Just one more case, Uncle Sam by W Read online

  Fayne did not blame the manufacturer.

  of the three, for the girl had taken the only In the man’s place, he would have done the opening that remained at the crowded curbs.

  same thing. Dayton was fighting for his

  “You go first. I’ll have a look, just to daughter’s future, fighting in the vain hope be certain that we didn’t pick up any strangers that he could keep her name clear of the whole on the way.”

  business.

  Her eyes were on his for a long, full

  But if Thorndyke talked, and he would

  second, as if measuring him, and he saw that talk for the man was a rat, cornered, and there was a little puzzled frown between her hopeless, ready through sheer vindictiveness arched brows.

  Mammoth Detective

  6

  “You’re a strange man. You must owe

  let her deliver the money? Why not let

  John Thorndyke a great deal.”

  Thorndyke beat the town? The cops would

  “I do,” said Fayne. “I owe him a great

  pick him up somewhere, and the girl would deal, which somehow, I’ll try and pay.”

  have nothing to regret, nothing that might She started to say something more, haunt her for years to come.

  then changing her mind, stepped from the big Was he going crazy? It must be

  car. On the sidewalk she hesitated for an because this was his last case. He’d never instant, then crossed the street.

  crossed an employer yet, never taken a

  Fayne followed. He glanced up and

  crooked dollar. What in the devil was wrong down the dark block, then up at the lighted with him? It couldn’t be the girl. He’d seen windows of the building they were prettier women before, and she hadn’t spoken approaching. He hoped that John Thorndyke a dozen words to him. To her, he was just a wasn’t standing looking down from one of the friend of John Thorndyke.

  windows. If he saw Fayne following the girl, The elevator came to a slowly

  there might be trouble.

  modulated stop and he slid the door back for her. “Go ahead. I’ll watch the hall until you’re THEY entered the lobby and there was no

  inside.”

  clerk. Fayne breathed a little more freely. He He didn’t want Thorndyke to see him

  might have known that Thorndyke wouldn’t when the door first opened. The man wouldn’t choose a building with a clerk, but you be taking chances, he’d have a gun in his couldn’t tell.

  hand. But after he saw the girl, he’d lower the The girl punched the button marked

  gun. That was when Eddie Fayne would

  three and the little automatic elevator lifted move, when he had to move. It had to be

  them upward. Eddie Fayne had an impulse to worked with split second timing.

  reach out and push the red button marked stop.

  She stepped out into the bright

  He knew now where Thorndyke was. The man corridor, turned to look at him where he stood, was in this building, on the third floor. It still holding the elevator door open. “Thank would be a simple matter to overpower the you,” she said. “You were nicer than I

  girl, to send the car back down, to call the expected.” Then she turned and moved down police.

  the runner of the floor, her high heels making But there was always the chance of a

  no sound as they sank into its thick nap.

  slip. It would have to be played straight, just The door she chose was for the corner

  as Cooper had planned it. At least it would suite. Fayne thought he should have guessed have to be played straight up to a point. Fayne that. A man in Thorndyke’s position would hadn’t as yet made up his mind to kill want a fire escape outside his window. He Thorndyke. He wanted to. He wanted to keep stepped from the elevator, making certain that this girl out of it.

  the metal door made no sound as it closed and Her dark head came an inch above his

  moved quickly yet silently along the hall.

  shoulder, and he had to look down at her. The When she knocked, he was less than

  fore-shortening made her seem smaller than three feet away, but against the wall, out of she really was. That and the big bag that she sight from anyone who opened the door.

  clutched so tightly under her arm.

  His right hand was inside his coat, his

  The bag of course held the money, the

  fingers already grasping the flat butt of his money for Thorndyke. And suddenly a new

  gun.

  thought entered Eddie Fayne’s mind. Why not She knocked a second time and a

  Just One More Case, Uncle Sam 7

  man’s voice, muffled by the panel, called to got the flat cuffs from his hip pocket and know who it was.

  snapped one onto the man’s wrist, keeping a

  “Ellen,” she said. “Quick, John, open

  grip on the other as he used the gun to prod the door.”

