Day of the Guns

Chapter 10

The story of the kill the night before was all over the morning papers. The pictures were there showing the guy on the ground and the one in the car. The accompanying story identified them as Tommy (Chum) Williams and the driver as Max Sweiber, both known hoods with police records whose regular base of operations was Chicago.

I put in a call to Thomas Watford and, when he wasn’t in, told his secretary I’d be up there in an hour. Watford would know what I meant. He’d have everybody assembled, no doubt about that. I finished typing my report, dropped it in the mail chute beside the elevators and knocked on Toomey’s door. He didn’t answer so evidently he had already left on business of his own. He had a key to my room so I stuck a copy of the report under the empty bottom drawer of the dresser on the plywood dust panel where I told him I would and went downstairs for breakfast.

At nine-thirty, I finished, grabbed a cab to Watford’s place and went in to the receptionist. She was smiling and busy, told me to go right in and nodded toward the door.

Just the two of them were there, Thomas Watford and the heavy gun from I.A.T.S., and the look on their faces meant trouble. Both were seated at the desk going over a stack of papers and looked up when I came in with dark, foreboding glances and sat back, forgetting what they had been doing until I slipped into a chair across from them.

“You saw the ballistics report, I guess,” I said.

Watford nodded. “Your gun, Tiger. The bullet checked with the one we already had.”

“Now what?”

The big guy leaned forward, his attitude challenging. “Both dead men were armed, so in a way you’re off the hook. The papers and the police are attributing it to an attempted gang rub-out and luckily someone saw the action from a window, said it was a deliberate attack, but couldn’t identify the intended victim except to say that it was a man.”

“Buddy,” I stated flatly, “you’re the one who wanted me to be the sacrificial cow. If it happens, don’t point any fingers toward me.”

“At this point we won’t,” Watford told me, “not as long as you cooperate.”

I shrugged. “Who’s holding back?”

“All right. What were you doing at that particular place at that particular time?”

“Visiting Edith Caine,” I said.

Both of them exchanged quick looks.

“Why don’t you check with her?”

Watford flipped the key on the intercom and gave his receptionist instructions. While he waited he said, “Someone knew how to find you.”

“Sure. She told them. I left her place and she had time to make a phone call. If she had somebody on hand for such an eventuality it could have been an easy hit. Hell, there were two carloads of them. The first missed and the second was insurance. You get anything on the guys?”

It was the big guy’s turn and his tone was reluctant. “A contract setup. They flew here out of Chicago two days ago. Nothing more than that and I doubt if there will be anything more than that.”

The call came in then. Watford spoke briefly into the hushaphone on his desk and though nobody could hear what he was saying I knew the answer. He put the phone down and looked at his friend solemnly. “He was there,” Watford said. “A friendly visit and the time fits.”

“The local police going to move?”

“In this case we have jurisdiction.”

I grinned at him a long moment. “Or does Martin Grady?”

I thought the big guy would bust. His face was a tight, florid thing filled with loathing of the big pro for the little pro and his hand slammed down on the desk. Very quietly, in spite of his rage, he said, “Damn Grady and the rest of you. I’m making a point of breaking up that clique!”

“You said that before. I think it’s been tried several times.”

“Money can’t always buy everything.”

“Almost everything,” I said. “It couldn’t buy me.”

Neither of them spoke.

I said, “I asked you for information on Edith Caine. What did you find out?”

After a few seconds Watford said, “Clear. Security marks her clean. You have nothing there. I’d like to know what you expect to find.”

“A killer, Tommy boy,” I said. I got up and put my hat on, watching the guarded expressions on their faces.

Finally the big one said, “Whose?”

“It’s a long story, friend, but mine among others,” I told him. “Do you want a formal statement from me or will you handle this the usual way?”

“Do we have a choice?”

“Not really,” I said.

“It isn’t over yet, Tiger. They’ll make another try.”

“Naturally. This time I’ll keep somebody alive long enough to talk about it.”

“You do that.”

“Why sure. Now I want a favor from your department.”

“This isn’t a joint effort on our part, Mann. You are to do the cooperating.”

