The Remittance Kid Part 4

'Maybe not,' the impostor replied. 'But, if I'm right about the man who interrupted your speech and downed O'Toole, he wasn't in this on his own.'

'Do you mean they were working together?' the actress asked.

'They could have been,' 'Devlin' confirmed.

'What would make the other man want to do this?' Vera inquired.

'I told you he sounded like a Protestant from up north,' 'Devlin' growled, throwing a baleful scowl at Branigan. 'Which means he could be an Orangeman1 and if they've heard what we're up to, they be after stopping us any way they could.

'The Orangemen?' Vera repeated. 'Are there any of them in Chicago?'

'There's some,' Branigan confessed, as every eye turned his way. 'But not around here. And even if there was, how'd they get to know what's going on and about the money being here?'

'Obviously they found out - !' Vera commenced.

'Not from any of my men!' Branigan interrupted indignantly. 'None of them even knew you were going to take a collection after the show, much less about the money being here.'

'It must have been M - Tinville who betrayed us,' Fourmies put in. 'He knows everything we're doing.'

'Why would he do it?' 'Devlin' snarled.

'He's been complaining a lot recently about the way you treat him,' the artist answered. 'And saying he wished he'd never come to this country.'

'Then why didn't you say something about it, you - ?' the impostor spat out, only just managing to avoid employing language unsuitable to a man of the cloth.

'I - I thought it was only talk,' Fourmies replied, wis.h.i.+ng he had not drawn attention to himself and, seeking to divert it, continued, 'Anyway, Colin was saying much the same thing, so -'

'Colin!' the actress spat out, her face darkening with anger and voice rising. 'Are you implying - ?'

'Excuse me,' the theatre's manager said, having brought Vera's furious tirade to a halt by knocking and entering. His manner was hesitant. Although he had not been able to make out what she was saying, he could tell from the sound of her voice that she was behaving in the irascible fas.h.i.+on which had characterised her demeanour since her arrival. 'The doctor sent me to ask if you're ready, Miss Gorr-Kauphin. He said to tell you it isn't advisable to delay taking your brother to hospital.'

'I - I don't feel up to going just yet,' the actress replied, forcing herself to act in a weak yet anxious manner, but determined not to leave until the discussion was finished. 'Perhaps you can arrange for me to follow when I've recovered, Mr Branigan?'

'I'll have you taken in the surrey, ma'am,' Branigan promised, after receiving a nod of grudging authorisation from the bogus priest.

'Then you can tell the doctor to leave immediately,' Vera ordered, with something of her normal imperious tone returning. She tried to soften it as she went on, 'Ask him to do all he can for poor dear Colin.'

'I will,' the manager replied and left, closing the door.

'How dare you suggest that Colin - ?' Vera commenced, her bearing changing as she glared at the artist, being less concerned with the charges against her brother than that they might cause her own loyalty to be suspected.

'I didn't sug - !' Fourmies protested, alarmed by the woman's wrath.

'Whether you did or didn't's beside the point right now!' "Devlin' put in, glaring from Vera to the artist and back.

'The thing is, unless we can lay hands on Tinville or that "Joe" with the broken nose, we won't know what did happen down here.'

'He could tell Ballinger too,' Branigan warned.

'Ballinger?' Vera snorted, donning her cloak. 'Why should he tell Ballinger?'

'Because Ballinger's going to be asking him,' the local man replied, in the manner of one who was stating the obvious.

'Why would he bother to do that when he's convinced Tinville is guilty?' the actress challenged.

'Is he convinced?' Branigan countered.

'He took in everything we told him,' Vera answered.

'I wouldn't count on that, ma'am,' Branigan stated. 'There's not a smarter son-of-a- - man in the Chicago Police Department. If he doesn't find Tinville, he'll be going along to ask your brother. Can you count on him not to say too much?'

'If he's recovered consciousness before I have to leave the hospital to meet "Father Devlin", I'll make sure he knows what to say,' Vera promised.

'And what if he hasn't?' the impostor demanded. 'You'll have to make sure he won't tell Ballinger anything except what we want him to hear before you come away.'

'But he might not recover for hours,' Vera protested. 'And we have to finalise the deal for the firearms tonight.'

'I can go alone,' 'Devlin' suggested.

'You know he's expecting us both,' the actress objected, although her main reason was that she did not trust the impostor and had no intention of leaving him alone with even the reduced amount of money in the trunk. 'So I have to go with you.'

'You know what's at stake.' 'Devlin' growled, guessing why the actress was insisting upon accompanying him. 'And we can't let it be jeopardised by anybody.'

