Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-15

itself: he had hardly gone block when
heavy feet fell into step with his.
Been doings. eh?" said Charley
"Bouton catch the boss dealin' one of
the bottom of the deck? He went in
like a lion-but he come out like a
lamb with its tail between its legs"
He chuckled at Peters report. But
he didn't know what Ross had said.
I'm not in that" he said. "They
picked him up, waikin' into his place
as cool as you please, about o'clock.
Said he'd been in the country all day,
I heard. That may be lot of boloney,
though. Probably is
He walked along, thoughtfully silent.
for half a block.
"And the madam thinks he was with
this red-headed Jane? Well, that's an
idea, too Well have to see. What else
did you find out from her?"
Peter told him about the bracelet and
Martha's explanation of that episode.
Benny Rufano, Ell! Benny. Now
how's he come to be sittin' in, Won
der?"
You know him. do you?"
"Listen-does a bank teller know a
phony $40 bill? Don't be foolish. Sure
1 know him. I know him like you
know your school books. SO Benny's
started shaking them down, has he?
III tell you what I didn't know-that
that was one of his rackets. That's
coed dope, Pete. hand it to you for
digging that up"
Peter felt distinctly flattered. Pete
was a distinct promotion, he felt, from
fella.
longs, all right" said Charley. That's
what this game is. Pete-gettin' hold
of the bits that belong, one after an
other, and being patient till you have
enough of them that fit together so
that even IL boneheads on jury can't
help SEEM what it's all about. Benny
Fufano, eh? Guess Ill look Benny
over"
what can I do, Charley?"
Huh? / dknow, Pete. Not yet.
That's the trouble. Hold up a bit
Guess I'll do some phonin' an get the
low down on Ross, If can"
They'd turned across from Park ave-
nue., now. and walking down Wander
bilt avenue, Charley turned in at the
phones in the long corridor. Peter
watched him: marked, with interest,
Charley's utterly eXpressionless face
and the way he spoke without letting
his lips move at all.
"They turned him loose, all right"
Charley said. Took him over to the
house and Barclay and the boss
worked on him for two-three hours.
No line on what he said-they didn't
have a stenographer, even. Hes BEN
trailed. They're keepin' an eye on the
Gould woman, too. How much you
know about her, Pete?"
mot very much" said Peter, re-
ROSS girl friend-on the side?"
''I don't know" Then. after a mo-
ment 81 think so-yes."
80 do I, Pete; so do I. And I
amt troubled with a nice mind, the
way you are-Luckily for the madam.
You amt in so strong with her?"
mo. She doesn't like me-"
TOO bad. You couldn't get any,
thing out of her, then. How about
Ross? ANY chance he'd open up to
Il doubt it,
mo. 1 suppose you and he'd get
along like couple of strange tomcats.
You're too damn simple about your
feelings, Pete-that's one of your trou-
bles. All any ones got to do to know
what you're thinlSin, is to look at you.
Well-I'n tell you what. You show up
at Emma's along about / am. If you
see me act like you didn't know
me-see? But watch me, and for
Gawd's sake try and get it if I slip
you sign to do anythin'."
What are you driving at?"
81 don't know. Wish't did. I just
got a bunch somethin' might break
around there. Don't ask me why. I
wouldn't tell you if knew, and I
don't know, anyway. All right. S1ong"
ing discouraged, because, though he
didn't quite know how, Charley had
disappointed him and let him down,
went home and dressed. The more
he racked his brain the less could he
understand the meaning of what he
knew, and the farther did he seem
to be from fitting the pieces of the
puzzle together. Ross-Benny-Con-
molly, like a hound on the scent
Tack. lying cold and still-Martha,
still free, on sufferance, but facing ar
rest and the prospect Of something that
would lie like a pail over her whole
life, no matter what the outcome, un-
less the truth about Tack's death could
be proved.
She twas beset by hatreds, by yelled
and open enmities, 1t seemed to Peter.
Connolly was her enemy; imperSonally,
perhaps, and only because she had pre-
sented herself to him as the most avail
able means Of adding TO his own repu-
tation, but. none the less, her enemy,
and a formidable, terrible one. Tack's
mother hated her already. and was sure
now to hold her responsible for Tack S
death. Rita Gould was another of her
enemies. Ross? He wondered about
Ross; wondered if, in some curious and
subtle fashion, Ross, too, didn't hate
her. Some deep instinct within him
warned him against Ross; warned him
that Ross was not to be counted among
those who were on Marthas side.
Friends she had, to be sure. Himself
and Steve and Carol; Bouton, too-a
hired retainer but a powerful one
Charley, too; by grace of Charley's
jealousy Of Connolly, and his resent
ment of the way he had been passed
over for promotion. But ii didn't mat
ter why Charley was on their side: the
fact was all to the. good, and he was
worth all the rest of Martha's friends
put together Just now. Peter believed.
He loathed the idea of going to
Emma's tonight; og going any place
where he had been won't TO see Martha
and Tack, any place where gayety and
good cheer and laughter prevailed But
he had always been one to obey orders
and he went, doggedly, getting there, as
Charley had told him to, soon after
]. The bar was almost deserted,
people wouldn't begin crowcing it foI
another hour. Zach, the big bartender
was sitting down, not more than hall
awake, the music from the other room
could be heard, family, through the
half open doors; Emma, just. then, wa'
singing her blue songs for the out
siders who had to pay a cover charge
something not exacted, for some ode
reason, from those allowed to use the
bar.
Benny, fat and gross and oily, haC
been lounging opposite the elevator
when Peter came up; he glanced a.
Peter, momentarily, through his half
closed eyes, which were like pigs. bu
only nodded, indifferently, by way Of
greeting.
Peter took a stool at the bar anc
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