“Stow it, friend. If it doesn’t work both ways count me out. It means you’re too stupid to work with at all.”

Watford ignored the insult, looked at the other one, then back to me. “What is it you want?”

“A tail on Edith Caine. Twenty-four hours, rotating teams and all contacts tailed individually. Secondary contacts tailed too and stake-outs on everyone involved.”

“How long is this to last?”

“A week should do it.”

Watford said, “You know what this will entail in personnel and cost involved, I imagine.”

“If the government can finance Tito and underwrite wheat shipments to Russia I think it can stand a few grand and some men to protect its policies. If you want me to I’ll put our own group on this, but that would mean losing a day in the race and I don’t think any of us can afford it.”

Neither of them answered me directly. Finally Watford asked, “What do you expect to find?”

“When it happens you’ll know it. We’ll consolidate our reports and pick it apart from there.” I stopped and looked at them both. “Do we have a deal?”

“For a week,” the big guy said.

“That should do it,” I told him. “From now on I won’t make any direct contact with you unless it’s absolutely necessary, but if you get anything I’m at the Chester Hotel.”

“Wide open?”

“You don’t hide a target, friend, and that’s what you want me to be. A pro won’t find me too hard to locate, but for anybody else it won’t be easy.”

Watford had a satisfied look on his face. “I’m glad you’re asking for it,” he said.

“Don’t hold your breath waiting for me to be scratched,” I said.

“It’s bound to happen. We’ll all be better off when it does.”

“Drop dead,” I told him. But I was grinning.

I went downstairs and started walking back to the hotel. I stayed with the crowd, taking my time all the way, doing my thinking as I walked. A lot of things were beginning to tie in now, but the big apple hadn’t been plucked yet.

It was cute, the way they were working it, calling in outside men rather than involve their own. Rondine wanted no strings tying her into this bit at all. She was passing it down the line to other hands and letting them make the contacts.

Everything figured out nicely. The try for a hit right after I met her. It wouldn’t have been hard to find me where I was. Until I saw Rondine I wasn’t using a cover at all. I was between assignments from Grady and marking time. I had two weeks in New York with plenty of loot in my pocket and I was going to enjoy myself. Until I saw her again. She sure worked fast, but then again, she had to. I could jeopardize her entire operation whatever it was and she didn’t want to give me the chance. She knew damn well what I’d do.

She had had my hotel staked out when they made the second try that I spotted. When I made the tail I was thinking of it then because it’s what I would have done myself. If I had played it cool I would have switched hotels after the first attempt, but I wanted her right out in the open where she’d be left cold.

They missed then too because I was smart enough to get the other room on the floor with the ledge around it, and that was something I did no matter where I stayed or whether I was on an assignment or not. For three years I had been on the Commie “B” list which meant a hit at any given opportunity, but being promoted to the “A” sheet, like they told me I was, meant an organized effort to nail me. Orders had been cut to kill this old soldier and by request from Rondine Vidor Churis had been given the job.

It was going to be nice to see him again. He had killed a friend of mine too.

There was a simple message waiting for me at the hotel and I had to laugh when I read it. I hadn’t told Charlie Corbinet where I had moved to but he found me easily enough one way or another. It was coded in the old Tike R form we hadn’t used since the war but couldn’t forget because it was used more to set up interoffice dates than for business purposes. Charlie wanted to see me at two o’clock in front of the library building and I had twenty minutes to make it in.

Instead of going upstairs I called Toomey, got him in his room and told him my report was in and for him to be available right after six that night. Newark had already alerted him through Martin Grady and he said he’d stand by.

There was a cab in the slot outside, so I grabbed it and told the driver to drift by the library, spotted Charlie getting there right on schedule, waved him over and had him hop in.

I said, “Hi, Colonel. What’s the good news?”

“You’ll find out. Let’s go to the British Embassy.”

I gave the driver the message and sat back. When anyone was within listening distance Charlie Corbinet wasn’t a talker. When we reached the embassy I paid off the driver and followed Charlie inside. He wasn’t new to the place at all. He got the VIP treatment immediately and we were ushered upstairs to a private office furnished in dark-brown leather and mahogany and before we could get seated three men came in carrying briefcases and folders under their arms, shook hands quickly and were introduced to me.