'I know that as well as any of you!' Vera declared.

'And we have to be certain that Ballinger doesn't find out what we're doing,' the impostor went on. 'And, even though it's your own brother in the hospital, we can't take the chance of him saying anything that'll betray us.'

'I'm just as aware of that as you are,' Vera answered, realising that she was being put to the test. So, in spite of appreciating how drastic the consequences might be for her brother if he had not recovered when the time came for her to leave the hospital, she continued without a moment's hesitation. 'If he hasn't regained consciousness, but will later, you're free to make whatever arrangements you feel are necessary.'

'What do you know about Father Devlin, Mike?' Lieutenant Edward Ballinger inquired, sitting beside Captain Michael O'Halloran in the rockaway coach as it was being driven towards the Streetville Precinct house.

'He's a good and saintly man,' the uniformed officer replied immediately.

'Have you known him for long?' Ballinger went on, having received much the kind of answer he expected.

'Not too long,' the captain admitted. 'He's new to the parish and my duties don't leave me much time to go to church.'

'He looked a hard man to me,' the lieutenant hinted. 'And I reckon he'd need to be from what I've seen of some of his paris.h.i.+oners. Not that I reckon Branigan and his buckoes find much time to go to church either. But they were at the theatre tonight.'

'And why not?' O'Halloran challenged. 'That Miss Gorr-Kauphin's a fine lady, for all she's English. And you don't get too many polite, tea-drinking gentlemen at O'Malley's. You know how it is down here, Ed. If you're holding a function and want to make sure it stays peaceable and orderly, having Phineas Branigan and his buckoes around's the way to do it.'

'So I'm told,' Ballinger answered. 'And I can see how having them in the theatre would keep things quiet and respectable. But I'm not so sure why he'd have Shamus O'Toole and another bucko going around outside it.'

'It was a free performance,' O'Halloran pointed out. 'So they'd be there to stop anybody's hadn't been invited sneaking in.'

'That must be it,' Ballinger replied, just a trifle sardonically, thinking that it would have taxed the ability of a man as skilled at making an unauthorised entrance as the Yegg - a safe breaker who had helped him to bring about the downfall of a big time criminal2 - to gain admittance anywhere other than through the theatre's main entrance unless having inside aid. 'Is it true that Father Devlin picked everybody who was invited himself?'

'And who'd a better right, seeing's how it was him who got Miss Gorr-Kauphin to put on the show?' O'Halloran challenged. The hint of resentment in his tone was caused by the fact he had not been invited rather than from the detective's question. Knowing that the local politicians would not welcome too much interest being taken in the night's entertainment, he sought to divert his companion's attention from that aspect. 'Do you think your men'll pick up that spalpeen's set fire to herself's dressing-room?'

'They'll get him if he's there,' the lieutenant replied, guessing what had provoked the comment and refraining from mentioning that he was far from satisfied with several aspects of the case.

Scientific criminal investigation was still in its infancy, so Ballinger could not call upon the various sophisticated aids which would be available to later generations of law enforcement officers.3 All he had to work with was his intelligence, powers of observation, a knowledge of human nature and an ability to a.s.sess character, backed by several years' practical experience as a policeman. They combined to make him very competent in the performance of his duties. In fact, Branigan had not been exaggerating when telling the other conspirators that he was one of the best detectives in the Chicago Police Department.

Even before he had reached Vera Gorr-Kauphin's dressing-room and seen the change in her demeanour, Ballinger had sensed there might be something of greater complexity than an ordinary accidental - or even deliberately lit - fire. The more he had seen and been told, the stronger had grown his conviction that much was being omitted in an attempt to mislead him. By the time he had taken his departure, he had been pleased that he had brought along his two most capable subordinates to help look into the rumours he had heard regarding the purpose of the 'free' entertainment being held at O'Malley's Grand Emerald Isle Theatre.

Several discrepancies had come to Ballinger's notice while talking with the actress, Father Devlin, the artist, and Branigan. A skilled interrogator, trained to watch for reactions as well as listening to the manner in which questions were answered, he had been made even more curious by the interplay of looks and responses between them. Every instinct he possessed suggested he was being given false information. Unless he was very mistaken, even the priest had been lying on more than one occasion.

