“THE VOICE”
In this life of ours, years become months, months become weeks, weeks
narrow down to days, days dwindle to hours, hours to minutes; then the
unexpected happens.
Johnny Thompson was about to meet his one time pal. Once more their
lives were to be joined in a great adventure. But not yet. Years,
months, weeks, days had dwindled, but hours had not yet become moments
in the hourglass of fate.
Johnny was on his way to Curlie’s airport. He stood on the curb, waiting
for the westbound car, when someone touched his elbow and demanded in
some surprise:
“What’s happened?”
It was “The Ferret,” the silent worker of the detective world.
“Enough has happened,” Johnny answered, not at all displeased by this
surprise meeting. “Drew and Tom have been shelved. Greasy Thumb has been
found and turned loose. I am shortly to take a course in shoemaking
behind iron bars. And—”
“Hold on!” “The Ferret” stopped him. “It can’t be as bad as that. Give
me a few details. Come on in here. It’s a crooked dump of a place, but
I’m known, or at least they think they know me.” He smiled a twisted
smile. “Anyway, it’s an off hour. There’s sure to be no one here.”
He was right. The small, barn-like room they entered was deserted. Doors
on three sides were closed. For all this, Johnny felt that they were
watched.
“Speak low,” “The Ferret” said, as he took a place beside a table worn
smooth by cards and dice. “No one will hear.”
Johnny told all that had happened.
“They won’t do that!” “The Ferret” declared when Johnny spoke of the
marked money. “They wouldn’t dare try it. Send you to prison? That’s a
huge joke!
“They might put you on the spot, or take you for a ride. Hardly that,
though. Not yet. You’ve not caused them enough trouble. But watch out.
When the heavy hand falls, it falls hard.”
For a time he sat in an attitude of deep thought.
“So they’ve shelved Lane and Howe!” Johnny heard him mutter. “There’s
something for the Voice. I’ll give it to him. And how he’ll love it! How
he’ll ride ’em for it! Great boy, the Voice! But it’s a dangerous game.
Suppose they find out. Just suppose they do?” He shrugged his shoulders,
then shuddered.
“Who’s he talking about now?” Johnny wondered to himself. He wanted to
ask who this Voice might be. He did not quite dare. So there, for a
time, the matter dropped. But not for good nor for long. A new, powerful
and altogether strange force was about to enter this uncertain and
apparently uneven battle for the right.