Sidney Zoom brought the car to a dead stop. He reached back and flung open the rear door on the side next to the curb. The running figure made one final spurt, a leap, a grasping clutch of frantic hands. The car lurched with the weight of her body, the tug of her arms. Then she was on the rear seat, panting, gasping inarticulate words.
Sidney Zoom slammed the door.
A man’s figure rounded the far comer, paused. The man took in the situation, raised his arm. There was the spat of a bullet against the side of the car, the sound of a revolver.
Another man joined the first figure. Then a third.
Sidney Zoom’s hand flashed beneath the lapel of his coat.
The girl managed to get out words.
“Please, please don’t. For my sake. I’ll die. Please take me away!”
Sidney Zoom flashed her a glance, and knew the answer he must make. He disregarded the men who were running toward him, shooting as they ran, disregarded the snarling dog, fangs pressed against the glass of the door, begging with whimpered pleadings to be allowed to get out and launch an attack of his own.
Sidney Zoom snapped in the clutch, pressed on the throttle and the multi-cylinder power of the car produced instant results. The wheels gripped the pavement. The headlights swung, the car roared into speed.
It was not until they had gone some twenty blocks, straight down the road, shooting like an arrow from a bow, that she made explanation.
“They’re gangsters,” she said. “I run a little millinery business. These men were organizing a racket. I blocked them. I refused to pay tribute for myself, and also organized the other shops in a resistance. They... they were taking me for a tide. Can you imagine that?”
“How,” asked Sidney Zoom, “did you escape?”
“The car got a puncture,” she said. “They had to get tools from out of the back seat. They kept me guarded, but the car slid backwards on the grade, off the jack. It pinned one of the men by the foot. The others forgot about me for a moment and rushed to his help. I sneaked away, quietly at first, then running as fast as I could.
“That’s why they didn’t follow in a car. Their own car is disabled. They had to run. Thank goodness you were there!”
Sidney Zoom bowed.
“Perhaps it was chance,” he said, and his tone indicated that he might have other thoughts. But he kept those thoughts to himself. “If you’ll give me your address, the address of your shop, and tell me the names of those men, I’ll take great pleasure in seeing that no further demands are made upon you, and that you’re not taken for any more rides.”
She shook her head.
“No. They’re dangerous. I can’t let you do that. My name is Muriel Drake, and I live at the Continental Hotel. I have a millinery shop, but I won’t tell you the name. You’d just run into danger, and you’ve done enough for me already. I certainly hope they didn’t get your license number, or they’d make trouble. They’re dangerous men.”
Sidney Zoom swung the wheel.
“You wish to go to the Continental now?”
“Yes. Please.”
“You’ll communicate with the police?”
“Yes.”
“And you won’t tell me who the men are, nor where you have your shop?”
“No.”
Sidney Zoom smiled.
“Very well,” he said. “Naturally, I won’t press the matter. However, I shall take certain steps looking toward your protection.”
“No, no, don’t do that! I’ll telephone the police!”
Zoom bowed, wordlessly.
The electric sign of the Continental Hotel flashed on and off in red brilliance, a few blocks down the street.
Sidney Zoom stepped on the throttle.
“Call the police at once. They may try to follow you.”
“Oh, no,” she said. “They don’t know about the Continental.”
Zoom piloted the car to the curb, alighted, opened the rear door. The young woman gave him her hand, her eyes and a smile.
“It was good of you.”
“Don’t mention it,” said Sidney Zoom.
“Come and see me. Drop in tomorrow afternoon.”
“Thank you,” said Sidney Zoom, and bowed.
She swept into the hotel. Sidney Zoom could see her through the plate glass windows of the lobby. She walked directly to the desk, engaged the night clerk in conversation, smiled sweetly at him, and walked toward the elevators.
Sidney Zoom parked his car, opened the door, nodded to his police dog.
“Out, Rip, and stay by my side.”
Then he rounded the corner, found a shaded doorway where the night shadows clung, and sat down to wait.
He waited ten minutes. Then a figure emerged cautiously, scanned the street, looking up and down it with furtive caution. Reassured at what she saw, the figure of the girl who had given her name as Muriel Drake started walking swiftly along the cement sidewalk.
Sidney Zoom spoke to the dog, held him by the hair on the neck, talking to him.
Not until the figure had been gone for a good ten minutes did Sidney Zoom loose the dog.
If she had taken a cab, Zoom knew the pursuit would be useless. But she had seemed so certain of herself and of the Continental Hotel, that Zoom felt her real residence might be close by.
He turned the dog free.
“Find,” he said, “then come back here.”
The dog barked once, a short, swift bark of excitement, and then started running along the sidewalk, snuffing, nose held dose to the cold cement, tail wagging in a slow circle as he rounded the comer of the block and vanished in the cool night shadows.
Chapter II
Surrounded
Zoom walked back to the car, climbed into the front seat, lit a cigarette, turned to survey the back of the car.
Something that glittered on the floor of the car caught his eye. It was a red glitter, much like the reflection of a frozen drop of pigeon’s blood.
Zoom switched on the dome light, leaned over the back of the front seat, and picked up the object.
Sidney Zoom knew something about stones. That was a very fine ruby. The depth of color, the fire, the flawless perfection of the stone told of its value.
Zoom held it cupped in his hand, examined it closely. Then he crawled into the back of the sedan and began a systematic search.
He found where the rich robe had been folded over and jammed so as to form a pocket of cloth. It had been hastily done. Zoom straightened the cloth.
Instantly a showering cascade of glittering light shot into view, rained to the floor of the sedan, sparkled in brilliant reflections.
Zoom started picking them up.
They were unset stones of rare brilliance, and they included rubies, diamonds, emeralds.
Zoom pocketed them, switched out the light in the dome of the car. He heard running feet, a short, excited bark. The police dog, Rip, had returned, was wagging his tail; his mouth, the lips twisted back in a canine smile, telling of the success of his mission. For the dog had been well trained in police work, and knew the art of trailing, as well as the reason for it. When his quarry took to rubber-tired transportation and eluded the keen nose of the dog, Rip felt the disgrace of failure as keenly as though it had been caused by some lack of skill on his part.
Sidney Zoom left the car, locked the ignition and transmission, accompanied the dog.
The dog paced at the side of his master, tail held erect, waving slightly at the tip, tongue lolling out, panting slightly from his run.
Together they went through the deserted streets of the city, the dog’s feet padding along, rattling claws making more noise than the sound of his cushioned feet.
Sidney Zoom made no effort to muffle the noise of his steps. He strode forward with a vigorous, purposeful gait. It was as though he were going into a battle and was eager to taste the first thrill of conflict.