Part 25 (1/2)

Lynch laughed quietly. ”Not for a minute,” he answered confidently.

”He's got to be careful, too. If he brings any one with him, he safeguards himself, and at the same time loses the chance to harm us, which is really the very thing that's going to bring him here. If he comes alone, and leaves word, it's going to cause a lot of talk; and what's more, some wise guy would be sure to follow him, looking for a chance to poke his nose into something that didn't concern him. No, if he comes, he'll come alone; and he's going to come, too; I can put my finger now on the thing that's just going to turn the scale.”

Mrs. Holton glanced up. ”And what's that?” she queried.

”A question,” Lynch answered, readily enough, ”of nerves. Something that no one who hadn't had a chance to watch the governor pretty carefully of late would ever think of; but I've had that chance, and I can see in a dozen little ways that he isn't just the man he was a year ago. At times he's irritable, something he's never shown before; he doesn't keep his mind as close to a subject as he used to; on two or three important matters he's been apparently unable to make up his mind; and twice, at least, he's made decisions that I'm sure politically are going to be disastrous for him. Mentally and physically, he's a tired man; little things bother him more than they should, and after he's brooded as much as I think he has over the trouble we're making for him, for once, very likely against his better judgment, he'll decide on the rash course, and he'll take a chance on coming down here just to get rid of the suspense of the whole affair.

He'll come; I don't feel the slightest doubt about it.”

”And if he does,” said the woman thoughtfully, ”you're really going to hold him up for fifty thousand.”

Lynch nodded. ”I think that's the proper sum,” he said, ”anything under that's too small, and anything over that he'd probably kick at.

But that figure gives us enough to get by on for the rest of our days, and the idea of having us half way across the world for all time is going to strike him pretty strong. He knows he can trust me when I say this is the last deal, and I think he'd do it anyway, but when I've got it in reserve to tell him that it's a case of put up or shut up; that we get our fifty thousand right off the reel, or there'll be a vacancy in the office of governor, why, there's nothing to it. I think the whole scheme's a d.a.m.ned good one, if I do say so. He's got everything to live for; he'll have his mind at rest; and the money's only a flea bite for him, after all. Anyway, the game's getting too hot for me, and we might as well get it settled one way or the other.

We'll get his money, or we'll get him.”

Mrs. Holton rose to take her leave. ”And if he should try to get in first?” she said apprehensively.

Lynch's mouth set grimly. ”I'm not taking chances,” he said significantly. ”You needn't worry that anything's going to happen to you. You see that you get here to-morrow night at eight sharp, and we'll have a little rehearsal.”

For half an hour after Mrs. Holton had taken her leave, Lynch, from time to time glancing at his watch, sat alone in silence. At length there came a faint knock at the door, and he rose to admit a thin, ferret-faced, slinking little figure of a man, with a sinister eye and a manner in general far from rea.s.suring. Lynch welcomed him with scant courtesy, and his tone, as he bade him take a seat, savored less of a request than of a command.

”You're late,” he said curtly.

The other nodded. ”I know it,” he answered sulkily enough, ”I couldn't help it. What do you want of me, anyhow?”

Lynch's expression was the reverse of pleasant. ”Come, come,” he said sharply, ”we'll cut that out, right away. You know what the bargain was; you ought to, since you were the one that was so anxious to make it. You've had a cinch, too. Just twice in three years I've asked you to do anything for me, and now, when I need you for a little job that I want to see pulled off right, you turn ugly, as if I was trying to rub it into you too hard. And I tell you, you can cut it out; if you don't feel like doing it, just say so, and I'll know what to do.”

There was a certain cold menace in his tone, and the man threw him a glance malevolent, yet cringing, much like that of a beaten dog, subdued against his will.

”Why, sure,” he whined, ”don't go talking that way, Tom. I'm game enough. What's the row?”

Lynch motioned to him to draw his chair closer, and then, leaning forward, for some minutes he talked earnestly, the little man listening attentively, and from time to time nodding his head. As Lynch finished speaking, he glanced up rather with an air of relief.

”That sounds easy enough,” he said, ”most too easy. I'll want to look the place over, though, to make sure what I'd better use. Maybe I'm a little out of practice, anyway. I hope I don't get you in bad.”

He grinned as he spoke. Lynch, observing him, allowed the faintest shadow of a smile to play for an instant around his lips.

”I hope not,” he answered dryly, ”both on my account--and on yours.”

The little man glanced at him furtively. ”Whatcher mean?” he demanded.

Lynch raised his eyebrows. ”Mean?” he said carelessly, and with apparent lack of interest. ”Why, what should I mean? Nothing, except that if you shouldn't happen to be in time, and anything unpleasant should happen to me, I've left everything looked out for. The police will have all the papers within twenty-four hours.”

The man's impudent grin had completely vanished. He turned a sickly white, and swallowed with difficulty once or twice.

”h.e.l.l, Tom,” he remarked at last, ”but you follow a man up too close.

I guess I'll be able to look after my end. Come on; let's see what the place's like,” and together they left the room.