  Thorndyke backwards into the living room.

  The girl was standing, staring at them

  FAYNE could hear the faint rattle as the night with amazement on her face. “What does this chain was withdrawn. He tensed, each muscle mean?”

  alert, each sense sharpened to the pitch of

  “A pinch,” said Fayne. “Take that

  perfect coordination. If Thorndyke was alone .

  money and get out of here. Go home, and stay

  . . Everything they had planned depended on there.”

  the man being alone.

  Thorndyke had gained a little of his

  There was no reason to believe composure. “Very clever, Miss Dayton. A otherwise. He had played his game single-perfect double cross,” his voice was bitter and handed all the way through.

  his light eyes burned with hate.

  The door came open and he heard

  “I wasn’t in it,” she told him. “You’ve

  Thorndyke’s voice, “You!”

  got to believe me. I don’t understand, but this

  “I have the money,” said the girl. man fooled me.”

  “Quick, let me in.”

  “No,” Thorndyke said. “The act is

  Fayne saw her step forward. He corny. I know what you’re trying, you’re counted, slowly, one, two, three, four. He hoping that I’ll not talk to the papers. But I moved. He had timed it right. The girl had will, darling. Ellen Dayton’s name will fill passed Thorndyke and the man was closing page one tomorrow, believe me.”

  the door.

  “You’ve got to let him go. Can’t you

  Fayne hit it with his left shoulder. His see, you’ve got to let him go. I gave my word.

  right hand held the gun, and he rammed it I promised.”

  against Thorndyke’s expensive vest with a Fayne’s face was a bitter mask. “No,”

  force which drove air out through the man’s he said. “I’m sorry, but not even to keep the lips.

  Dayton name out of the papers can I turn him In the same instant, his other hand had

  loose.”

  snaked out and caught Thorndyke’s wrist, just

  “But my promise. Let him go. He’ll be

  above the gun. He brought up his knees and caught somewhere, sometime. Please.”

  smashed the forearm down across it with

  “No,” they stared at each other for an

  paralyzing force. The gun slid from instant, and her eyes were the first to drop.

  Thorndyke’s nerveless fingers.

  Fayne kicked it into the hall with a

  FAYNE looked around, then he dragged

  sweep of his heel. Then he shoved the man Thorndyke into the kitchen, intending to hook backward and closed the door with his elbow.

  the other cuff over the gas pipe. The girl Thorndyke wrenched, trying to free seemed to sense his intention, to realize that if himself and Fayne’s knee came up for the she were going to do anything, it had to be second time and hit the man’s groin,
hard.

  done now.

  The high color drained out of

  She did it. She jumped forward and

  Thorndyke’s face. He bent over with a groan locked both of her arms about Fayne, shouting and Fayne straightened him up by putting the at Thorndyke as she did so. “Run, John, quick, heel of his hand under the chin.

  run.”

  “Behave, or I’ll break you in two.” He

  Her sudden move had taken Fayne

  Mammoth Detective

  8

  completely by surprise. The gun was knocked

  “You’re cheating the army,” he told

  from his hand, and Thorndyke wrenched the Thorndyke. “They’ll be short a private that cuff free from the other. But the man did not they’d counted on for next week.”

  run; he stooped and caught up the flat gun.

  The man smiled. “You’ve got nerve.”

  Fayne could have broken the girl’s

  The girl was staring. She opened her

  grip, but he was afraid of hurting her. And in mouth, but something checked the words.

  the moment that he hesitated, it was too late, Then she jumped again, but this time it was for Thorndyke had the gun and had Thorndyke that she wrapped her arms about, straightened, smiling.

  pinning the gun against his side.

  “Thank you, Miss Dayton. You can let

  go.”

