Part 4 (1/2)
The gambler continued to smile blandly, refusing to take offense. ”I admit I've never hired you on a job of my own,” he said. ”But many a time a guy has said to me 'Who is the best private d.i.c.k in town?' and I says 'Chris Nichols,' just like that. It has brought you some nice jobs.”
”I don't believe I've ever taken any case through your influence, Max Lynch. But that's neither here nor there. What's on your mind?”
The gambler moved forward in his chair.
”Well, Nichols, it's like this. Dutch O'Neil is in the jug for pasting a dude customer of mine over at my casino last night. Dutch is one of my bouncers and this fellow started upsetting the faro tables after he had lost his roll. Dutch bounced him out so hard the fellow is in the hospital with a broken jaw.”
”And you want me to send the man some flowers?” the detective asked sarcastically.
Max Lynch ignored the thrust. ”It's this way,” he explained. ”The guy turned out to be a big shot of the town--a broker or something. And he has turned so much heat on the judge the poor old fossil is afraid to let Dutch go. Now it happens this broker is an old friend and client of yours--George Kirby. Know him?”
”Yes, I know him very well.”
”All right, you go and see George and soften him up. If you can get him to drop his charges and have the case nolled there's half a grand in it for you.”
”I'll have nothing to do with it.”
”I'll raise the ante,” the gambler offered. ”Seven hundred and fifty.”
”There's not enough of your kind of money in this town to employ me on a crooked case like this.”
”A real good guy, ain't you?” Lynch sneered.
”No, not good. Just sanitary.”
The gambler's face flushed with anger as he arose and edged toward the door.
”O.K., chief,” he said mockingly. ”And don't worry about that 'sanitary' stuff. Just wait till our clean-up gang hears about this!”
He slammed the door after him and Penny could hear his heels clicking angrily as he walked rapidly down the long corridor to the elevator.
She quickly came out of hiding.
”Dad, that was Max Lynch--the one they call 'Diamond Max,' wasn't it?”
she inquired anxiously.
”Yes,” the detective responded soberly. ”I guess I shouldn't have permitted you to listen to the conversation.”
”I'm glad you did. Only it made the chills run down my spine to hear that man talk. He seemed so sinister.”
”Max isn't a very pleasant character, Penny.”
”What did he mean by that last remark? It sounded like a threat.”
”I imagine it was a threat, Penny.”
”Why don't you turn the man over to the police, Dad, for attempted bribery?”
”I wish I could,” her father answered. ”Max is a slippery eel to catch. The police have been trying for years to get evidence against him--they always fail.”
”But he deliberately tried to bribe you, Dad. Surely that ought to be enough to land him in jail.”