“You untie him,” Shayne said. “I want to get started. If I find out anything, I’ll call you.”
“Don’t call me, I’ll be asleep. Call me in the morning at seven-thirty.”
Shayne walked away. He started his Buick and left the parking lot without hurrying. But as soon as he made the turn onto the causeway and was out of sight, he came down hard on the gas, at the same time signalling his operator. If Oscar sent somebody else out to untie the guard, there was little chance that Shayne could reach Lewellyn’s truck in time to monitor Oscar’s first outgoing call.
“Shayne,” he snapped when Lewellyn answered. “There’s a call going out any second now; so start your recorder. I’m on my way.”
He cleared the last of the Venetian Islands, using the full roadway. He touched his siren and went through the tollbooths with emergency lights flashing.
Reaching Buena Vista, he parked behind Lewellyn’s truck, opened the rear door, and stepped in. Lewellyn, wearing earphones, lifted one finger in greeting. He was bent forward over a small console, which squeaked faintly. The tape recorder was going.
“Coming in right now, Mike. The guy’s name is George. Olson couldn’t get hold of him right away.”
He turned the volume knob; and Shayne heard Olson’s voice: “Where the hell did you dredge up this Gallagher?”
A voice answered. “He may be a little punchy; but he’s okay, Oscar. But I mean, do we want to talk about it on the phone?”
OLSON: “I had the whole system here debugged. If it’s all right at your end?”
GEORGE: “As far as that goes; but if you’ve got any changes to give me, couldn’t you get in a car and come over? I’d come out to the club, but I’m not getting around too good.”
OLSON: “What’s the matter with you?”
GEORGE: “I don’t even like to discuss it. Some bugout clonked me in the knee, and it hurts like a son of a bitch. The doctor says to take plenty of aspirin and keep off it, and we’ll get it X-rayed in the morning.”
OLSON (sharply): “That was supposed to be very quiet and easy. Now I hear you thought you had to do some shooting.”
GEORGE: “Oscar, to tell you the truth, I don’t know what happened! This big looney came up out of nowhere and started throwing punches. I had to decide off the top of my head. We just that minute put the arm on the chick; and it wouldn’t benefit anybody if we were busted for disturbing the peace at that point, right? The guy had to be crazy. I think I put a slug in him. There was blood on the ground.”
OLSON: “In front of all those people…”
GEORGE: “Oscar, I know. I know! But that was a bad place to be cornered. There was only one way out — the way we came in. Maybe I made a mistake, but I thought we ought to take him along and find out who he was. I shot at his legs.”
OLSON: “He has a bullet wound in his shoulder.”
GEORGE: “Okay, the light and all. We didn’t want to take the time to look into every car. You know I’m sorry, because I don’t like to be associated with any kind of goof. But no real harm was done, was it?”
OLSON: “Don’t you realize you killed her?”
Lewellyn looked at Shayne. A crackling came from the loudspeaker.
GEORGE: “No, Oscar. No. You’re wrong.”
OLSON: “Your man used a pair of brass knuckles.”
GEORGE: “I know that. He asked if it was okay. But he’s careful. He came to me recommended. Are you sure? Is it official?”
OLSON (after a moment): “No; this is according to Shayne. I believed it.”
GEORGE: “Shayne! Was that who that was? Is he working for Zion?”
OLSON: “He thinks he’s working for me now. He woke me up and threw it at me. And he’s just tricky enough… Find out if she’s really dead, George, and get back to me. Fast.”
GEORGE: “I don’t know where they took her.”
OLSON: “Call one of the papers. If she’s dead, they ought to have it by now. Say you were there at the drive-in and saw the fight. Give them Shayne’s description. And don’t, for God’s sake, give your right name.’
They clicked off.
Shayne said, “Was that the voice that called Mandy Pitt and told her to meet him at the drive-in?”
“Nothing like it. I didn’t have the recorder going then; so I can’t play it for you.”
“I’ll wait for this next call; then I’ve got to be moving. Can you stay awake if I pay you another two hundred and fifty bucks? I want to get everything Olson says on tape. I’ll call in every hour or so.”
He was facing the rear of the truck, and he saw the rear handle turn and unlatch. He reached inside his coat; but before he could do anything more, the door slammed back; and an unshaven, dark man with a bristling haircut poked a gun into the truck.
“All right,” he said curtly. “If you’ve got a court order for this setup, I want to see it.”
Lewellyn said lazily, “Did we remember to get a court order, Mike?”
“We don’t need permission to tap somebody else’s illegal tap.”
“Get out, and put your hands against the side of the truck,” the man said.
Lewellyn looked at Shayne. “You know I’d rather not do that, Mike…”
Shayne came forward, unable to stand erect under the low ceiling. “No, we’re caught. We can pass the fine along to the client. But we’d better see some identification. People have been going around impersonating police officers lately.”
“United States Treasury,” the man said and reached for his hip. There was a faint pulse from the loudspeaker as a call entered Oscar’s line. “Turn that off,” the man said, bringing out a leather folder. “I’m closing you down.”
Shayne uncoiled, throwing himself feet-first at the open door. Still in the air, he kicked upward with one foot, across with the other. He was aiming at the gun. He didn’t get it completely, but his flying body carried the man backward to the street. They landed together. The treasury agent got the worst of it, being underneath. Shayne relieved him of the gun.
“Now shut up. I want to listen to this.”
Lewellyn stepped up the volume slightly. George was telling Oscar that the bad news was indeed true: Mandy Pitt had been dead before she was removed from the car.
OLSON: “Now I really believe it.”
GEORGE: “But it was an accident! That’s all in the world it was. She must have jerked the wrong way. Oscar, I’m sick about this.”
OLSON: “You’ll be more than sick if you can’t do something about it. Think for a minute.”
GEORGE: “Oscar, I am. I wish it hadn’t happened. I wondered about Turkey, but he begged me for a chance. He’s the one who has to take the consequences.”
OLSON: “Don’t be dumb. You’re all three in it. Whose car did you use?”
GEORGE: “We stole it. At least we took that precaution.”
OLSON: “How many people know you’ve been working for me?”
GEORGE: “You said to keep it between us. I didn’t even tell my girlfriend. I’m like the grave; you know that about me. Did you ever have anything to complain about on that score?”
OLSON: “The best plea you could get on this would be manslaughter.”
GEORGE: “That’s what I’m afraid of. I was thinking our best bet might be if Turkey and me start travelling. But I can’t get in touch with him right away. He’s already started that other thing. I could meet him down there, and we could head across to Fort Myers…”
OLSON: “Think about it some more. This took place in the dark. Shayne’s the only one who knows anybody’s name. He works by himself.”
GEORGE (unenthusiastically): “I follow your reasoning, but that could be easier said than done. It’s a big town.”