  BUT Thorndyke had no hesitation about

  She let go, stepping back. “You hurting her. He broke the grip easily. He broke believe me. I was tricked.”

  it, but he didn’t get the gun up in time, for

  “I don’t understand,” he said, his eyes

  Eddie Fayne’s fist crashed against his jaw.

  bright and watchful on Fayne’s face, “but I All the conflict of feeling which had

  believe. Turn around, copper, and drop your ridden him that night was behind Fayne’s keys on the floor.”

  blow. He was ready to strike a second. He Fayne obeyed. Inside he was seething

  didn’t make a mistake twice, but there was no with rage, not at the girl, for he should have need. Thorndyke was out.

  expected such an action from her, but at Fayne stooped, refastened the cuff to

  himself.

  the man’s bony wrist, hauled him into the He heard the click as Thorndyke kitchen and manacled him to the gas pipe.

  unlocked the cuffs. He fully expected to feel Then he came back and used the phone,

  the smooth metal pressed about his own making the call which the radio boys had been wrists, but that pressure did not come. He waiting for, all over town. Not until he had stood there, and his quick mind guessed the hung up did he turn to the girl.

  reason. A dead man did not need to be

  “You’d better get out,” he said. “You

  handcuffed, and Thorndyke was a thorough don’t want to be around when they haul your man.

  boy friend in.”

  He heard him say, “And now the

  She looked at him, and she was

  money, Miss Dayton. I’ll believe you when I startled. “My boy friend? But no, don’t you see the money.”

  understand yet? He wasn’t my friend. He was

  “Here,” she told him and made sounds

  my sister’s friend.”

  opening the bag. “Here, take it and go. Give

  “Your sister’s?” Fayne wasn’t thinking

  me the gun and I’ll keep this man here until clearly. “But he knew you.”

  you’ve had your chance. My car is parked

  “Of course,” she said. “I’d met him,

  across the street. Take the keys.”

  and when I came to the door, he guessed that I

  “No,” said Thorndyke. “You’re going

  was from Ellen.”

  with me, at least part way. The police won’t

  “That’s why he called you Miss

  be watching for a car driven by a girl.”

  Dayton,” Fayne was still trying to think.

  “But him, he’ll give the alarm.”

  “Of

  course.”

  “I think not,” said Thorndyke. Eddie

  “But then, your promise?”

  Fayne turned around. If he were going to get

  “To my sister,” she told him. “I got

  it, he wanted to see the bullet. He’d always home just as Ellen was starting out. I tried to had a horror of being hit in the back.

  dissuade her. She was scared. She’s just a

  Just One More Case, Uncle Sam 9

  crazy kid. I promised to get John Thorndyke depended on the maid destroying all of your the money and to help him if she would agree sister’s black dresses. But surely, yours to never see him again.”

  weren’t all destroyed too.”

  “But your father? Didn’t he tell you

  She smiled. “No,” she said. “I had no

  what we planned?”

  clothes at the house. I had to borrow Ellen’s. I

  “I haven’t seen him,” she said. “I’ve

  had nothing but the uniform I was wearing.”

  been away.”

  “Uniform?”

  “And your promise to your sister. You

  “Nurse’s” she said. “I’ve applied for

  were keeping it, even to helping a murderer foreign service. Maybe we’ll meet

  escape. Why did you change your mind?”

  somewhere, Eddie. It is Eddie?”

  She looked away from him. “I don’t

  “Yes,” he said. “I don’t know your

  know. Suddenly it wasn’t important, not with first name and you don’t know my last. We your life at stake.” She looked up, and there should combine, but if we did, it ought to be was a little smile on her face. “After all, I the other way round.”

  couldn’t let him cheat the army of a soldier.”

  She laughed, and then she wasn’t

  He looked at her and grinned. He liked

  laughing any more. They had each other’s a woman who could think, who could smile, hands when the cops walked in, and they

  who showed no sign of hysterics. Then he didn’t see the uniformed men. Their eyes were frowned.

  on a horizon a long way away.

  “But the black dress. Our gag