One needed no introduction. He was Vincent Harley Case whom I had met with Rondine the first day I saw her again.

He said through a Glasgow accent, “Ah, Tiger Mann. Yes, we’ve already met through a mutual friend.”

Charlie gave me a sideways look that could mean almost anything.

“Though I hardly expected to see you again under these... ah... circumstances.”

“It’s a small world.”

“Not any longer, it seems. Please, sit down.”

The chairs were pulled up around a low table, the folders laid out and it was the Colonel’s time for explanation. Evidently they bad expected him to come alone and weren’t prepared for me.

Charlie said, “In view of the facts you’re going to have to leave some things to my judgment, gentlemen. Without going into extreme details I can only tell you that Mr. Mann is an associate of mine, has served under my command and is, at present, engaged in activities that make his presence vital. Security on him is clear. I will vouch for him completely. Has anyone any objections?”

For just a moment there was an exchange of looks, a silent acknowledgment to accept Corbinet’s opinion and Vincent Case nodded. “There is no reason not to go along with you, sir. After all, you are in an official capacity and our governments must work together. We can use all the help we can get.”

Charlie glanced my way and I followed his lead, letting him do the talking. It was for my benefit that he reviewed the details, knowing I would put the pieces together in a hurry. I had to do more than that. I had to figure out just how deep he was with I.A.T.S. and what power he held. Damn, the agencies were smarter than I thought, getting him back in the ranks again. I wondered if he was over the big guy who stayed so close to Watford.

“As you know, yesterday we submitted certain prepared papers to the British regarding our joint efforts in the Climax Project. They contained false information deliberately planted to see if it was picked up.” He paused and searched the faces of the others. “An hour ago our sources inside the Russian Embassy got word out that they had received news of our supposed intent and had called an emergency meeting of their delegates to counteract the proposal that was to be delivered today when the General Assembly convened.”

“Since we did not follow it up with the true facts it was decided that the true proposal be discussed and agreed upon in secret, all members present not being allowed to confer with anyone until the time of the session this afternoon.” Corbinet looked at his watch. “You gentlemen will be at that meeting in exactly forty-five minutes at an assigned place you will be given before I leave.”

“This new proposal is not a vital one at this stage. It is what will be coming up within the week that will be of major importance. What we must do is find the source of this security leak and block it. We can’t always be making last-minute decisions... we need time for discussion and communication, so this arrangement is in the way of a trial balloon. Is that understood?”

Again, there were acknowledging nods. Then the tall, thin one called Beaver said, “And Mr. Mann’s part...?” He let it hang there.

“Have you something to say, Tiger?”

“No offense intended,” I said, “but I’d like you to run a security check on all your clerical help.”

“Mr. Mann...” Case started.

I held up my hand. “Our people will do the same. I know they’ve been cleared once, but go through it again. There might have been new developments.”

“Am I to understand that you have someone in mind?”

“You might try Edith Caine.”

His frown deepened into a scowl and his eyes bit into mine. “I happen to know the family well.”

“How well do you know Edith?”

“Quite well, sir.”

“For how long?”

He drew himself up and there was an edge to his voice. “Ever since she was a child.”

I knew I had him then. I said, “You recommended her for government service, didn’t you?”

“Among others, yes. She came to see me, renew an old friendship and I was instrumental in bringing her here.”

“Uh-huh. How long had it been since you had seen her before.” He frowned again. “Well... I don’t quite understand...”

“How long, Mr. Case?”

He saw what I was getting at and his mouth tightened. “Not since she was eight or nine. Of course, her family had sent her to schools both in England and abroad. Since she was the youngest I rarely had occasion to do more than inquire about her... but this is sheer foolishness!”

I stood up. “Is it?”

“Indeed it is. However, to satisfy you we will check her through again. I hope it will satisfy you.”

“It will,” I told him.

