The Return (Steve Dancy Tales) by James D. Best

Author:James D. Best [Best, James D.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Queen Beach
Published: 2013-12-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

“Can you terminate the engagement?”

“No. Your family has been a steady client. The New York office would never throw that away. She also has many friends who contract our services.” He glanced toward Mathew. “I can get you copies of the reports. She’s not payin’ to follow you around the country but has us keep track of any publicity about you. She’s been sent stories about a couple of your exploits that were reprinted in bigger newspapers, but she’s not payin’ for us to check every rag in the country. She dismissed many of the stories because she doesn’t believe you’re a killer. She assumes they’re about someone else with the same name. Steve, I’ll keep you abreast, but right now we need to talk about the Edison case.”

He was avoiding the subject I was most interested in. “Joseph, first you’re going to tell me about Kelly.”

He rolled his whiskey glass back and forth between his palms. “No sign of him since the beatin’. He seems to have disappeared. Maybe he left New York again. The first time he left because he got too big for his britches, and other gang lords were ready to put him away for good. He’s clever and before they could nail him, he ran off to Leadville with a few trusted followers. Since his return, he’s made no attempt to take back his old turf. The other gangs are watchin’, but nobody’s huntin’ him … not yet, anyway.”

I had a thought. “Would you tell me if you found him?”

“I would.”

That was good enough. McAllen had never lied to me. “Okay, what have you discovered about the Edison problem?”

“The Edison delays were caused by teamsters. Jeff has been hired by the express company chartered by Doolittle Copper Wire Company, and tomorrow he’ll drive a wagon between Naugatuck Valley and New York City. His idea. The other drivers told him he’ll be offered a bonus to pull his wagon off the road and put his horses out to graze. Nobody’s namin’ names. With you in bed, I sent my agents to the supplier offices in Connecticut and New Jersey. They confirmed that shipments were made on or close to schedule. The superintendents for the express company won’t admit anything. Say it was probably just normal delays, and the Edison dispatchers should have accounted for uncontrollable circumstances.”

“So we know how, but we don’t know who bribed the express superintendents.”

“Findin’ out has become more difficult. I just returned from Bridgeport. The Connecticut superintendent was choked to death with six Pinkerton broadsides jammed down his throat. It seems someone sent a message. Now no one’s talkin’ … about anything.”

I was surprised at this news. “That doesn’t sound like ordinary sabotage. Crooked businessmen cheat, they seldom kill.”

McAllen shrugged. “The stakes are high. Remember I asked you to estimate how much money is involved?”

I nodded.

“Again, with you in bed, I talked to a Pinkerton bookkeeper. He said whoever wins will get tens of millions in business … each year. Even more when electricity goes national.

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