“If I’m in, I’m in.”
“Good. I know you don’t go back on your word. And I need help. Who do you think Nina Mund is?” And when the Parson remained silent, “Major Hugh Amberly Rowe’s only daughter!”
The Parson looked at him.
“Yessir! Nina Rowe’s her maiden name. You know who Jake Mund is, you know his connections.”
“Yeah. He was with Dorn but the kid’s a leveler.”
“Maybe so. But that doesn’t change the fact that he was planted at Major Rowe’s home as a chauffeur by Carl Dorn to kidnap Nina.”
Knight looked at the Parson with triumph, the sweat of excitement beading his forehead. The Parson looked at him wide-eyed, too dumbfounded to say anything. But his mind clicked into reverse, went swiftly over the ground. Yes, that explained a great deal. Things slipped into place, were firmly grooved. After a while Knight went on:
“But he didn’t kidnap her. The plant went sour on him. He couldn’t bring himself to follow out Dorn’s orders. He fell in love with the girl. And the girl,” he stopped, held the Parson’s arm, “went nuts over him! Do you get it? Of all the crazy things to happen, that happened. They went into a love clinch. The day Jake Was supposed to have brought her to the hide-out Dorn had prepared, he upped and eloped with her!”
“Where’d you promote all that?” the Parson asked gloomily.
“The whole set-up came out through Carl Dorn. He wasn’t in touch with the hide-out, but he took it for granted his orders had been carried out. He demanded five hundred grand from the old major for the safe return of his daughter. That same night the major got a wire from Nina. She and Jake Mund had taken a plane for Mexico, they were married and would Papa forgive. Papa wouldn’t. His daughter, heiress to millions, convent-bred, married to a common criminal! He damn near hit the ceiling. When Dorn found out what had happened, he exploded. Both he and the old man were left holding the bag. One lost his daughter and the other the biggest cash haul of his life.”
The faintest shadow of a smile wreathed the Parson’s lips. “Those kids really had guts,” he said. He looked very pleased.
“Puppy love,” said Knight scornfully.
“You,” said the Parson with finality, “wouldn’t know about that. Why didn’t the major go to the cops?”
“Because of Dorn. Dorn made him promise to keep it all a dark secret. Otherwise he threatened to put a man on Nina’s trail and have her killed. So the major kept his mouth shut.”
“He was a fool.”
“Maybe. But he thought a lot of his daughter. He wasn’t going to take a chance. Just the same, he moved heaven and earth to find her.”
“How’d he finally trace them down here?”
“That’s my work,” said Knight proudly. “Major Rowe used about six private detective agencies. They all picked up the trail — Vera Cruz, Havana, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, and lost it again. Then I came down here on a vacation cruise. I saw Nina singing at the Montecita. I cabled the major and he hired me, sight unseen.”
The Parson frowned. “Then how did Dorn get here?”
Knight shrugged. “Don’t know. Maybe he trailed the major.”
“I still don’t see where there’s any dough in this for me.”
Knight grinned very slowly, as if reluctantly. He stood still under a Spanish elm. The Parson stopped. Knight whispered:
“You heard Dorn and Eva talking when they thought you’d been killed. Dorn has talked the major into thinking that he’s got Nina. You see, Nina and Jake were gone when the major arrived. He doesn’t know where they are. And when Dorn said he had them both salted away, the major had to believe him. And two hundred grand — Dorn’s price — is pin money to the major. He’d pay a million to get his daughter back safe and sound. So he’ll pay Dorn. He won’t get his daughter back but he’ll pay.” The Parson leaned his face closer. “And what do we do, produce the daughter, my friend, and shake the major down a second time?”
The sense of menace implicit in the Parson’s voice got to Knight. His hand shook. “No,” he said thickly. “You’re too fast. We don’t know where the girl is, do we? How could we produce her?”
“Yeah. That’s so.”
“Of course,” said Knight heartily. “Hell, let’s stop kidding each other, pal. You know what I mean.”
“If there’s any kidding, it’s not from my side. Suppose you deal me another card.”
“Hell, I thought you were quick on the uptake. Here’s the layout. Dorn hasn’t got the girl but I’m pretty sure he’s going to be paid.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Well, I’m not the major’s personal adviser for nothing.”
“Oh.”
“The instant the money changes hands you relieve Dorn of the burden of counting it. Do you get it now?”
“Check. It boils down to a simple hijack.” The Parson was silent a moment, thinking. “But why cut me in?”
“Well, I couldn’t handle it alone. I’ve got a clean reputation to uphold. Besides some fancy gun-work will be needed. You’ve got a rep for work with a gun. Without you I wouldn’t get a nickel. With you I can split and still have mine. I’m no hog. What do you say? Are you in?”
The Parson drawled, “I’d be a dope to turn it down.”
“Boy, that’s talkin’. How about a cab?”
They had reached a main artery. Knight hailed a cab and they climbed in. Knight said, “Drive to Ching’s bar.” In the cab they talked plans.
But when they reached the bar, the Parson said, “I don’t believe I’m drinking.” Under his breath he added, “With you.” Aloud he went on, “My face — I can’t show such a damaged mugg in a public bar. I’ll trot along to my hotel. I’ll wait for your call.”
Knight nodded. “Boy, we sure make some team — my brains and your gun. That’s what I call a combination. We can’t lose. Now remember, there’ll be a key waiting for you at the desk. You go right up and slip into the closet. I’ll leave it to you when to crack out.”
“Yeah,” said the Parson, “you just leave it to me.”
The Parson had his breakfast sent up to his room at ten the next morning. The one English daily printed in Cariba informed him that two dead Chinamen, Lee Fong and Soo Gee, had been found, one by and one in the cottage occupied by a Jake Mund and his wife, Nina, who was a singer at Lee Fong’s Montecita. A third corpse had been discovered, that of an unidentified white man believed to be an American. Soo Gee and the white man had been shot; Lee Fong had been clubbed to death. No motive for the triple killing had been unearthed as yet. But police had sent out an alarm for Mund and his wife who were mysteriously missing.
The Parson spent the day in his room, hovering close to the telephone. He killed a couple of hours cleaning and oiling his gun. He played about fifty games of solitaire. Then he sat at the window, staring out. It was getting dusk. Lights in the street came on. Lights festooned the piers and appeared on the mast-heads of ships riding at anchor in the curved sweep of the harbor.
At last his phone rang. Nervous before, he was instantly calm when he heard Joel Knight’s voice.
Knight said, “All set, boy. The payoff is for seven-thirty. Carl Dorn is smart at that. The Pan-American plane leaves for Curacao at eight-ten. He’ll be figuring to be aboard that and away before the major tumbles to the fact he’s been taken in. You see, Dorn’s promised to produce Nina by nine. But of course he can’t. The key will be waiting at the desk. I’ve arranged for the whole transaction to take place in my room. You use the clothes closet near the window.”
The phone clicked. The Parson cradled the receiver, thoughtfully stuck a cigarette in his face, lighted it. Then he took a last look at his gun, clapped a hat on his head and went out.