Charlie took over then. He gave them an address, told them not to write it down and repeated the time of the meeting. There was nothing more. On the way out I managed to get in step with Case and take some of the sting out of what he had to do by reminding him a double check could not hurt and only clear everyone not involved once and for all and helped the possibility of stemming the leak. He finally gave me a friendly grin and admitted I was right.

I said, “Where’s your sidekick today?”

“Sidekick?”

“Burton Selwick.”

“Oh.” He gave a sympathetic squint and said, “He had another attack last night. Took him to the hospital. Chap works too hard. He’s been warned and knows better, but it’s a demanding job.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“Ulcers. He’s going under the knife shortly. Right now he’s at home, but if I know him he’ll be present today.”

“Tell him hello for me.”

“I’ll do that, Mr. Mann... and good hunting. I do hope you are mistaken in your premise, but if you aren’t, well...”

“Sure,” I said.

We separated at the elevator and Charlie Corbinet and I rode it down to the first floor. After picking up the hats and raincoats we went out to the street and without hesitation, he started north at a fast walk. I let him alone for a full block, knowing what he was doing... looking for a group to fall in behind so that when he spoke there would be no chance of being picked up by any mobile parabolic microphone that might be tracking us.

Three women and a kid were up ahead so we fell in behind him and I said, “Thanks for the party, Charlie, but that wasn’t the reason you wanted to see me. I’m short on time.”

He turned his head and made a wry face. “You’ve opened up a dangerous avenue of thought.”

“No kidding.”

“After you left the other day,” he said, “I made several calls to some old friends in British Intelligence. They aren’t working at it now, of course, but I finally found one who tracked down an assistant of Price Richards. Luckily, he was a man with a remarkable memory and was engaged in liaison work with the French maquis. He did remember Rondine Lund and was able to fill me in on some of the details.”

“A woman named Rondine Lund was shot,” I said.

His eyes twinkled. “You’re right there, boy. You still have your own ways, don’t you?” Without waiting for an answer he went on, “Well, a year after the war she was caught up when the net went out for Nazi war criminals. Once again, by posing as the mistress of the one she was with, she managed to slip away because they considered her of no importance. However, sometime later she was recognized from a photo by one of our staff but by that time, naturally, she had made a successful escape.”

“Now as a spy, with the war over, she never would have mattered, but there was a time, if you remember, she was in the company of several high officials of the Nazi Party who were never rounded up. These persons had access to documents we wanted and there was a possibility she could give us a lead to them, so an attempt was made to pick up her trail.”

“It wasn’t an easy job, several months were spent on it, she was identified and followed and the trail ended when she disappeared inside Soviet territory. A team of two was dispatched inside, one came back with the report that Rondine Lund was alive enough to kill his partner and there it ended because she had disappeared in the Soviet organization and there was no way of getting to her.”

“By that time the documents we were after had been discovered by our men so there was no advantage in looking any further for Rondine. Naturally, there was no accusation of the murder of the agent because we couldn’t let it out he was inside the Soviet line. So Rondine was dismissed and forgotten. The report was among many destroyed when we were burning the outdated paperwork and so ended Rondine.”

“Until now,” I added.

“It’s hard to picture,” he said. “I made a point to see Edith Caine.”

“So did I. All over?”

Corbinet gave me a quizzical look.

I said, “Remember Carmen Bellotica? She was forty-two when they did the plastic on her so she could go back into Norway posing as her own sister who was fifteen years younger and pinpointed those Nazi installations for us. I saw her before she died and she looked like a kid. Surgery makes great strides during a war or in time of necessity.”

“I remember her. And you think Edith Caine is Rondine Lund.”

“I know it, Colonel.”

“You’ll need more than conjecture to swing it, Tiger.”

“Don’t worry. When I pull it off it will be all the way. I won’t get myself messed up this time.” Before he could say what he was thinking I added, “And I realize the importance of the job. I won’t let personalities interfere. Digging out the security leak comes first, so don’t lecture me. I’m over my first mad and back at work. I’m under orders myself, so from now on it’s cut and dried... but I’m taking a lot of real, personal pleasure in being on this one.”

“Very good.” He stopped, waited for the light to change and waved me across the street. “Incidentally, I heard about events on the street last night.”

“Your cross-intelligence section is pretty good.”

