32. Thirty-Two
The air inside the police station clung to every pore of Daniel’s skin, heavy with the scent of stale coffee. The murmur of conversation and the occasional cry from a far-off holding cell muffled the sharp click of typewriter keys drifting in through the open door to the receiving area.
A faded city map hung on peeling paint, and despite the heat this time of year, the chill in the room caused the fine hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. Or perhaps that came from the thoughts churning through him.
Please, God. Keep Camilla safe.
If any harm came to her, he’d—Well, he didn’t know what he’d do. They’d only just gotten to know one another. But she invaded his thoughts, disrupting his once orderly existence. Camilla had stormed her way into his heart, and now he couldn’t imagine life without her. Admiration of her spunk and spirit had turned into fascination, which morphed into something much deeper.
He loved her.
But would she even have him, knowing whatever illegal mess his family had tangled in must have caused her father’s death? Could she forgive him? And how could he expect her to want to become part of the family responsible for such heartache?
Muted footsteps echoed down the corridor, growing louder with each passing second. The heavy wooden door creaked and swung open, revealing a surly detective showcasing a furrowed brow and lines etched deep into his weathered face. An air of suspicion cut through the tension-filled air.
“Daniel Gray?”
He met the man’s icy gaze. “Yes.”
“You have information on the Durkin gang and the whereabouts of the missing bank robbery?”
“Bank robbery?” He shifted on the stark metal chair. “I don’t know anything about that.”
“Hmm.” The man’s voice rolled like gravel from his throat. “Says here young detective McCready believes you know about a stash of missing loot from a bank robbery in St. Louis a few months back.”
“Captain Lockhart and I were looking for a treasure mentioned in my family’s lore. I don’t know anything about a burglary.”
The officer settled his hardened frame into the chair across from Daniel, narrowed eyes deepening the wrinkles around their edges. “What can you tell me about Mr. Durkin?”
“My sister has been seeing him, and it appears he’s been giving her expensive gifts. She promised me she wouldn’t see him again.”
“How did the relationship begin?”
Daniel tamped down the urge to withhold information for the sake of saving his family’s reputation. “From what I’ve gathered, her late-husband, Lucas, hit a rough financial patch and started working for some unscrupulous men. Somewhere along the way, it went sour, and next thing we know, Lucas has an untimely fatal accident. Two men came to Mabel’s house soon after Lucas’s death. I was handling her affairs. They’ve made threats. I took Mabel and my nephew to live with me in the house I inherited from my grandfather. Some old writings I found of my grandfather’s hinted he knew the whereabouts of a lost family treasure. I thought, if I found it, I could pay off any of Lucas’s debts and make sure my sister and nephew could start a new life.”
The aged detective jotted down notes as Daniel spoke, then read back over them. “And you then told the officers you’d discovered a smuggling operation?”
“Camilla and I followed a map into the swamplands outside the city. We may have stumbled upon a bootlegging operation. We then reported that information to the authorities. Tonight, my nephew was approached by a man who told him to tell his mother to take him out of the city, Captain Lockhart was abducted, and her engineer shot. Her crew is at my house.”
“How did you come to discover Durkin was involved in any of this?”
“I overheard the bootleggers in the woods mention the name. Then Mabel told me she’d been seeing him and her husband’s boss promised to take care of her and release her from Lucas’s debts. I begged her not to see the man again. Then Solomon showed up wounded and told us Camilla had been taken, so I came here.” He rubbed the tense muscles throbbing in his neck. “I know you are just doing your job going back over all of this. But the woman I love is missing, and we need to focus on finding her.”
The officer sat back in his chair. “That is precisely what I’m doing, young man. We believe the Durkin gang, your treasure hunt, and the robbery stash are connected. Any information you have can help us find the missing lady.”
He’d give anything to make sure they saved Camilla. He dredged up every detail he could recall about their hunt for the treasure, even revealing his grandfather’s hidden room. Through it all, the aged policeman jotted notes, nodding now and then.
When every ounce of insight and scrap of memory had been reamed from him, the officer stood. “Thank you. I’d like to question your sister as well, find out what else she knows.”
“And Camilla?” He clenched his fists. “We must hurry before…”
The officer opened the door and gestured Daniel through. “A search is already underway.”
That didn’t help ease the tightness in his chest. Nothing would until she was found.
