The Crime Clinic

CHAPTER XVI CARDONA LEARNS

DAYS had passed since the affray at Silas Winchendon’s. Newspapers and tabloids alike had told their tale of gangland’s invasion of the four hundred. Sensational incidents had seized the news. Among them, the scarlet macaw’s scream of “Robbers! Robbers!” had commanded interest.

Yet to Joe Cardona, ace detective, all angles of the case were trivial excepting one. Cardona knew what others did not know. Behind the frustrated assault at Winchendon’s lay a menace that had not yet been uncovered: the menace of The Jackdaw.

Heralded as the ace who had brought destruction to hordes of the underworld, Cardona basked in a glory of publicity that offset his failure to uncover the murderer of Rutherford Casslin. Joe had met gangland’s latest thrust. That fact had crowded out his previous failure.

Cardona knew, however, that the menace had not been ended. The most important enemy who had died at Winchendon’s was Bing Claver. To all appearances, the ex-gorilla had been inspired to higher efforts in the field of crime — and had failed. Joe Cardona appreciated, nevertheless, that Bing had been nothing more than a mere underling.

The ace detective realized that a new combat was afoot. The Jackdaw would surely know that the police had not arrived in time to obstruct the mobsters whom he had launched on a drive of wholesale robbery. The Jackdaw, if he intended to persist with his baffling ways of crime, must manage to evade The Shadow.

Oddly, the defeat of The Jackdaw’s gangsters had broken the chain which Cardona had been following. Bing Claver was dead. He, alone of the rowdies who had fallen, could have told Cardona facts that the ace detective wanted. Those of Bing’s outfit who still lived, persistently stated that they were working for Bing. They denied all connection with any other master.

Had this defeat ended The Jackdaw’s power? Had the unknown crook scampered for cover?

These were questions that Joe Cardona sought to answer; and he realized their importance. The hunch that Joe held was that the threat of The Jackdaw still remained.

IN studying past crimes which he attributed to The Jackdaw, Cardona saw that the crook was rising to his zenith. The theft of the Bishenpur diamond had been a master stroke of crime. The huge gem was still missing. The Jackdaw had simply failed to add to the collection of valuables of which the diamond was evidently intended as a nucleus.

Previous robberies, from The Jackdaw’s former activities, totaled a large amount, as Cardona summed them up. Yet it was obvious that until now The Jackdaw had operated only in a small way. His murder of Rutherford Casslin appeared to be the beginning of a new and greater era in his mad career.

Stealth at Casslin’s — a lone hand working startling crime. Violence at Winchendon’s — a mob attack launched under a lieutenant’s command. These events showed The Jackdaw’s versatility. Gangless, he now had but two choices. One was to retire; the other was to resort to craft once more. Cardona decided that The Jackdaw would choose the latter course.

It was imperative that Joe should flag The Jackdaw. The detective was determined to end the crook’s mad career; he wanted also to solve the murder of Rutherford Casslin and regain the Bishenpur diamond. But Joe found himself balked.

Limps Silvey had disappeared. Stools had thought that they had seen him once or twice. They had not managed to follow him. This brought Cardona back to a consideration of Doctor Lysander Dubrong. He decided to match wits with the physician.

Joe’s first step was to visit the neighborhood of the East Side Clinic. He went there on a night when he had made certain that Dubrong was at his Park Avenue residence. He found that the house directly in back of the clinic was vacant.

On the second floor, Joe made a discovery. The floor here — so Joe figured — was lower than the ceiling of Dubrong’s consulting room. The wall was crumbling. It offered opportunity. Joe put a competent man to work. A hole was drilled through to Dubrong’s consulting room.

A perfect job, Joe was positive that the physician would not observe this well-made peephole. To make certain, the detective sent a stool pigeon into Dubrong’s clinic. The stool got by with the visit. He reported to Cardona that the hole could not be seen.

It was then that Cardona decided to visit Doctor Dubrong and pave the way to the result he wanted. One evening found the detective at the large apartment house on Park Avenue where the physician lived. Cardona inquired for Dubrong. He was sent upstairs to the doctor’s apartment.