“No... I made the inquiry myself. That rub-out attempt was too close to Edith Caine’s residence to be coincidental.” A smile flirted with his usually tight mouth. “You have Mr. Watford and Hal Randolph in a sweat.”

“That the big guy... the one with Watford?”

“Correct.”

“Isn’t he second in command of the Washington section of I.A.T.S.?”

Again, Corbinet smiled. “Nobody... nobody at all, is supposed to know that.”

“Balls,” I said. “You contact him?”

Charlie nodded. “This morning. He didn’t appreciate it.”

“Anything new?”

“Possibly one thing you might be interested in.”

“Like what?”

“The staffs of all the agencies concerted their efforts on this one. When they have to they can dig hard and fast and getting to the contract killers who were hired wasn’t an easy thing. But as always, there’s an intimation at least, if not definite proof, of who was behind the attempted kill. One person in Chicago managed to come across with a small bit of information that has a peculiar tone to it in view of what we’ve just discussed.”

“So?”

“It is suspected that the arrangement for those hoods was made by a woman. No names... no proof, but unsupported suspicion.”

“But not unfounded?”

“No, not unfounded.”

“We’re getting there, Colonel.”

“Your death is worth money to someone.”

I put my hand on his arm. “Wait a minute.” I looked around, spotted a small delicatessen with tables along one side and motioned for him to follow me. We went inside, sat down and ordered coffee and Danish. When it came I took the money I had picked from the dead guy’s wallet, thumbed out the brand-new thousand-dollar bill and handed it to Corbinet.

“What’s this?”

“One of the hoods I killed had this on him with some small change. He wasn’t the thousand-dollar type at all. Bills of this size generally have their serial numbers recorded and maybe you can trace it back.”

He folded the bill slowly and put it in his inside pocket. “Nobody would make a mistake like that. Not in this business.”

I shrugged. “Then get my grand back to me. I’ll keep it as payment for getting shot at.”

“Of course, if it’s evidence, that’s the end of it.”

“The fortunes of the game, Colonel. I once found a million and a half in U.S. currency I had to turn in. I thought about it fifteen minutes before I figured it would only buy trouble. Remember?”

He smiled gently. “Quite well. You were younger then.”

“I’ll call you later then.”

From across the table he gave me a direct stare, trying to read my face. “Vidor Churis?”

“Him.”

“Every man available is on that pursuit.”

“We have methods the agencies haven’t.”

“Yes, I know. Good hunting. I hope you’re in shape.”

“My kill record is pretty impressive. I’m still around.”

“So I see. Shall we go?”

I found Wally Gibbons with a bunch of the guys from The News over in P. J. Moriarty’s eating corned beef and cabbage. Brian gave me a nod from behind the bar, sent a beer over to the table for me and we shook hands all around. For a change the others were on assignments and couldn’t stick around, so after fifteen minutes of small talk they paid up the tab, went back to work and left Wally and me alone.

Generally he was a laughing-boy type, always ready with a gag, but now he had no smile ready. There was a funny cut to his eyes and he kept looking at me from behind a cup of Irish coffee, then he said, “The more I dig the more I think about you, Tiger.”

“Now what.”

“Last night?”

“Good action. You want the story?”

“Buddy, I have it, but I won’t run it until you come across all the way. You have something big going.”

“Your pipelines are pretty tight. That’s a closed circuit.”

“To some, maybe. Not to me. I’m the thinking type. You want to talk about it?”

“Not yet. I haven’t got all the answers ready. It would be like a joke without a punch line.”

“You’re a bastard.”

“So I’ve been told. Many times.”

He finished his coffee and reached for a cigarette. “I can give you something, friend.”

“Go, man.”

“John Fredericks Talbot. You know who he is?”

I shrugged, saying nothing.

“You recall the ASO deal in Poland?”

“I was there.”

Wally started to pull on the butt and stopped. “Am I telling you something new?”

“Maybe.” I took the top off the beer. “When they blew the legation building I got Connors and White clear, but that was all I was assigned to. Why?”

“Because Talbot was the inside man who nailed the assassins. You ever know George Gifford?”

