Mauler’s men call on him, and they give him a schlammin. If you don’t know what that is, I’ll tell you. A schlammin is a beating, given with a lead pipe wrapped in newspaper. If the borrower still can’t pay after a schlammin, then the debt’s written off and the borrower gets a bullet in the back.”
Conrad paused to look at Frances, but she had turned her back on him and was looking out of the window.
“Maurer has also taken over the wire service,” he went on, “without which no bookmaker dare operate, and for the privilege of using this service every bookmaker in the State has to kick in with a weekly payment or else. He has now control of the gambling concessions in the district, and that alone brings him in fifty-five thousand dollars a month.”
Frances turned suddenly.
“Why are you telling me all this? I’m not interested, and I don’t want to hear any more!”
“Since Maurer’s reign began here, there have been over three hundred murders,” Conrad continued, as if she hadn’t spoken. “We have had only ten convictions, and in each case the convicted men were known to be working for Maurer. Maurer himself is known to have murdered thirty-three people, but that was before he became the boss. Now he gives orders from a safe distance. We have never been able to slap a murder charge on him. But on the 9th of this month he slipped up. For the first time in fifteen years he killed with his own hands. It was he who killed June Arnot who was his mistress and who was cheating him. We have no proof as yet that he did kill her, but we have very strong circumstantial evidence that he did do it. We have only to place him on the scene of the murder and at the time of the murder to convict him and rid California of the most dangerous, murderous, powerful gangster of this or any other century.” He leaned forward and pointed at her. “I believe you saw him leave or arrive at Dead End. With your evidence I can successfuly prosecute him. It’s your duty, Miss Coleman, to give evidence against him, and I’m asking you to do it!”
Frances backed away. Her face was now as white as a fresh fall of snow, and her big eyes looked like holes in a sheet.
“I didn’t see him! I keep telling you! And I’m not going to give evidence!”
Conrad stared at her for a long moment, then he shrugged.
“Is that your last word?”
“Yes! Now I’m going home!”
“Well, I can’t stop you. I’ve told you the kind of man Maurer is. He thinks as I
do that you saw him. He knows a word from you will wreck a kingdom worth several millions of dollars a year. Do you imagine he’ll take the risk that you didn’t see him? Do you imagine a man like that will let you live for five minutes if he can get at you? Two of his men have already tried to wipe you out, and you’re lucky they failed. They won’t fail next time if you leave our protection!”
“I don’t believe you. You’re trying to frighten me! I didn’t see anything, and I’m going home!”
Conrad restrained his temper with difficulty.
“Miss Coleman, I beg you to think about this. We can protect you. There’s nothing to be frightened about. Are you frightened of Maurer? Tell me why you don’t want to stay here for a few days?”
“I have no intention of staying and I don’t want your protection,” she said angrily. “I think you’re just saying these things to frighten me into giving evidence, and I’m not going to do it!”
Conrad went to the door.
“Madge, will you phone down to the D.A. and tell him Gollowitz can come up?”
Madge stared at him, her eyes alarmed.
“Gollowitz? You’re not letting…?”
“Will you please do as I tell you!” Conrad snapped. He turned back to Frances. “There’s a lawyer downstairs asking for you. He has a writ for your release. We can’t hold you against the writ, but if you refuse to go with him, he can’t make you. It’s up to you.”
Frances met his eyes defiantly.
“I shall certainly go with him!”
Conrad walked up to her.
“Listen, you little fool! Why do you imagine a lawyer should go to the trouble of taking out a writ for you? He’s Maurer’s lawyer! That’s why.”
“How do I know Bunty Lloyd hasn’t sent him?” she demanded. “You want me to stay here, don’t you? I don’t believe anything you’re saying!”
A tap came on the door and Madge looked in.
“Mr. Gollowitz.”
Gollowitz came in, a smooth smile on his dark face.
“Miss Coleman?”
Frances faced him, her eyes searching his face.
“Yes.”
“I’m a lawyer, and I represent the Norgate Union. The secretary of the union called me and told me you were detained here. The District Attorney tells me he has no reason to hold you any longer. Are you willing to come with me?”
Frances hesitated for a moment. There was something about Gollowitz that made her nervous.
“I don’t want to go with you, thank you,” she said. “I just want to go home.”
Gollowitz chuckled.
“Of course. I simply meant that I would escort you as far as the entrance. If you would communicate with the secretary of your union and tell him I have arranged for your release I should be obliged.”
Conrad moved quietly to the door and beckoned to Madge.
“Tell Van to bring Weiner in here,” he whispered.
As he turned back he heard Frances say, “Can I leave here at once?”
“Of course,” Gollowitz said.
“Just a moment,” Conrad broke in. “While you’re here, Mr. Gollowitz, you might be interested to go bail for another of our customers. Come in, Weiner.”
Van Roche threw open the door and gave Pete a hard shove so he entered the room with an unbalanced rush. When he saw Gollowitz, he jumped back as if he had seen a snake.
Gollowitz had been too busy getting the writ for Frances’s release to find out what had happened to Pete. Seigel had assured him he would get Pete, and seeing Pete so unexpectedly completely threw him off balance. His fat face turned livid, and he took a step towards Pete, his lips drawn off his teeth in a snarl of fury.
“Leave me alone!” Pete exclaimed, and backed away.
Too late, Gollowitz realized he had given himself away. He twisted his face into a forced bland smile, but he saw the look of horror on Frances’s face.
“Don’t you want to take Weiner along with you as well as Miss Coleman?” Conrad asked quietly. “I doubt if he’ll come, but at least you can ask him.”
His eyes glittering with rage, Gollowitz turned to Frances.
“Come along, Miss Coleman. I’ll get you a cab.”
“Don’t go with him!” Pete shouted. “He belongs to the organization. Stay here where you are safe! Don’t go with him!”