The man’s eyes softened. “Take heart, mister. Good men here will do everything they can to find your lady.”
Daniel locked his teeth together, not trusting himself to words. When they exited the station, a rumbling paddy wagon waited. White lettering emblazoned on the side of the black motorcar. Police Patrol. The round headlights punctured the night scape, offering hope.
He climbed through the open doorframe behind the flat front window panels. Maybe they didn’t have closing doors on these things to make getting in and out faster. A redheaded officer behind the wheel thumbed for Daniel to circle around to the rear. A partition sectioned the front two seats from the containment area in the back.
He ground his teeth and hopped down, then rounded the vehicle and popped the latch on one of the two rear doors. After hefting himself inside, he settled on one of the benches and twisted to face out the line of windows.
The older officer who’d questioned him—he never did ask the man’s name—strode out of the station. His gaze landed on Daniel in the back like a criminal. Then he hopped into the motorcar with surprising spryness. The engine roared, and they trundled down the street.
They reached his house quickly, thanks to the increase of speed the paddy wagon provided over walking. What would the neighbors think if they looked out the window and saw him arriving in a police vehicle meant to cart wrongdoers off to jail?
They stopped at the end of the river road, and the engine noise died. Daniel tried the vehicle’s rear door, only to find it locked. He clamped his tongue between his teeth as he waited for one of the officers to release him.
Finally free, he leapt from the vehicle and waved the officers to follow as he jogged to the house. Every second mattered. With each pump of his heart, unwelcome visions of harm befalling Camilla jolted through him.
He shouted his presence and pounded the door, not caring if he disturbed the neighbors. Someone opened it before he could fish the key from his pocket.
Inside the receiving hall, Hattie returned to where Buck and Finn stared at an unfolded sheet of paper. Her hand flew to her throat. “Got something here you’re goin’ to want to see, Mr. Gray. Looks like a letter. Oh, and you done brought the police with you.”
Buck slipped into the nearby parlor where Solomon recovered. Finn eyed the two officers, then settled himself outside the parlor doorway. What did the two have to fear from the police? Maybe they had a distrust due to Buck’s past. Not something Daniel had time to contemplate.
He took the letter and scanned the contents.
Mr. Gray,
Here’s the blokes that will cripple him if you can take them down. Others are more easy to replace.
Marcus Day—Goes by Bones
Samuel Elroy—Sammie
Jonathan Cray—Toothpick
Peter Mackleroy—Butch
Durkin is also after a fella they call Scissors. Name’s Jacob Something. He double-crossed Durkin and another big boss named Mickey over a bank load out of St. Louis. Word is Mickey got put in the slammer over it. Durkin thinks the treasure you and Lockhart are after is the missing stash. Don’t know how that goes together but thought it might help.
Get the kid out of there. Don’t let Durkin take him and turn him into a wretch.
Best of luck to you.
The Punchbowl is south of the cemetery under the ravine. Got a cave there tucked under the kudzu. Take men. You’ll need them.
Daniel passed the paper to the elder of the two officers accompanying him and focused on Hattie. “Where’d you get this?”
“There was a pounding on the door. Found it on the porch with no one in sight. Not more than a couple of minutes before you showed up.”
His fists tightened, and he looked at Finn. “Didn’t I tell you not to open the door?”
The redheaded man shrugged. “Looked out the window. Didn’t see no one there.” He thumbed at the letter. “I don’t read good. Does that letter have anything to do with the captain?”
“It gives us an idea of where they took her. This cave and the… Punchbowl. Whatever that is.” Frustration boiled. “We must leave at once.”
The officer met his gaze. “Heard of the Punchbowl. Says here he cut her free. We’ll pull some men from the station.”
“Hope this isn’t a trap.” Daniel jabbed his trembling fingers through his hair. “But this letter names men and tells where they took Camilla. Maybe even why. They think she knows something about a missing bank robbery.”
Finn’s face scrunched, but he didn’t reply.
The aged policeman rambled off instructions to the younger officer, who hurried out the door to gather the other policemen to go after Camilla. Daniel started toward the door when the old-timer caught his arm. “Leave the work to the lawmen, lad.”
“She’ll be frightened.” Daniel bit off the words. “I should be there.”
The officer’s grip remained firm. “You’ll only be in the way. Trust us to do our job.”