The matter of the trunk and its contents had been the most noticeable example of the party's attempts at dissimulation. Going by their reaction, neither the actress nor the priest had welcomed the artist's reference to the money and would have preferred that Ballinger remained unaware of its existence. Although he had kept his doubts to himself, he had been far from satisfied by the explanation he was given regarding its presence in the dressing-room. One aspect in particular was clearly untrue. There had been black ash mingled with the sand used to douse the fire, but it was insufficient to be the remains of a dress and the ma.n.u.script of a play. What was more, whoever had caused the conflagration must have possessed an incendiary device of far greater efficiency than just matches and paper. Only a blaze created by the skill of a professional arsonist could have produced so much damage to the coins in such a comparatively short time.

Various aspects of the attacks upon Colin Gorr-Kauphin and Shamus O'Toole had provided the lieutenant with a further source of speculation. Although none of the trio in the dressing-room had admitted to knowing who owned the cut-throat razor, he had suspected that it belonged to the injured actor. In his opinion, a man armed with such a dangerous weapon would be unlikely to kick at an unarmed pursuer instead of using it. That applied whether the person responsible for Gorr-Kauphin's condition was Marcel Tinville, or O'Toole's a.s.sailant. It seemed likely that they could be working together. Sergeant Damon had learned that the rear door was locked and bolted on the inside, so the latter would have needed the former's a.s.sistance to enter the building, like Sergeant Molloy, Ballinger did not doubt O'Toole was lying when claiming he had not seen his attacker. While such reticence would have been displayed in any circ.u.mstances, it was more than likely to have taken place in this instance because of a desire to prevent questions being asked regarding the motive for the attack. Knowing he would be unlikely to be told the truth, Ballinger had pretended to accept the story and had prevented his subordinate from saying anything that might have suggested otherwise.

Despite their apparent conviction that Tinville was the guilty party, it had been obvious to Ballinger that the actress and the priest were not eager to help bring about his apprehension. Nor, if he should be located, had they wanted him to be taken alive and able to answer questions. Their joint description was anything but helpful and 'Father Devlin' had been quick to prevent the production of a photograph which could make identification less difficult. Lastly they had said how dangerous the missing man might be and hinted that detectives would be advised not to take any chances when attempting to arrest him.

A less experienced man might have announced his misgivings and demanded to be told the truth, but Ballinger was aware that he must go warily when dealing with a minister of a church. What was more, the rumour he had received about the purpose of the entertainment and the presence of Branigan and his toughs implied that Father Devlin had influential political a.s.sociations. Further proof of this had been given by O'Halloran's obvious eagerness to avoid doing anything which might not meet with the priest's approval. So the lieutenant knew he would need strong evidence and not unproven suppositions before casting doubts on the Father's veracity.

Being cognisant of that necessity and wanting to avoid warning the people at the theatre of his suspicions, Ballinger had elected to return with the captain instead of accompanying his sergeants to the County Clare Hotel. They were capable of handling any situation that might arise there without needing his supervision. From what little had been said so far, he doubted whether he would learn anything useful from O'Halloran and any attempt to probe more deeply might result in a warning of his interest being sent to the priest. So he decided that he would pay a visit to the Streetville Munic.i.p.al Hospital as soon as his subordinates had rejoined him and supplied him with a means of transport without allowing the captain to know his intentions. On his arrival, he would see if he could question a person he knew who could tell him what had happened in the theatre's bas.e.m.e.nt. By doing so, he might discover why a 'good and saintly man' had been so determined that the truth would not be revealed.

1 'Orangeman': member of a secret society - named in honour of William, Prince of Orange - found in northern Ireland in 1795 for the purpose of upholding Protestant ascendancy and succession in England. J.T.E.

2 Told in: THE LAW OF THE GUN. J.T.E.

3 Information about modem scientific investigation techniques is given in the author's ROCKABYE COUNTY series covering the work carried out by a present-day Texas sheriff's office. J.T.E.

CHAPTER SIX.

IF HE LIVES, HE'LL TALK.

'Ballinger didn't come here because O'Halloran asked him,' Phineas Branigan announced, on returning to the dressing-room after seeing Vera Gorr-Kauphin leave for the Streeterville Munic.i.p.al Hospital. He had spoken with, among others, the manager of O'Malley's Grand Emerald Isle Theatre. 'Which means he came because he's heard something and what he's seen 'n' heard's made him even more sure something's wrong.'

'How can you be so sure of that?' 'Father Matthew Devlin' inquired. 'He seemed satisfied with what we told him and didn't question any of it.'

'No more'n he mentioned that young Gorr-Kauphin was kicked down the stairs when he was asking about the razor and you told him what you thought'd happened,' Branigan replied, sounding just a trifle worried by having to contradict a 'priest'. 'Because that was how he got hurt and not by jumping away from it, then falling.'

