The Chase Part 28

Bell could not believe how the great thoroughfare of the city, with its magnificent buildings, had changed from the evening before. Gone were the fleets of vehicles, the throngs of happy, contented people working or shopping in the heart of the city's business district. Now the boulevard was scarcely recognizable. The tall buildings had crumbled to pieces, huge pillars with their decorative cornices and ornamentations had been wrenched from the facades of the structures and hurled to the sidewalk and street in jumbled fragments. The enormous office and store windows were shattered. Signs that once advertised the businesses occupying them lay scattered amid the wreckage.

As Bell made his way down through the destruction, he could see that the blocks to the south were becoming an ocean of flame. He knew it was only a matter of time before the big hotels, government buildings, tall office skysc.r.a.pers, the great department stores, and the theaters would be burned-out skeletons. There were far too few firemen and almost all of the underground water mains had been ruptured by the earthquake. Hundreds of the city's fire hydrants and water taps trickled and then ran dry. The firemen, helpless in fighting the mushrooming fires, began a heroic struggle to repair the water lines.

After dodging the automobiles transporting the injured and making his way over the landslides of brick, Bell came within sight of the Call Building. At first, the twelve-story skysc.r.a.per looked in good shape, but as he walked closer he saw that the base of one side of the building had moved two feet over the sidewalk toward the street. Inside, he found that none of the elevators were working because the interior was twisted out of alignment. He made his way up the five flights of stairs to the Van Dorn office and stepped over the mounds of plaster that had fallen from the ceiling. Footprints in the plaster told him others had preceded him.

The furniture scattered about the office by the quake had been set upright where originally positioned.

Bell walked into the conference room and found four Van Dorn agents including Bronson, who rushed over and pumped his hand. "Am I ever glad to see you alive. I was afraid you might be lying under a ton of rubble."

Bell managed a smile. "Marion's house lost the front wall, but her apartment is a mess." He paused and looked around room. Not seeing Curtis, he asked, "Have you heard from Art?"

The look on everyone's face told Bell what he needed to know. "Art is missing, a.s.sumed to have been crushed under tons of brick as he made his way from the Palace Hotel to our office," Bronson answered solemnly. "From what reports we've managed to gather, two of my agents are either injured or dead. We don't know yet. Those you see here are the only ones who survived without injury."

Bell's chest felt as if a belt had been cinched around it and pulled tight. He had seen and known death, but to lose someone close was an enduring hurt. "Curtis dead," Bell muttered. "He was a fine man, a good friend, and one of the best detectives I ever worked with."

"I lost good men, too," Bronson said slowly. "But now we must do what we can to ease the suffering."

Bell looked at him. "What is your plan?"

"I met with the chief of police and offered Van Dorn's services. Despite our differences in the past, he was only too glad to have our help. We're going to do what we can to combat looting, apprehend looters stealing from the dead and their demolished homes and take them to the city jail. Thankfully, because it's built like a fortress, it still stands."

"I wish I could join you and the others, Horace, but I have another job."

"Yes, I understand," Bronson said quietly. "Jacob Cromwell."

Bell nodded. "The earthquake and the bedlam left in its wake have given him the ideal opportunity to escape the country. I intend to stop him."

Bronson held out his hand. "Good luck to you, Isaac." He gestured around the room with one hand. "This building isn't safe. And if it doesn't fall down on its own, it will probably be consumed by the approaching fire. We'll have to take our records and abandon it."

"Where can I reach you?"

"We're setting up a command center in the Customs House; it was only slightly damaged. The army units that are arriving to maintain order and help battle the fires are also setting up their headquarters there."

"One of us has to report what has happened to Mr. Van Dorn."

Bronson shook his head. "Not possible. All telegraph lines are down."

Bell shook Bronson's hand. "Good luck to you, too, Horace. I'll be in contact as soon as I learn Cromwell's whereabouts."

Bronson smiled. "I bet nothing like this happens where you live in Chicago."

Bell laughed. "Aren't you forgetting the great Chicago fire of 1871? At least your calamity came from an act of G.o.d. Chicago's came from a cow who kicked over a lantern."

After saying his good-bye, Bell retraced his route down the twisted stairs to the devastation on Market Street. He quickly made his way over the rubble and past the crowds of people who had a.s.sembled to watch the fire that was now burning throughout Chinatown and relentlessly moving toward the city's primary business district.

He reached the Palace Hotel, which had fared better than the Call Building. Standing just outside the entrance was a man Bell instantly recognized: Enrico Caruso, who had sung the role of Don Jose in Carmen Carmen the night before at the Grand Opera House, was waiting as his valet pulled his trunks out onto the sidewalk. He was dressed in a long, bulky fur coat over his pajamas and smoking a cigar. As Bell pa.s.sed, he heard the great tenor muttering, "'Ell of a place, 'ell of a place. I never come back." the night before at the Grand Opera House, was waiting as his valet pulled his trunks out onto the sidewalk. He was dressed in a long, bulky fur coat over his pajamas and smoking a cigar. As Bell pa.s.sed, he heard the great tenor muttering, "'Ell of a place, 'ell of a place. I never come back."