His being strained toward the door closing on his opportunity to bolt, but he forced himself to remain. How did he know who to trust anymore?
Was he making the right decision? Only God knew.
Please, God, be willing to save her.
Insides rendering to shreds, he freed a tight breath. “My sister, Mabel, is upstairs.”
The officer gave a sympathy-laden nod and released Daniel’s arm. They traversed the stairs, and Daniel paused at the top. Would Mabel cooperate? He cleared his throat and lowered his voice to almost a whisper. “My sister can be…flighty. You’ll need to treat her with a soft touch.” He took another step and then paused. “What is your name so I can introduce you?”
“Patrick O’Leary.”
Daniel led Officer O’Leary down the hushed hall and rapped gently on Mabel’s door. Lucas flung it open an instant later, his little eyes going round.
“Oh, the police are here? Y’all sure are worried about that hobo. Did he do something wrong? Was him talking to me wrong? Father said I shouldn’t talk to men I don’t know, but I sometimes forget things like that. I’m really sorry, Uncle Danny.”
The tirade of words came to a close, and Daniel ruffled the boy’s hair. He should be sleeping at this hour, but he could hardly blame the child for having too much energy to try. “Don’t worry. This nice officer is just here to talk. Why don’t you go down to Stella’s room and visit with her?”
He doubted the women would be sleeping either.
Lucas poked his head to see around Daniel. He narrowed his eyes at Officer O’Leary. “What’s he want to talk to Mama for? She never saw that hobo. That was me.”
Astute little man. “Lucas. There’ll be time to answer your questions later. Right now, I need you to do as I say.”
He cast one look at his mother, who stood at the far end of the room fiddling with her pearls. Mabel didn’t seem to notice, her owlish gaze fixed on the policeman.
Lucas sighed. “All right.” He marched past Daniel and stared up at Officer O’Leary. “My father said coppers was like a church potluck. Some of them ain’t half bad, but the rest were as crooked as a squash neck. What kind are you?”
“Lucas!” Daniel nearly choked. The boy had clearly mixed up whatever metaphor his father had been trying to use, but the meaning was painfully clear. “That is impolite.”
A spark of humor lit Officer O’Leary’s eyes, but his voice remained grave. “I’m the God-fearing kind who takes his vows to protect the innocent and bring the lawless to justice seriously.”
Lucas studied him. “That’s good then.”
Hefting a brave set to his shoulders, he continued down the hall and rapped on Stella’s door. She granted him entrance, frowning at the officer in their house. Then she ushered the boy inside and closed the door.
Daniel addressed Mabel, who hadn’t moved from the rear of the room. “This is Officer O’Leary. He has questions for you about Mr. Durkin.”
Mabel backed up a step.
The officer stepped into the room. “Perhaps you’d be more comfortable speaking down below? In a less personal space?”
She scanned the room, which stood in disarray. The bedclothes had been flung back, and dresses and hats were strewn about. Had she been packing to leave?
A quick headshake sent her pearls swaying. “I have nothing to say.”
The officer arched a brow at Daniel.
“Mabel. He’s here to help. The only way to resolve all of this is for the police to be involved. You know that.”
Her eyes flashed. “If you stayed out of it, everything would’ve been fine.”
That made her sound guilty.
Mabel crossed her arms. “I have nothing to say. My husband is dead, and whatever trouble he had died with him. I’m a grieving widow, and I would thank you to let me alone to try to make a new life for me and my son.”
“Does this new life involve a man named Arnold ‘Dimples’ Durkin, who has murdered over a dozen people, including two of his mistresses? One of whom he left tied naked to a pole in the center of town?”
Mabel’s face paled and her mouth worked. No words came out.
Officer O’Leary’s already gravelly voice hardened further. “Think long and hard, ma’am, about protecting a man who has been nothing but an evil scourge on this city. If not for the good of others or your family or even yourself, then for that boy you got there and what might happen if you let a man like Durkin go free.”
Mabel’s lips parted and her chin trembled. After a desperate glance at Daniel, she nodded. “All right. I don’t know how much it will help, but I’ll tell you what I know. Little as it is.”
Relief uncoiled in Daniel’s chest. With the letter and Mabel’s account, they’d be that much closer to bringing down the men who had taken Camilla.
He could only pray they made it in time.