DUBRONG’S sumptuous abode proved a striking contrast to the plainness of his East Side Clinic. Joe Cardona was impressed by the extravagance of the furnishings. He knew that Dubrong was a wealthy man; but thick rugs, paneled walls, and magnificent furniture proved more than the detective had expected.

Dubrong received Cardona in his study. The suave physician seemed pleased to see the detective.

“Congratulations, Cardona!” he exclaimed. “Your handling of that affair at Winchendon’s was excellent. How are you making out with the Casslin case?”

“No results,” returned Cardona.

“Indeed.” Dubrong’s tone seemed disappointed. “I thought that you might have gained some results. Ah, well — I am afraid that you have let the bird escape. I am still convinced that the Hindu dropped the stolen diamond from the window.”

“To another Hindu?”

“Of course. Cardona, I doubt that the Bishenpur diamond will ever be reclaimed.”

“I’m not so sure of that.” Cardona stared squarely at the physician. “I’ve learned something, Doctor Dubrong — something that may surprise you. There is a supercrook at work. These gangsters who were killed at Winchendon’s were unquestionably in his employ.”

“Ah! That is remarkable!”

“Besides that, I have a hunch that the same crook was in back of Casslin’s murder.”

“You do?” Dubrong arched his eyebrows. “Have you any idea as to his identity?”

“Not as yet. I have stool pigeons in the underworld. They have brought me unusual reports. They are talking about a crook whom they call The Jackdaw.”

“A jewel thief?”

“Yes. Wherever gangsters meet, this talk of The Jackdaw has begun to buzz. Whenever a mob is wiped out — as we cleaned up Bing Claver’s outfit — other gangsters begin to look into the matter. They want to know who the big shots are; they want to find out if there was any double-crossing.

“This case seemed to have them buffaloed, until — well, I received my first detailed report today — somebody wised up to a big boy in back of the jewel-stealing game. The Jackdaw — that’s what they call him — and I’m going to find out who he is.”

“Could I be of aid to you?”

“Yes,” replied Cardona. “That is why I have come to see you. Did you ever have, among your patients at the clinic, a man called Limps Silvey?”

“Let me see,” mused Dubrong. “The name sounds familiar. I should have to look him up in my records.”

“Limps Silvey,” declared Cardona, “had some minor connection with Bing Claver. In fact, by intercepting a message for Limps, I learned of the trouble impending at Winchendon’s. There was only one unfortunate consequence. Limps disappeared after that.”

“Naturally,” laughed Dubrong.

“Hardly,” returned Cardona. “After all, I had nothing on the fellow. I did not intend to arrest him. I expect him to be back in town.”

“You will arrest him then?”

“No. I shall leave him entirely alone. I want to watch him; but I don’t intend to put stools on the job. I am pretty sure, from what I have heard, that Limps Silvey was one of your patients. He is apt to show up at your clinic. If he does, you can aid me by questioning him.”

“I am not a police official,” protested Dubrong. “I am willing to give you advice — to tell you what I may chance to learn — but to aid in an arrest—”

“I am not asking you that.”

“It would defeat the purpose of my clinic. You must understand that.”

“Get me straight, doctor.” Cardona’s tone was earnest. “I don’t want to arrest Limps Silvey. I give you my word that he will be entirely immune. The Jackdaw is the man that I am after. I think Limps may know who he is.”

“Ah!” An idea came to Dubrong. “You want to use this Limps Silvey as a stool pigeon?”

“If I can get him. Fellows of his type are easily gained. Perhaps, through overtures on your part—”

“Leave that to me.” Dubrong smiled wisely as he interrupted. “If this man Silvey was one of my patients — and I believe he was — he will come back. If he is afraid to show himself at the clinic, he may call up for advice. I have had men do that on various pretexts. I can let him come to my clinic, then, with a guaranty of no trouble for him?”

“No trouble.”

