William Bernhardt - Nemesis - The Final Case of Eliot Ness

Ness smiled slightly. “I think perhaps it’s time to get my wife some punch.” He gently carved a path through the crowd and tugged Edna forward… right into Congressman Sweeney.

“Where are you going, Ness? I’d like to hear you answer the young woman’s question.”

“I can assure you we’re doing everything we possibly can.”

“I’m not a reporter,” Sweeney said, tugging at his vest. “So don’t try to soft-soap me. This city expects results. You are the safety director, after all.”

“And I have fulfilled all my duties as Safety Director and then some, Congressman.” Ness glanced behind him, checking to see if anyone was listening. Naturally, they all were. “Have you seen the latest reports on labor racketeering? We’ve achieved some major convictions.”

“Well and good, not that anyone really cares.”

“Did you hear about my bribery investigations? That got the Torso Killer off the headlines for a few days.”

“And now he’s back again, isn’t he? With a seventh victim-probably eighth, counting that unfortunate woman found in the lake before you became safety director. For that matter, there have probably been many others, perhaps dozens, that we know nothing about, because the body parts haven’t yet washed ashore.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I know this-the killings will continue until you do something to stop them. The city is terrified. I have a cousin who lives here, and he tells me he’s so scared when he walks home at night it’s driven him to drink! And let me tell you something else, just in case you’re wondering-it won’t be good enough to find this monster and charge him with tax evasion. The people want him dead!”

Ness knew he should just stay quiet, but he was finding that increasingly difficult these days. He was tired of being criticized because he couldn’t do the impossible, when he was substantially improving this city on a daily basis. “Is that your opinion as a concerned citizen? Or as a Democratic congressman who would very much like to see a Democrat in the mayor’s office?”

Sweeney arched an eyebrow. “Is there a difference?”

Edna intervened, stepping between them. “Gentlemen, we all want this killer caught. And we all know he will be in time. This isn’t about politics, right, dear?”

Ness mumbled something under his breath.

“This is about public safety. And we all want that, regardless of what party we claim as our own.”

“True enough,” Sweeney acknowledged.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, Congressman, my husband has promised me some punch. And after that, I’d like to see if the famed leader of the Untouchables still knows how to cut a rug.”

The people surrounding them laughed. Edna took him by the arm and led him away.

As soon as they had some privacy, Ness whispered: “I didn’t need to be rescued.”

“Are you sure?”

“I can handle that blowhard.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. You’re good with the press, Eliot, because all they want is a nice picture and a nice story, and you’re almost always good for both. But men like Sweeney won’t be put off so easily. They have their own private agendas. There’s no point attempting to reason with them because they have no intention of being reasonable. He wants Burton out of office, and since appointing you is the best thing Burton has done during his entire term, Sweeney would love nothing more than to see your star acquire some tarnish. The only chance he has of seeing that happen is to make as big a deal as possible out of these murders. Because he knows perfectly well that no matter what you do you may never catch the killer.”

“Hey!”

“I know you’re working hard, Eliot, both with the police and whatever secret efforts you’ve got rolling.”

“How do you know about that?”

“I’ve been married to you a long time. But I can also see that this killer is probably never going to be caught until he makes a mistake. And there’s no way of predicting how long that might take. Sweeney wants to exploit your helplessness to his own political advantage.”

Ness gave his wife a long look. “You sure you don’t like politics? Because I think maybe you’re the one who ought to run for mayor.”

She rolled her eyes. “A nightmarish thought. The fact that I can see things for what they are is exactly why I would never run for anything. And the fact that you can’t is exactly why you might be tempted.” She took his arm. “Enough of this. Now take me by the arm, Mr. Untouchable, and flash that goofy Jimmy Stewart smile of yours, and twirl me around the dance floor. Make my head spin. There might be something in it for you later.”

His eyes lit up. “Gladly, my lady.”

They had barely finished the first waltz-not Ness ’s best dance, the rhythm was too tricky-when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Mayor Burton was standing behind him.

“No,” Ness said, “you may not cut in. We’re just getting started.”

“I’m not looking for a dance, Eliot. I want to talk.”

Ness kept his grip on Edna’s hand and waist. “Can this wait till office hours?”

“I’ve called your office every day this week and I still haven’t gotten a reply.”

“You know how busy I’ve been.”

“Yes, I do, but I still need to talk to you.” He bowed his head slightly. “Would you please excuse us, Mrs. Ness?”

Edna did not look at all happy about the interruption. “I suppose we can’t say no to the mayor.”

“Now that’s an attitude I like. Wish my own wife shared that view.”

He pointed toward a room on the side of the ballroom, a room Ness had noticed the mayor passing in and out of throughout the evening. It was a small alcove, more like a large closet, stark by comparison with the opulence outside. But Ness supposed it was sufficient to provide the only thing Burton wanted at the moment: privacy.

Mayor Burton closed the door, then launched in. “I suppose you know Congressman Sweeney has been running you down all night.”

“I exchanged a few words with him earlier.”

“And had to be bailed out by your wife. At least according to him.”

“That’s preposterous.”

“He’s using this Torso Murderer to cut you down to size, Eliot, and by association, me.”

“Why did you invite him here? You know he’s a political opponent. I hear he has ties to President Roosevelt.”

“He has ties to the newspapers, too, and that’s a good deal more worrisome. Word is he pays for positive coverage. No way to prove it, of course. I tell you, Eliot-you want to investigate bribery, you should start with the newspapers.”

“Unfortunately, I’m not sure taking money to write a story is even illegal.”

“If not, it should be. Fraud on the public, that’s what I say. Eliot- you’ve got to catch this murderer.”

“We’re doing everything possible, sir. I’m working closely with the police. They report to me every day. I also have some… private efforts under way. Undercover work. They’ve rattled a lot of cages.”

“But they haven’t caught the killer.”

Ness threw up his hands. “No, all I’ve managed to do is reduce traffic fatalities from four hundred a year to less than forty. To clean up the police department. Break the back of the mob and the labor racketeers. Take the worst juvenile crime rate in the country and reduce it to nearly nothing. I’ve also rooted out extensive political bribery-”

“Which made you no friends in my circle, believe you me.”

“Which is exactly why it needed to be done. By someone outside the political process. I have done my job, sir. I have made this city a better, safer place.”

Burton laid his hands on Ness ’s shoulders. “And no one will remember a bit of that if you don’t catch this killer.”