The elevators were not running due to the lack of electricity, but the stairways were relatively clear of debris. After entering his room, Bell did not bother to pack his clothes. He saw no reason to burden himself with luggage. He threw only a few personal items in a small valise. Not planning on life-threatening danger in San Francisco, he had left his Colt .45 and the derringer in the room. The Colt went in the valise and the derringer back into its small holster inside his hat.

As he walked up Powell Street toward Cromwell's mansion on n.o.b Hill, he saw a small group of men frantically struggling to lift a huge beam from a pile of rubble that had once been a hotel. One of them motioned to him and shouted, "Come give us a hand!"

The men were frantically working to free a woman pinned in the debris and the wreckage around it was burning fiercely. She was still dressed in her nightgown, and he saw that she had long auburn hair.

He gripped her hand for a moment and said softly, "Be brave. We'll get you free."

"My husband and my little girl-are they safe?"

Bell looked up into the somber faces of the rescuers. One of them slowly shook his head. "You'll see them soon," he said, feeling the intense heat of the fire closing in.

Bell lent his strength to the others and vainly tried to lift the beam that covered the woman's legs. It was an exercise in futility. The beam weighed tons and could not be moved by six men. The woman was very courageous and watched the efforts in silence until the flames began scorching her nightgown.

"Please!" she begged. "Don't let me burn!"

One of the men, a fireman, asked for her name and wrote it on a small piece of paper he had in his pocket. The rest of the men retreated from the intense heat and menacing flames, horrified at losing their battle to save the woman.

Her nightgown ignited and she began to scream. Without hesitation, Bell held up his derringer and shot her in the forehead between the eyes. Then, without a backward glance, he and the fireman ran for the street.

"You had to do it," said the fireman, his hand on Bell's shoulder. "Dying by fire is the worst death. You couldn't let her suffer."

"No, I couldn't do that," Bell said, his eyes rimmed with tears. "But it's a terrible memory I'll take to my grave."

38.

CROMWELL AWOKE IN HIS BED TO SEE THE CHANDELIER in the middle of the room swinging like a wild pendulum, its crystal pendants tinkling madly. The furniture danced about as if possessed by crazed demons. A large painting of a fox hunt dropped from the wall with a loud crash as it struck the polished teak floor. The entire house creaked as the stone blocks of the walls ground against each other.

Margaret came staggering into his room, struggling to remain upright as the quake continued. She was wearing nothing but her nightgown, too shocked to throw on a robe. Her face was as white as the breast of a seagull, her golden brown eyes wide with fright, and her lips trembling.

"What's happening?" she gasped.

He reached out and pulled her against him. "An earthquake, dear sister. Nothing to fret about. It will pa.s.s. The worst is over."

His words were quiet and calm, but she could see the nervous tension in his eyes. "Will the house fall on us?" she asked fearfully.

"Not this house," he said resolutely. "It's built like the Rock of Gibraltar."

The words were no sooner said than the great chimneys above began to topple and crash down. Fortunately, they were constructed on the outside of the house walls and collapsed outward without smashing through the roof. Most of the damage came from sections of the outer wall surrounding the house that cracked and crashed to the ground like rumbling thunder. Finally, the tremors began to taper away.

The house had stood through the worst of the earthquake and retained its structural integrity, looking as it had before except for the collapsed outer wall and three fallen chimneys. And because the inner walls were board over stone, decorated with paint or wallpaper, and the ceilings were mahogany, there were no clouds of dust from fallen plaster.

"Oh, Lord," murmured Margaret. "What are we going to do?"

"You see to the house. a.s.semble the servants and see if any are injured. Then put them to work cleaning up the mess. Outwardly, act as if restoring the house was your first priority. But begin packing only those valuables and clothes that you consider essential for our flight out of the country."

"You're forgetting Van Dorn's agents," she said, looking up quickly.

"The quake will prove to be a blessing. The city is in chaos. Bell and his fellow Van Dorn detectives have more-pressing problems on their hands than keeping an eye on us."

"What about you?" asked Margaret, pulling her nightgown tightly around her body.

"I'm going to the bank to finish cleaning out the vault of all cash. I put most of the currency in trunks yesterday. When it is all packed, Abner and I will transport the trunks in the Rolls to the warehouse and load them on my railcar for our trip across the Canadian border."

"You make it sound easy," she said drily.

"The simpler, the better." He climbed from bed and headed for the bathroom. "By this time tomorrow, our curtain will ring down on San Francisco and, within a few short months, we'll launch a new banking empire in Montreal."

"How much do you figure we'll have?"

"I've already transferred fifteen million by telegraph wire to four different Canadian banks in four different provinces," he pointed out. "We'll carry another four million with us in currency."

Now she smiled broadly, the fear of the earthquake suddenly pushed aside. "That's more than we had when we came to San Francisco twelve years ago."

"A lot more," Cromwell said comfortably. "Nineteen million more, to be exact."

