Part 22 (2/2)
He swore under his breath. So she had skipped! Should he tell Ma? He hesitated. Ma would have to know. He crossed over to the telephone as the front doorbell rang.
Who could this be? he asked himself uneasily. His hand slid inside his coat and his fingers closed over the b.u.t.t of his gun. He went to the door.
”Who is it?” he called.
”A message from Miss Borg, Mr. Schultz,” the janitor called.
Hurriedly, Eddie unlocked the door which smashed open as he turned the handle, sending him reeling back into the room. Before he could recover his balance, two big men had piled into the room and were covering him with guns.
”Take it easy, Schultz,” one of them said. ”Just keep your hands still.”
The janitor, his eyes rolling, peered into the room, then he turned and hurried away.
Eddie faced the detectives.
”You've got nothing on me,” he said, a cold uneasy feeling in his stomach. ”What's the big idea--busting in like this?”
One of the big men moved around him and took away his gun.
”Got a permit for this, Schultz?” he asked.
Eddie didn't say anything.
”Come on. Don't let's have any trouble. If you want it, you can have plenty of it, but why want it?”
”I'm not coming with you,” Eddie snarled. ”You've got nothing on me.”
”The same old story,” the detective said. ”Let's go.” Eddie hesitated, then he let the two men shove him into the elevator and down to the waiting police car. Ten minutes later, he was facing Brennan and Fenner in Brennan's office.
”What's the big idea?” Eddie bl.u.s.tered. ”You've no right to bring me here. I want my lawyer.”
”Show him the exhibits,” Brennan said, ”then bring him back.”
Shrugging, Eddie swaggered out with the two detectives, but he felt far from swaggering. Why had they picked up Anna? Just how much did Anna know? Had she talked?
Five minutes later, he was back in front of Brennan, white-faced and shaking.
”We know you and your pals knocked those guys off,” Brennan said. ”Johnny talked before he was. .h.i.t. We know you and your pals s.n.a.t.c.hed the Blandish girl. You have a chance to save your dirty hide, Schultz. We want the girl out of the club. You tell us how we get her out and I'll see you keep out of the gas chamber. You'll go away for ten to fifteen, but you'll save your G.o.dd.a.m.n hide. Is it a deal?”
”I don't know what you're talking about, copper,” Eddie said, sweat running down his face. ”I didn't s.n.a.t.c.h the girl... I didn't kill those guys. I want my lawyer.”
”I haven't time to argue with you, Schultz,” Brennan said. ”Your only hope is to come clean, and you'd better come clean fast or else you'll wish you were never born.”
”I tell you I don't know a thing!” Eddie shouted. ”I want my lawyer.”
Brennan picked up the telephone receiver. ”Send O'Flagherty and Doogan up here right away,” he said and as he replaced the receiver, he went on to Eddie, ”These two guys have been pushed around badly by gangsters like you. O'Flagherty was in hospital for four months and Doogan lost an eye. We keep them on the force because they wouldn't know what to do with themselves if we didn't, they're not much use for active service, but they do have their uses. They hate gangsters. Every now and then I get a tough bird like you who won't cooperate with me. I hand him over to these two guys and they love to have him. I don't inquire what they do to him, but invariably he talks after being with them for a couple of hours or less. He invariably looks a h.e.l.l of a mess when he comes back here to do his talking, but that doesn't worry me because my two boys were in a h.e.l.l of a mess when we found them after the gangsters had worked them over.”
Eddie had heard about O'Flagherty and Doogan. He knew some of the boys had beaten up the two detectives, and at the time, he had rubbed his hands gleefully at the news, but the idea of having these two apes work him over appalled him.
”You can't do this to me!” he exclaimed, backing up against the wall. ”I've got friends! You touch me and I'll see you lose your job.”
Brennan grinned wolfishly.
”All you rats say the same thing--I'm still here.”
The door bounced open and two men came in. Eddie had never seen men as big as these two with the exception of professional heavyweights. They were dressed in sweat s.h.i.+rts and blue slacks. The sight of their enormous, rolling muscles and their hard, brutal faces turned him cold.
They stood by the door, looking at him. Doogan, whose empty red eye socket seemed to glare directly at Eddie, folded enormous hands into fists. O'Flagherty, his face scarred, his nose flattened, looked expectantly at Brennan.
”Boys,” Brennan said, ”this is Eddie Schultz. We know he's connected with the kidnapping of the Blandish girl. He says there's no one on this pansy police force who can make him talk. Do you want to have a try at him?”
O'Flagherty showed his broken teeth in a grin. He eyed Eddie the way a tiger might eye a fat goat.
”Sure, Captain,” he said. ”We would like a try. He doesn't look so tough.”
Doogan walked up to Eddie.
”Are you tough, baby?” he asked, peering at Eddie with his one eye. His right hand whizzed up and slapped Eddie across his face. It was as if he had been hit with a sledge hammer. He rocketed across the room and went down on his hands and knees, his head spinning, his face on fire.
”Hey! Not in my G.o.dd.a.m.n office!” Brennan protested. ”I don't want blood all over the place. Get him out of here!” Eddie pushed himself to his feet. His nerve cracked as Doogan and O'Flagherty closed in on him.
”Call them off!” he yelled. ”I'll talk! Don't let them touch me!”
”Hold it, boys,” Brennan said and got to his feet.
The two policemen drew back, gaping in astonishment and disappointment at Eddie.
”I'll talk,” Eddie repeated, holding his bruised, flaming cheek. ”Don't let them touch me.”
”Well, this is a surprise,” Brennan said. ”Okay, boys, wait outside. If I think he needs loosening up, I'll call you.”
Doogan wiped his nose with the back of his hand in a gesture of disgust.
”Can I hit him once more, Captain?” he asked hopefully, doubling his fists.
Eddie backed away, s.h.i.+elding his face with his hands.
”Not right now,” Brennan said. ”Maybe later.”
Reluctantly, the two policemen went out.
”Sit down,” Brennan said.
Eddie sank into a chair, facing Brennan.
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