Brett Halliday - A Taste for Violence

Shayne chuckled and said, “Just keep your eyes open and you’ll see the fireworks.”

“Well, from what I’ve seen and heard of things around here you’ll last about thirty minutes after Tim’s first issue hits the street with that strike agreement story.”

“Things are going to be different,” he reminded her. “I’m chief of police now. Even AMOK’s hired gunmen are going to find it tough if Persona tries to bring them in again.”

“How long do you expect to hold the job after that agreement is printed? Seth Gerald put you in and he can yank you out just as fast,” she argued.

“Not as long as he thinks he might be accused of murder by doing so. He’s stuck with me as long as Brand stays in jail waiting conviction. I can delay his trial for months… long enough to get the miners aroused when they learn how they’ve been sold down the river.”

“But how can you hold Brand in jail?” Lucy faltered. “You said all along that existence of this agreement signed by Roche would be all the evidence needed to clear him.”

Shayne looked at her in astonishment. “Good Lord, Lucy! Have you forgot that telegram?”

“The one from George Brand? How did you manage to guess that, Michael? That it had been sent from Slag Junction?”

“I knew it had to be something like that as soon as Stanger said he left Washington before noon to drive down… after reading about the case in the paper. Hell, it couldn’t have been in a Washington paper before noon. Not even a flash about Roche’s murder, much less the news of Brand’s arrest which didn’t happen until noon. You heard what Seveir said about the timing of dispatches to hit different editions.”

“Oh… I see,” said Lucy thoughtfully. “I realize now how you knew Brand must have managed to inform Stanger that he was in trouble. And I even see how you guessed that the important business that delayed Stanger in Lexington was to get that money out of escrow. But what does it all mean?”

He looked at her curiously, then lifted the slip of paper she had laid on his desk. “Here’s the telegram that was sent from the railroad station at Slag Junction at four-ten yesterday morning.” He read it aloud to her:

“MYRON J. STANGER,

NATIONAL UNION FOR WORKERS JUSTICE, CHASE BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D. C.

COME AT ONCE PER AGREEMENT. USE POWER OF ATTORNEY LEXINGTON BANK

TOMORROW AS INSTRUCTED. SEE ME BEFORE TALKING TO ANYONE.

BRAND.”

He flipped the sheet of paper away. “Don’t you realize what that means, Lucy?”

“Well… it certainly looks as though Brand knew he was going to need a lawyer at four o’clock yesterday morning,” she told him.

“Two hours before Roche’s body was discovered. Not only that, but his reference to the Lexington bank shows that he knew the strike would end within a few hours and the twenty thousand in escrow would be available to Stanger. The only way he could possibly know those things was because he had killed Roche and thus ended any hope of a strike settlement favorable to the miners.”

“Michael! Do you mean Brand actually did… murder Mr. Roche?” Her brown eyes were startled, her voice filled with astonishment. “But his alibi… those three men who swore he was playing cards with them?”

“That’s one of the more curious aspects of the case,” Shayne admitted. “We were so damned disgusted with the Gestapo methods of the authorities here in seeking to tear down Brand’s alibi that we didn’t realize it might be false and that they were actually getting the truth out of those poor devils who were lying for Brand. Their methods were so revolting, it was impossible for us to believe they could accomplish anything worthwhile. But it’s perfectly evident now that Margule and Home and Burroughs were lying… for a price.”

“But what about Brand’s own gun? Would a man leave his gun beside the body of his victim, knowing it could be traced to him?”

“A man like Brand would do exactly that,” Shayne told her with certainty. “In fact, that was a part of the plan. A necessary part, to assure the end of the strike and collection of the twenty thousand dollar bribe which was a great deal more important to Brand than a square deal for the men he was pretending to represent. Look at it from his viewpoint. He had to kill Roche before his thirtieth birthday in order to keep the strike settlement from going through. But the mere killing of Roche wasn’t enough. To positively assure the end of the strike immediately, Brand had to also fix it so he would be charged with the crime. He felt safe enough with that signed agreement already in Stanger’s possession. It would seem positive proof that he didn’t commit the crime so long as no one knew about the bribe. And Persona certainly wasn’t going to mention it to anybody. The agreement with Roche was Brand’s life insurance, but he couldn’t afford to have it turn up at once… not until the miners were convinced of his guilt and that their cause was lost.

“As soon as they returned to work, the twenty thousand dollars was Brand’s… and Stanger would produce the agreement later and get him released. Maybe there was more between Brand and Elsa Roche than she admits, too. That could have been a contributing factor in his decision. Though I imagine the twenty grand was inducement enough.”

“What about that money, Michael? Whom does it belong to? You’ve already given part of it to Mr. Seveir.”

Shayne grinned crookedly. “I imagine the courts are going to have a lot of fun trying to decide ownership. In the meantime, I don’t see any reason I shouldn’t be using it to help finance the campaign to wake the miners up to the truth. If I have to repay it later, don’t forget that I’ve already collected one five thousand dollar fee, and AMOK will owe me another five when Brand is convicted.”

“But as soon as you publish this agreement between Brand and Charles Roche in the Gazette,” protested Lucy, “and offer that telegram of Brand’s in evidence, his conviction will be assured and you’ll no longer have any hold over Seth Gerald. He’ll have you removed as police chief and…”

“Maybe he will,” Shayne said grimly. “But I don’t have to make the clinching evidence against Brand public at once. I’ll keep Gerald on the hot-seat as long as possible, and with Tim Rourke running the Gazette we’ll whip up public opinion against Gerald and Persona and the bloody methods of AMOK to a point where the whole state will be aroused.”

“Can’t you do anything about Mr. Persona, Mike? Does he get off scot-free?”

“I think I can break Persona and his anti-labor organization by printing all the vicious details of his private arrangement with Brand and by pointing out in the Gazette that half a dozen deaths are directly attributable to him. We may not be able to convict him of any specific crime, but stripping him of power will serve the purposes of justice just as well.”

Lucy Hamilton sighed and shook her head. “It’s the most awful betrayal I ever heard of. How are the miners going to feel when they learn their trusted leader cold-bloodedly sold them out for cash?”

“I hope they feel like hell. I hope it causes a stink that spreads across the state and throws the white light of suspicion on every other double-crossing labor leader who may be doing the same thing. That’ll be the Gazette’s job… and Tim Rourke’s going to love it. Have you started looking for a house for the three of us… as I suggested last night?”

“I didn’t dream you were serious.”

“Find something that’s available for six months. Maybe the Roche house on the hill, for I’ve a hunch the sultry widow will be going back to Boston where she belongs. Or the house George Brand has been occupying. He won’t be needing it… and Ann Cornell lives right across the street. You might do worse than get acquainted with that gal and take some lessons from her. Cooking and things like that,” he added hastily as he caught a flash of fire from Lucy’s eyes as she swung off the edge of his desk and stood upright.