and cool in here," said Farra complacently. "I Bleep under blankets every night." "The D.A. is guarding Lang like he was the mint," raged Reardon. "They mean business Farra waved away the masseur and sat up. "So they've got the boys." he said scornfully, "and for what'.' Assault and misdemeanour—ursury and misde- meanour. Huh! The D.A. will have his little party, and a few stupid lugs will go away for six months. 80 what? I'll still be in business "Well, it's more than that, boss," protested Fats. "This guy Lang's always been a trouble-maker. You see, Whitehat. and John Scully grabbed Ins pay-envelope one time, and 1 guess the D.A. figures that's robbery. And once Whitehat and Faucyface had to push him into a car and talk to him some.' Farra heard thai with manifest mis- giving and sent for Fancyface, who was in the pent-house. "Did you hurt this fellow Lang?" ho demanded harshly. "No," replied the thug. "Don't lie to me! You slugged him!" Farra pointed an accusing finger. " D'you know what that means, you lug? That's a murder rap, if they want to get technical. You force a guy into a car. and (hat's kidnapping! In this State you get life! If you do him bodily harm while he's in that car you get the hot seat—death! Can you understand that. you thick-skulled idiot? They've got Scully, and they'll pick you up any day!" "But listen, Farra " began Reardon. "Shut up!" snapped the racketeer. "I said I'd give my boys protection, and t will. But no mouthpiece living can laugh oft' this rap. If a Grand Jury indicts the boys, they burn! We'll have to get Lang before he talks to a Grand Jury." Foiled ! NEARLY a week passed, and then the District Attorney sent again for Eddie, who was convoyed to the Hall of Justice 111 a squad car. "We go before (he Grand Jury to- morrow," said Curtis, "and with your help 1 think 1 can get indictments against ten men. But they are all small try not one-tenth of one per cent of the loan shark racketeers in this city. We haven't even touched the higher-ups, and even if I do gel indict- ments anil convictions against tie-so ten men the racket still goes on. It's no) good enough !" "Well, look. Mr. Curtis." ventured Eddie, "I think I've got an idea. <H course, you're the D.A.. and I'm jusl a mug thai got in with this mob be- cause I needed fifty bucks and didn't brains enough " " Don'l apol ig an idea, Eddie," urged Curl is " You've nerve, and I like it. Whal were you going to say?" "Well, you picked up ft couple ol books—collection books, with the names of the people and how much they owe." "That's ^o. but (hose people are afraid to talk." "My idea is that maybe they mighl AiiK'isi 81st, 1OT7. BOY'S CINEMA listen to me, seeing as how I'm one of them. If I put it to them strong enough 1 think they might come through." "Even then,'' said Curtis, "they couldn't identify the ringleader." "No, but through them we can get more Steerers and more collectors, and then maybe " "Maybe we'll find the link we're looking for," Curtis completed. "It's not likely, but I'm willing to try. All right, I'll subpoena the lot of them. You be here at noon recess to-morrow, and I'll let you talk to them." "You bet," said Eddie with en- thusiasm, and rose to go. But Curtis stopped him as he was on the way to the door. "Oh. Eddie." he said, "when this blows over I think I'll have a berth for you here." Eddie gaped at him in mingled astonishment and gratitude. "Oh, thank you, Mr. Curtis," he blurted, "but you know why I lost my job at Morse's?" "Forget that." Curtis offered his hand. "I've forgotten it." Eddie shook the hand with vigour. "Is it all right if 1 tell my wife?" lie asked. "I mean, about the job?" "Certainly. Eddie," Curtis assured him. "Tell her by all means." While Eddie was on his way back home in the squad car, with Gregg beside him and Martin in the front seat with the driver. Mary went out from the little cabin to do some shop- ping, leaving Judy in the kitchen to look after baby Bill in his crib. Cautiously the back door was opened, and Whitehat slipped into the room. He had watched Mary leave the cabin. "Hallo, girlie." he said with an in- gratiating smile, "what's your name?" "Judy," she replied. "What's 3 ours ?" "Smith." he told her. "Your folks home ?" She shook her head. "My mummy went to the store." she said, "and my daddy went in a car, and " " How would you