Part 19 (2/2)
Billy Kane unlocked the door, flung it open, and stepped back. The hall had been lighted now, evidently to facilitate Red Vallon's search, and the light fell full upon Billy Kane through the doorway.
”The Rat!” The gangster's little red-rimmed eyes blinked helplessly-then suddenly narrowed. ”What are you doing here?”
”You fool!” snarled Billy Kane angrily. ”I thought I recognized your voice! You gave me a scare! What are you doing here? What's all this cursed noise about?”
”What's it about?” repeated Red Vallon mechanically. He spoke automatically, as though through force of habit at the Rat's command.
”The Mole lives upstairs. He got those diamonds from Vetter; then Birdie and me took 'em from him, and not five minutes ago that blasted man in the mask turned the trick on us, and”-his voice changed with a jerk, and became suddenly truculent-”it's _d.a.m.ned_ funny where he got to!”
”Come in here, both of you!” ordered Billy Kane peremptorily. ”Come in here, and shut that door! Now”-as they obeyed him-”that's the story, is it, Red? Well, listen to mine!” His voice grew raucous, menacing, unpleasant. ”This is the second time to-night you've run foul of my plans with your infernal diamonds and your piker hunts, and if trouble comes from this, look out for yourself! Five minutes ago, you said.
Well, I wish he'd beaned you while he was at it! You've put an _hour's_ work of mine to the bad! How long do you think this disturbance is going on, before the police b.u.t.t in? Take a look in that room, there!”
The two men took a step forward, and shrank suddenly back. Birdie Rose's face had gone gray. He looked wildly at Billy Kane.
”My Gawd!” whispered Red Vallon.
”I said something to you to-night about needing an object lesson, so that it would sink into you that when I said the limit I meant it,” said Billy Kane evenly. ”Well, you've got it now! Do you know who that man is?”
Red Vallon shook his head. Birdie Rose was nervously plucking at a package of cigarette papers that he had drawn from his pocket.
”His name is Peters,” said Billy Kane curtly. ”Peters was the butler at Ellsworth's. Jackson's pal. Get me? I found this”-the ruby, from his vest pocket, was lying now in the open palm of Billy Kane's hand. ”Do you understand what 'limit' means now, Red? I found this. He wouldn't talk, and so--” Billy Kane shrugged his shoulders coolly, and his hand jerked forward, pointing to the disordered room. ”I hadn't found any more of them when you messed it up with your noise.”
Red Vallon circled his lips with his tongue.
”Let's get out of here!” he said hoa.r.s.ely.
”We'll have to now, thanks to you!” snapped Billy Kane shortly. ”That's the only room that's been searched, and you've queered any chance of doing anything more now.” He whirled impetuously on Red Vallon, and shook his fist in the gangster's face. ”You see what you've done! Even if the police haven't got wise to the row, those people in the apartments downstairs will call them in the minute they get a chance.
Yes, we've got to beat it! You and your diamonds are likely to give us a ride by the juice route up in that little armchair in Sing Sing. If your man gets away it's a small matter now. Anybody that's caught here will have to stand for-_this_. You go first, Birdie, and call the crowd off, and _scatter_ the minute you're outside the house. I don't want it published in the papers that I was with Peters in his expiring moments!
Tumble? I can trust you two, because”-Billy Kane's smile was unhappy-”if anything leaks, I'll know _where_ it leaked from! Get the idea? Now, beat it, Birdie! We'll give you a couple of minutes ahead of us.”
The man went out. Billy Kane walked coolly to the door, took the skeleton key from the inside of the lock, and fitted it again to the outside.
”Come on, Red!” he said.
He locked the door, and put the bunch of keys in his pocket. It was comparatively quiet in the house now. A door of one of the lower apartments opened cautiously, but closed instantly again, as Billy Kane, with the gangster beside him, went down the stairs. In another moment they were out on the street, and had turned the first corner.
The gangster was muttering to himself:
”There's Birdie and me. But Savnak won't dare let a peep out of him, 'cause he was in on the diamond pinch himself. I'll get that guy with the mask yet, if I swing for it. Spilled every blasted bean in the bag-that's me!” His voice took on a sudden, half cringing, half deferential note. ”It wasn't my fault, Bundy-honest! You know that! You ain't sore, are you, Bundy?”
Billy Kane pushed his hat to the back of his head. The night air was cool, even crisp, but his hatband was wringing wet. He brushed his damp hair back from his forehead. It was strange that he should have murdered Peters, after all!
He answered gruffly.
”Forget it!” said Billy Kane, alias the Rat.
XVI-TWENTY-FOUR HOURS LATER
<script>