“And if he appears to be worried, I can advise him to see you, promising him that he will be immune from arrest?”

“That’s right.”

“I shall bear this in mind, Cardona.”

The detective smiled grimly as he left the physician’s apartment. Cardona felt that he had scored a triumph. By dealing cagily with Dubrong, Cardona had paved a way to immediate results.

CARDONA was positive that Limps Silvey was hiding out somewhere in Manhattan. He was also sure that the cripple was connected with Dubrong. Cardona’s subtle statement — purely fictitious — that the underworld was buzzing with talk of The Jackdaw, was calculated to arouse Dubrong’s interest in what was happening in the bad lands.

To cap this, Cardona had followed with talk of his policy concerning Limps Silvey. His statement that he wanted the cripple as a stool was the climax of the plan.

As matters now stood, Dubrong would consider it imperative for Limps to visit underworld hang-outs, to learn what was being said there. Moreover, it would be safe for Limps to visit Dubrong at any time.

Hunches were Joe Cardona’s specialty. He had one now. He was positive that if he remained constantly at the peephole which he had prepared above Doctor Dubrong’s consulting room, he would eventually overhear an interview between Limps Silvey and Dubrong. What was more, Cardona had another hunch that the meeting might take place this very night.

Accordingly, the sleuth made his plans. After an hour’s stay at headquarters, he wended his way to the neighborhood of the East Side Clinic. Muffled, he entered the house in the cul-de-sac. He went upstairs and sprawled out, his head beside the peephole.

Two hours went by. Joe Cardona waited patiently. He was determined in his vigil. Then came a glimmer of light. Joe quickly raised his head and peered into the room below. It was empty. Joe wondered how the light had been turned on.

A door opened. It was the door of the closet. The detective realized that the light switch must have been sprung in there. Out from the closet stepped the figure of Limps Silvey.

Lysander Dubrong must be coming here. Joe Cardona stared, wondering when and how the physician would arrive. The shades of the consulting room were lowered. Limps Silvey was staring about him, grinning. Suddenly his expression seemed to change. He placed his cane beside the closed locker in the corner. Standing upright, he rubbed his hands across his face, then seized a towel and began to mop his countenance.

Joe Cardona suppressed a gasp as the man chanced to turn so that the light fully revealed his face. No longer a cripple, no longer a sordid denizen of the underworld. Out of that mopping was coming another face that Joe Cardona recognized.

Limps Silvey had needed no hideout. Limps Silvey was a myth; a clever character created by a cunning brain. His make-up off, his real identity was revealed.

The man who had worn the disguise of Limps Silvey was Doctor Lysander Dubrong. The physician and his satellite were one and the same!

Clothes, cane, and make-up were going in the locker. The transformation was completed. Suave and debonair, a smile upon his thin lips, Doctor Dubrong strolled through the rear exit of his consulting room, turning out the light as he departed.

IN darkness, Joe Cardona smiled to himself. There was no need for action now. It was merely a case of waiting and watching. The scene had shifted from the East Side to Park Avenue. The job was to trail Doctor Dubrong himself.

Bing Claver had served The Jackdaw. Limps Silvey had been connected with Bing Claver. Limps Silvey, Joe had suspected, was working for Doctor Lysander Dubrong. The subtlety of it all now came to the detective.

The Jackdaw’s mob was wiped out. The Jackdaw’s next action, so Joe had believed, could be traced only through Limps Silvey, for the detective had considered Doctor Dubrong was too wise to offer a trail of his own.

But now, as matters stood, Dubrong had become the single bet. Joe Cardona’s task was simplified. Once more, the detective had a hunch — one that he regarded as a surety.

Traveling the underworld as Limps Silvey, Doctor Dubrong had tonight learned that The Jackdaw rumors were lacking. That would give him confidence. Another thrust would soon be delivered by The Jackdaw. Once again, Joe Cardona would be present.

The detective intended, from now on, to keep close tabs on Doctor Lysander Dubrong, the man who played the part of his own accomplice!