like to go in a car?" he cut in. "Have you got one?" "Sure—just down the road. Say. let's vou and me take a little ride." Ho glanced across at the crib. " We'll take your little brother with us." "Oh. that'd be fun!" she cried. "But my mummy said " "I met your mother at the store," lied Whitehat. "She told me to come up here and take you for a nice ride " "She did?" Judy clapped her hands. "Oh. goody, goody! Did she say I was to wear my sweater?" "No." Whitehat moved over to the crib. "Come on. it ain't cold.' - He was stooping to pick up the baby when the door from the lobby swung wide and a harsh voice rang out: " Drop those hands !" Whitehat dropped his hands—and swung round to face two burly plain- clothes men who had stepped into the room with guns in (heir hands "Say, what is this?" he gulped. Mary, who had just. returned, •zed between the two dete with a paiier-bag full of groceries in one arm. Her right hand went to her throat, and she screamed. "You guys have trot me wrong." plained Whitehat. "I'm from the ( lapitol Laundry-" "Oh, no, fellow." drawled one of the detectives,, -talking over to him and clamping a pair of handcuffs round his vi risto, " we've gol von righi." Whitehat was taken away prisoner, and Mary flung the bag of groceries on Every Tuesday the table to take Judy into her anus. "Why did you scream, mummy?" Judy wonderingly. That afternoon Fats and Fancyface went to Farra's pent-house with the news that Whitehat had been arrested in the act of trying to kidnap Eddie's children, and Farra lost his customary suavity and used quite a lot of bad language. "Now you get this straight," he said, after he had calmed down. "Dp to now you mugs have drawn blanks, but this time you've got to put that guy out of the way." "But not where you say, boss," objected Fats. "It ain't so easy. Now up where he lives it'd be a pip." "Yeah," chimed in Fancyface, "why don't you let us finish him off up there. Mr. Farra ? You don't want no slip- ups ?" "No, I don't want no slips-ups," raged Farra, "and there ain't gonna hi no slips-ups. It'll be where I said, when I said, and you'll do it like I said. Now I ain't askin' you to go to the City Hall and bring me the mayor—I want one guy taken care of so that two hundred saps will get the idea. If he gets in there and starts whooping it up with those dopes who know plenty they'll forget being scared, and the next thing you'll be doin' is sitting on the hot-seat. Now get out of here— and put new rubber in your sling shots !" Next morning in the Hall of Justice, the District Attorney appeared before the members of the Grand Jury and addressed them in impassioned tones "These men against whom I hope you'll bring indictments," he said, "are loan sharks. Now the loan-shark racket is the best organised, the most profitable, and unquestionably the most vicious of all rackets. It finds its victims among workers in shops, offices, factories—men and women who work hard for small wages, people who spend their lives on the fringe of actual want. "It is amongst such people as these that your loan-shark steerers operate, and obviously it is difficult to find witnesses against such criminals because they are frightened. But I've found one man—one man—who is brave enough to tell the truth. From the day I first talked to him I've had him con- tinuously guarded, but in spite of that he feels that in coming hero he is risk- ing his life. And, gentlemen, h - is right. Until these criminals are wiped out no witness against the loan-shark racket is out of danger." One of the members of the jury, an elderly and dignified-looking man in horn-rimmed spectacles, seemed the least impressed. "Then your office has been able to find only one witness, Mr. Curtis?" ho said dryly. My office, which has never relaxed in its efforts to oaleh these criminals," responded the District Attorney warmly, "has subpoenaed many known victims They are downstairs now, and I am hoping they will follow the example of this one man. I am hoping that within two hours the first of manv witnesses against the loan-shark racket will testify before you." Eddie at that moment was saying I bye to Mary and the child Gregg and Martin were waiting for "Eddie," said Mary, "you're shaking." "Yeah," be admitted, "I've gol a little stage fright I never spol 1 before Good-bye, darling. I'll tu later." *