Due Or Die by Frank Kane

Author:Frank Kane
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: OCR-Finished, Crime
Publisher: Dell Publishing Company, Inc.
Published: 1961-02-28T23:00:00+00:00

Johnny Liddell stood with Lee Loomis at the 21 table, watched while the redhead scratched her card for the dealer to hit her sixteen again. The next card was a five of hearts. She purred contentedly, nodded that she was finished. The dealer turned to the next player, laid an eight on her fourteen. The woman groaned, turned up her case card. The dealer flipped his hidden card over, revealed it to be the ace of hearts. With no change of expression, he lifted the top card off the deck, laid it next to the ace. It was the queen of spades.

“Twenty-one,” he grunted.

The redhead scowled at him, watched him lift the small pile of silver dollars from in front of her, add it to those in his rack. She started to say something, stopped as she saw the heavy-shouldered man step behind Liddell.

“Your name Liddell?” the newcomer wanted to know.

Liddell started to turn toward the man, winced at the feel of the gun snout in his back.

“When you turn, make it real slow,” the big man told him.

Liddell turned around, studied the broken nose, the thick cruel lips and the beady eyes of Linehan. He dropped his eyes to the snub-nosed .38 in the plainclothesman’s hand. “What is this?”

“Your name Liddell?” Linehan repeated.

“Yeah.”

A coarse tongue licked at the thick lips. “You’re under arrest.” The beady eyes swept the small group around the table. “This doesn’t concern any of you. This man is wanted for ’questioning on a number of charges. Don’t get in my way.” He scowled as he recognized the uniform of a special deputy working his way over to the table.

Tommy Thompson walked up, looked inquiringly at the dealer. “What goes on?” His hand rested on the butt of the .45 in his holster.

“Police business,” Linehan grunted. “This man’s my prisoner.”

Thompson scowled at him, looked toward the ceiling. “Police business or not, Mac. Don’t ever show a rod in this place. There are three guys up there with shotguns on you.” He looked at Liddell, caught the barely perceptible signal to stay out of it. “I suppose you got paper to prove this man’s wanted?”

Linehan dug into his jacket pocket, pulled out a warrant, tossed it to the deputy.

Tommy read it, nodded. “Okay. You won’t need the rod. I’ll help you get him out to the car. We wouldn’t like any disturbance in here.” He signaled to the men behind the peephole in the ceiling. “Like I said, if you want to stay in one piece don’t ever flash iron in this place again.” He nodded to the dealer. “Okay, Eddie, go on with your game. I’ll take it from here.” He nodded for Liddell and the plainclothesman to follow him.

At the entrance, he stopped. “I’ll keep him here while you get your car. By the way, what’s he wanted for?” Linehan grunted, shrugged. “Half a dozen things. Malicious mischief, kidnaping, breaking and entering.” He favored Liddell with a sour look. “This was a real busy boy last night.

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