“INS man in Paris?”

“That’s the one. He was there at the time chasing some broad he had a big one for and she was running with Chevesky at the time. She got herself in a mess and George smuggled her out. Later she told him Talbot was on top of the business for six months posing as a Polish National and she got the lowdown on him from another broad he was sleeping with. Damn, the history of the world is made in a bedroom.”

“From Eve through Caesar to now,” I said.

“So while a member of British Intelligence, he was well planted and right there when the guns came out. He didn’t expect the play and tried to stop it but it was too late. He hit the two Reds who got to Seliga, but they wound up dead.”

“So why tell me?”

“Because one of the killers died slowly under Talbot’s hands. He talked. He partially identified somebody implicated in the plot and it was a broad. That’s where it ended. But now he’s here, the guy is one of their top men. You bring Edith Caine into the picture and from what I know, what little you tell me and what I find out, I’m beginning to get some cold shivers. I don’t like the action at all, Tiger.”

“You just don’t want to see a beautiful doll take a fall,” I said.

“No, it’s not that. The whole damn world is in a mess. One wrong move and somebody pushes the red button and you know what happens. One screwball with his finger on a switch triggers it and everything goes out of existence. The trouble is, you can be the catalyst and it scares me. I got that crazy feeling you can be the one.”

“Never me, Wally. I think too much of my hide.”

“Like hell you do. You got just one thing in your mind.”

“Maybe,” I said slowly. “I died a long time ago.”

“Well I didn’t.” He dragged on the cigarette and stuffed the butt out in the ash tray. “Incidentally, I got the b.g. on Gretchen Lark. It wasn’t too hard to do. I don’t know why the hell I do your leg work for you.”

“Because you want a story after the shooting’s over, that’s why.”

“Okay, you’re right. I’m chicken. You know her well?”

“We’ve met.”

Wally nodded and fiddled with his coffee cup. “She’s the intellectual type. Did you know she’s gaining recognition as a painter?”

“I heard.”

“Very scholastic. After high school she went into nurse’s training, spent three years at the Center, then went back for her master’s, then picked up two years’ legal training at Shute College. She’d written four recognized papers on U.N. affairs before she went into her job.”

“Good for her.”

“She has a Ph.D. too.”

“They’re better smart.”

“Better sexy too. I know two guys who laid her and they said it was great.”

“How about that,” I said.

“Oh, you slob. You bedded her down too, didn’t you?”

“We were on top of the sheets. It wasn’t exactly bedding.”

“Some guys have all the luck.”

“What else about her?”

Wally made a noncommittal gesture with his hands and said, “Nothing. Just general background you asked for. You want sex references?”

“The bell with that.”

“Otherwise she seems to be a popular type, all ends tied, good, respectable American family and all that jazz. I scrounged the original clearance on her if you want to see it.”

“No sweat.”

“Okay, now for another piece. Burton Selwick.”

“Oh?”

“The guy is sick. The office in London says he’s about to be replaced. He’s been hurting for the last year and they’re really concerned about his health. He’s had another ulcer attack but won’t leave the job and his wife is raising hell so they’re getting Smithwick to replace him. It’s fairly common knowledge so I’m not talking out of turn. The only trouble is... he’s a thinker and they’ll face a heck of a loss when he goes. Selwick has been responsible for the tight relations between Britain and us for the last few years and whoever replaces him had better be good.”

“And you’re supposed to be a Broadway columnist,” I said.

“Come off it, Tiger. In my own way I’m a thinker too. I wasn’t in the code-and-cipher set like you were, but I had a personal interest in that goddamn war, too. I slogged behind tanks and got the crabs with the best of them. Maybe the only medal I got was the Victory Medal, but that was all I wanted. The ones you killed had names. The ones I knocked off were just uniforms. But I like it peaceful now.”

“You haven’t got it yet, buddy.”

“It’ll come. Now where do we go from here?”

I pushed the glass away and got up. It was starting to get late. “I’ll give you a buzz when it happens. Stay on the ball.”

“You got something working?”

“I got something working,” I repeated.

“My story, remember?”

“Natch.”