Evil of the Age

Author:Allan Levine
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Yucca Publishing
Published: 2011-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

A BOWL OF OYSTER STEW

St. Clair was in a foul mood by the time he returned to the police station. His visit at the hospital had been pleasant enough and he was glad that Fox was on the mend. But his mind was now filled with deep suspicions about Ruth Cardaso, leaving him feeling more unsettled and anxious than ever.

He opened the door of the interrogation room and was startled to see Seth Murray raise his right hand and slap George from the Fifth Avenue Hotel across the side of his head. Before the doorman could reply, Murray struck him again. George sank to the floor.

“That’s enough, Seth,” St. Clair shouted without thinking. “I won’t stand by and watch you hit him like a dog.”

Seth Murray turned and glared at his brother-in-law. He had permitted him access into the interrogation room as a courtesy and just assumed he understood his methods—that a little physical coercion . . . a slap to the side of the head, say . . . went a long way to prying information from a suspect, particularly a colored one. He was particularly furious that St. Clair chose to admonish him in front of two patrolmen.

“I won’t tolerate that from you, Charlie,” Murray shouted back. “Don’t ever tell me how to conduct my business. In here, I’m in charge, not you.”

“No one’s questioning your authority, Seth.” St. Clair stood his ground. “But I’d bet the poor man’s told you everything he knows.” He regarded his brother-in-law with disappointment. “Hell, I thought you weren’t like Stokes and the rest.”

“You’re standing up for him? A Negro?”

“That’s what I’m goddamn doing. As far as I know he’s not guilty of any crime, other than being loyal. You want to lock him up for that?”

Murray waved his fist close to St. Clair’s bandaged nose, then smiled. “You can be a pest, Charlie, and you’ve been one since the day Caroline introduced me to you.” He turned to one of the patrolman. “Let him go. I know where to find him if I need him.”

“I’m free to go?” George eased himself up from the floor.

“You deaf?” asked Murray. “Get out of here, but don’t leave the city. I may be bringing you back here for another discussion.”

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.