Leroy Scott

“ Clifford hastened to explain. "Most of the men are a clean, fine, honest bunch. I'm talking of a few-- of a hidden, rotten, powerful few in the very center of' things." He glanced about cautiously, leaned nearer and lowered his voice to a mere breath. "here's where I come to my great point. Want to know who's the biggest crook in New York?"
"Who?"
"His name is Bradley, and he happens to be Chief of Detectives."
Tarleton stared. Clifford's face had tightened; his narrowed eyes gleamed.
"Bradley's the crook I'm after. And, by God, Bradley's the crook I'm going to get!" ”

“ Leaving Tarleton bewildered by this easy familiarity between a crime-prince and a police official, Clifford was the next moment at Russell's table. Miss Regan's face showed a more frank liking than at any time since their friendship had been begun six days before by his seizing her gust-captured steamer rug.
"I had no idea you were a friend of Uncle Joe," she exclaimed. " You told me so little about yourself, you know."
"I followed your policy," he stammered. The millionaire he nodded to and forgot.
"It isn't wise to be too free about oneself with chance friends, is it?" ”

“ Suddenly Gordon, the two wheelmen and the young man in evening clothes rushed upon him. Clifford, caught unaware, was almost borne down. But before McQuade and White could come to his rescue, his four assailants, apparently perceiving the futility of such violent resentment, had drawn away.
"There'll be a charge of resisting arrest, as well as gambling, against you men," Clifford grimly announced. ”

“ Clifford fumed on. "Take Bradley. If you believe what you read, Bradley's one whale of a detective. These miraculous cases of detection aren't miracles when you're behind the scenes. Most of the tricks are turned by 'stools'--crooks who give away their pals. Then the case is dressed up for the papers, showing the detective a super-bloodhound, super-scientist, super-toxicologist, super-psychologist and every other super-ologist thing that's happened along since Adam got cramps eating green apples. ”

“ That night, however, the Captain openly called at Bradley's house in West Eighty-second Street. At half past nine he came out.
"Well, Bradley has got his rake-off now," Clifford whispered to Tarleton, who had joined him, "and has got it safe."
"Safe? You mean you've done all this for nothing?"
"Not for nothing. I've learned just how the money is handled, and who are the men that handle it. At least some of the men. And that's a lot to know. There's a big trick to turn yet before we get Bradley--but I think we've got him! Come on, Brown's the man for us." ”

“ Some men find out where they're at and what they've got to do before they begin to act. here's a tip, Bob. Thorne will bear watching." Another moment of silence. "By the way, I gave him a copy of your book and told him who wrote it."
"Why the devil did you do that?" cried Clifford in dismay. Then sharply: "You know the Commissioner?"
"A little," Tarleton said guardedly.
"Well," doggedly, "whatever he thinks, what I said is straight. The police department can be, and should be, and some day is going to be, one of the most valuable and humane of our institutions. ”

“ Of course the newspaper boys are wise, but they stand for it, grinning inside themselves, for those are the sort of fairy tales the dear public wants. God, but it gives me a mortal pain!"
"If it's so bad as that, why don't you quit the force?" ”

“ Incidentally he is the real head of a swindling, wire-tapping and gambling syndicate. And he's as safe as though he were incorporated under the laws of New York." "How's that?"
"Russell is the brains; he doesn't participate personally unless it's a big coup. But the chief point is that he is protected. He pays Bradley a regular retainer of $5,000 a month, and twenty-five per cent upon all big jobs he pulls off."
"How did you learn all this? "
"Not through any of your popular-fiction detective magic. One of my 'stools'--a new one--used to be in Russell's gang. ”

“ Commissioner Thorne was speaking again--crisply; and his awakened gray eyes were peering appraisingly right into Clifford.
"Sit down. As I said, Lieutenant, it's necessary to my purpose for you to understand a few things. I know everything's not sweet in Denmark. I suspect a few things about Bradley--just what, I'm not saying. But it's not safe to go against Bradley until one's sure of one's ground. I'm lying low and watching. Bradley has a tremendous influence in the department, and he is immensely popular with the public. he's a great man--who's got headed wrong. ”

“ He commanded an elaborate, every-dish-cooked-to-order dinner, that would excuse his remaining there for two or three hours, and from his table at the curtained window he kept his eyes upon the saloon across the way. ”

“ The two officers answered that the four men had drawn Clifford to one side, all had conversed in whispers, and they had seen the young man slip Clifford something, just what they could not say.
"It's a damned frame-up!" exploded Clifford.
"You'll have your chance to tell that to the Trial Commissioner," Bradley retorted sharply. "Commissioner Thorne, we seem to be getting at the few men who are giving the police department a bad name. McQuade, take charge of things here. Clifford, go home and report to me at nine tomorrow." ”

“ The chauffeur nodded, and the two slipped into the car. The chauffeur made show of having difficulty in starting his engine--the while Clifford kept his eyes upon the door of the brownstone front.
"What will Bradley do when Mr. Blackmore makes complaint?" inquired Tarleton.
"He'll send men down to raid the place. But within half an hour the gang will have the blackboards, telephones and telegraph instruments out of there; the wires, you know, just go into the wall and end there. Bradley's men will find an empty room. Harrigan will report that he was thrown out by the bunch, who all escaped. ”

“ As he let himself down into the. chair, Tarleton eyed him in searching amazement.
"So, after all, there is a woman!"
"Only a steamer acquaintance," Clifford tried to say calmly.
IV
"I'm going to watch that man Blackmore," Clifford remarked a little later. "he's in for a good trimming at the hands of Russell. I don't care much how hard Russell soaks him; his fortune's in mining property, and over three hundred men were killed in his mines last year, and it's been champagne and Europe for his. But his money may lead from Joe Russell to Bradley." ”

“ Clifford stepped from the car, nodding a dismissal to the chauffeur. "Come on. We want to follow that envelope. You go back into the saloon and hang around and watch the barkeeper's cash drawer. Keep looking at the ticker; get your dinner at the saloon's grill. there's always a bunch of well-dressed sports in there, and you'll not be noticed."
Clifford himself went up into a little restaurant on the stoop floor of a house on the north side of the street. ”

“ But it's for you to prove not by making good."
"Chief--" began Clifford. Commissioner Thorne interrupted by standing up. "It isn't safe for me to stay here any longer; Bradley's having me watched. I'll see that you get the data for your first case in a day or two. it's about a young woman Tarleton tells me you've already met--a Miss Mary Regan. Luck to you! Good night." And the Commissioner, opening the door through which he had entered, stepped through and closed it.
Two minutes later Clifford stepped from the elevator. Sweeping out from the dining-room was Mary Regan. ”

“ There 'll be no arrests and Blackmore will never see a cent of his fifty thousand."
Harrigan came out of the house they watched. "Follow that man in black," Clifford called sharply to the chauffeur.
The motor moved lamely toward Broadway. Here Harrigan caught a southbound car, and the automobile deftly followed it. At Fourteenth Street Harrigan left the car, walked eastward through the heterogeneous crowd and turned into a saloon.
"Go in after him, Tarleton; he knows me," breathed Clifford. "Don't appear to notice him, but see everything that he'does." ”

“ I want you to take charge. Warrants and everything 's arranged for the raid. Get Gordon, and if there are any swells there, grab them, too. Gordon's been pretty raw, and we've got to throw the fear of God into these gambling hells, and we gotta show the public something. So go to it."
That night at eleven o'clock Clifford was in front of Gordon's. A few minutes before two plainclothes men had come out of the house, each having bought fifty dollars' worth of chips, bet them, and thereby gained the necessary evidence against the place. ”