BELL MISSED Cromwell by twenty minutes when he reached the mansion on Cushman Street. He studied the house and was surprised at the superficial damage after witnessing the unbelievable destruction of the buildings in the main part of the city. He climbed over the mound of fallen bricks that had been an eight-foot wall and walked up the driveway to the front door.

He pulled the doorbell k.n.o.b, stood back, and waited. After a long minute, the door cracked open and the housekeeper peered out at Bell. "What do you want?" she demanded, all formal courtesy lost from the lingering fright of the earthquake.

"I'm from the Van Dorn Detective Agency, here to see Mr. Cromwell."

"Mr. Cromwell is not at home. He left soon after the awful earth shuddering."

He could see a figure approach through the curtains covering the gla.s.s of the door. "Do you know if he went to his bank?"

The housekeeper moved back as Margaret stepped onto the threshold. She stared at the man standing on the step in a suit covered with dust, grime, and soot. The face was blackened with ash, the eyes tired of seeing too much misery. She barely recognized him.

"Isaac, is that you?"

"A little worse for wear, I'm afraid. But, yes, it's me." He removed his hat. "Good to see you, Margaret. I'm happy you survived the quake without injury."

Her dark eyes were wide and soft, as if she were seeing him for the first time. She stood back from the door. "Please come in."

He entered and saw that she had been working at cleaning up the mess littering the floors of the mansion, mostly broken china, porcelain figurines, and Tiffany lampshades. She wore a comfortable red cotton skirt and a woolen sweater under a long ap.r.o.n. Her hair was wrapped in a tight curl atop her head, with loose strands falling beside her cheeks. Despite her plain appearance, she filled the air around her with a sweet fragrance. Whether she wore an expensive silk gown or an ordinary work dress, Margaret was still a stunning woman.

She led him into the parlor and offered him a chair by the fireplace, whose ashes had fanned out over the carpet when the chimney collapsed. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"I'd sell my soul for a cup of coffee."

She turned to her housekeeper, who had overheard and simply nodded, then scurried off to the kitchen. Margaret found it difficult to gaze directly into Bell's hypnotic eyes. She found herself with a growing l.u.s.t that she had experienced earlier in his presence.

"What do you want with Jacob?" she demanded without preamble.

"I think you know the answer to that question," he replied in a flat tone.

"You cannot abduct him again. Not in San Francisco. You must know that by now."

"You and he have bribed too many corrupt politicians in this town to ever be held for your crimes," Bell said bitterly. He paused and looked around at the servants cleaning up the house and putting the furniture and decor back in its proper place. "Looks like you intend on remaining in the city."

"Why not?" she said, faking indignation. "This is our city. We have a thriving business and close friends. Our hearts are open to the poor who live here. Why on earth should we leave?"

Bell was almost tempted to believe Margaret. She was good, he thought, remembering the night they danced in the Brown Palace Hotel. Very good.

"Is Jacob at the bank?"

"He left to survey the damage."

"I saw what's left of Market Street. Most all the buildings are ruined, few still stand, and the Cromwell Bank is right in the path of the growing inferno."

Margaret seemed unconcerned. "Jacob built the bank to stand for a thousand years, as he did this house, which, you can see, survived the earthquake while the more-pretentious n.o.b Hill mansions were heavily damaged if not destroyed. The House of Cromwell was built to endure."

"Be that as it may, Margaret," said Bell with deadly seriousness. "But I warn you and Jacob not to consider leaving town."

Her anger flared and she came to her feet. "Do not threaten me, and do not think for a moment you can bully my brother. You're all bluff, Isaac. You have no authority, no influence, in this city. My brother and I will be here long after you're gone."

He came to his feet. "I admit defeat on that score. I have no influence in this city or with its political machine. But once you cross the city limits, the two of you belong to me. You can count on it."

"Get out!" she hissed fiercely. "Get out now!"

For a long moment, they glared at each other through wild eyes, infuriated with sudden hostility. Then Bell rose slowly and put on his hat as he walked to the front door.

Margaret jumped to her feet and shouted, "You'll never lay your hands on my brother again. Never in a thousand years! Over my dead body!"

He paused to give her one final look. "I wish you hadn't said that." And then he was gone out the door.

ABNER EXPERTLY zigzagged the Rolls-Royce to the Cromwell National Bank on Sutter and Hyde Streets, evading the heaps of bricks and swarms of people littering the streets. At one corner, a policeman stopped the car and ordered Abner to go to the Mechanics' Pavilion, the immense building and arena that housed a huge archive and was the scene for many fairs, sports events, and concerts. In desperate need of an emergency facility, the city had converted the pavilion into a hospital and morgue. The policeman insisted Cromwell put the Rolls into service as an ambulance for the injured.

"I have other uses for my car," Cromwell said loftily. He spoke through the speaking tube: "Continue on to the bank, Abner."

The policeman pulled out his revolver and pointed the muzzle at Abner. "I'm personally commandeering this car and seeing that you go directly to the pavilion or I'll blow your driver's head off and turn the car over to someone with decency."

Cromwell was not impressed. "A pretty speech, Officer, but the car stays with me."

The policeman's face flushed with anger. He waved his revolver. "I'm not going to warn you again-"