'Perhaps he didn't know,' the impostor suggested.

'He knew all right, "Father",' Branigan countered. 'It was himself's found it out. And I thought he stopped Molloy from saying something while he was asking about Shamus getting jumped in the alley. I tell you, he's suspicious and, unless he gets Tinville - which none of us wants him to - he'll be going to the hospital to ask the lady's brother who put him there. And that could be as bad as him laying hands on Tinville.'

'Vera won't let Colin say anything he shouldn't,' Raoul Fourmies protested.

'She won't,' 'Devlin' agreed, but with reservations. 'Providing she's there when he's being questioned.'

'If she isn't,' Branigan growled, 'from what I've seen of him, he'll be saying the wrong things.'

'That's more likely,' the impostor concurred. 'If Ballinger could fool me, he'll have no trouble doing it to that stu - to the likes of him.'

'And he knows everything we're up to,' Branigan remarked pensively.

'Everything,' 'Devlin' conceded, but did not mention this would include matters he had no wish for the local man to learn about. Instead, he looked from one to the other occupant of the room and continued with great gravity. 'Neither of you needs telling what's at stake and how he could spoil it.'

'Can't your friends stop Ballinger from interfering?' the artist asked petulantly.

'n.o.body stops Ballinger,' Branigan replied, although the question had been directed at the bogus priest. 'Once he gets his teeth into a case, they're there until it's finished and there's devil the few he hasn't solved before he's done with 'em.'

'This might be one where he fails,' the impostor pointed out.

'So it might,' Branigan concurred, but without conviction or hope. 'But, even if it is, word of what we're doing could still get out and then there'd be no sense in going on. It'll be hard enough without them knowing we're coming.'

'Then there's only one thing for it,' the bogus priest stated. 'If Gorr-Kauphin's sister is around to stop him talking out of turn, all well and good. But if she isn't, we've got to know for certain that he can't talk. And there's only one way we can be sure of that, my sons.'

'How?' Fourmies wanted to know, the word popping from him like a pistol shot.

'Call it divine providence, if you will,' 'Devlin' answered and the priestly raiment he wore seemed to increase rather than detract from the sinister malevolence of his expression. 'Badly injured as he is, he might well die before his time - Especially if he should be smothered by the pillow of his bed getting over his face.'

'The pillow - ?' the artist gasped, staring with a lack of comprehension. 'But how can we be sure it will happen?'

'Easily enough,' the impostor replied in the same chillingly unemotional fas.h.i.+on. 'All you have to do is put it there and push down on it until he's gone to join his maker.'

'M - Me?' Fourmies almost squealed.

'You wouldn't be asking the lady to do it to her own dear brother?' 'Devlin' demanded in mocking tones. 'It wouldn't be a Christian, nor manly thing to do, now would it?'

'N - No!' Fourmies croaked, fighting down an inclination to ask, 'Why not?'.

'B - But why m - me?'

'Sure and aren't you the best man for the job?' 'Devlin' answered, eyeing the artist with a mixture of contempt and derision. 'I can't go, having more urgent business elsewhere as you know. And Mr Branigan and all his men're too well known, they'd be recognised if they tried it.'

'But so would I!' Fourmies wailed, indicating his ma.s.s of bushy black beard.

'There's something in what you say,' the impostor admitted, but the manner in which he made the comment warned the artist that the subject was not yet at an end.

'Excuse me, "Father",' a voice called and one of Branigan's men appeared at the window. 'That feller from Canada's just come and he's got two more like him with him.'

'Tell them to come in,' 'Devlin' ordered and, after the man had withdrawn, swung his sardonic gaze at the frightened-looking Fourmies. 'Well now, that's lucky for you - but I wouldn't say it was for Miss Gorr-Kauphin's poor dear brother.'

'Welcome to my humble abode, sir,' Belle Boyd said, closing the door of the room she had entered at the Carrick Hotel. 'Please take the chair.'

'By gad, dear girl,' Captain Patrick Reeder answered. 'I didn't realise this was to be so formal a meeting.'

'It isn't,' the Rebel Spy corrected, tossing her parasol on to the bed and starting to remove her Kerry coat. 'But there's only the one chair.'

Although Belle and the Remittance Kid had remained in the alley and watched Colin Gorr-Kauphin being taken to hospital, they had not continued their discussion of the subject uppermost in their minds. Nor had they attempted to go nearer the theatre and learn what other developments were taking place. Instead, seeing one of the men who must be a detective coming with a patrolman and questioning the onlookers at the rear of the building, they had concluded the time had come to leave the area.