The Remittance Kid Part 7

3 Told in: THE b.l.o.o.d.y BORDER. J.T.E.

CHAPTER NINE.

TINVILLE MIGHT KNOW THE ANSWER.

'If only I'd been carrying a gun - !' Belle Boyd began bitterly, after having paced restlessly around the small office on the ground floor of the Streeterville Munic.i.p.al Hospital for a few minutes.

'The sergeant would have done exactly the same thing,' Captain Patrick Reeder interrupted gently and with none of his usual laconic levity. 'To his way of thinking, the situation was too dangerous for a woman to be involved.'

'I know,' the Rebel Spy sighed. 'But it's the second time a man has been killed for thinking the same thing.'1 Out of consideration for the kind of work upon which Belle and the Remittance Kid were engaged, Lieutenant Edward Ballinger had changed his mind about taking them into Room Twelve to see whether Raoul Fourmies had killed Colin Gorr-Kauphin. To have done so would have meant that their official status could not have been concealed from the members of the hospital staff who were already approaching. Instead, he had claimed they were innocent by-standers who had been on their way to visit a friend. Although the porter had known this was untrue, he had supported the story by stating he had let them in because they could not come at the regulation visiting period. To make the deception appear genuine, Belle had given the impression of being very distressed and the Kid once more employed his Irish accent. Ballinger had sent them to wait in the office, ostensibly to obtain their statements as witnesses.

Before the Kid could ask when the first occasion had occurred, the door opened and Ballinger walked in. He was carrying a fur hat, a brightly coloured cloth sash with a knife in a decorated and fringed leather sheath attached to it, and a pair of heelless rawhide boots with calf length legs.

'Have either of you seen anything like these before?' the lieutenant inquired, closing the door and crossing to lay the articles on the desk.

'They're an Indian-made belt, sheath and moccasins, as you already know,' Belle replied, 'But I'm afraid I couldn't even start to guess at from which tribe they originated and I've never seen a hat like that.'

'How about you, Captain Reeder?' Ballinger asked.

'I can't claim to be an authority, or any such rot, of course,' the Kid warned, picking up the hat and examining it. 'But I've seen something like this, as well as the belt and moccasins, worn by French Canadians and the Metis in particular.'

'Metis?' Ballinger queried.

'It's a corruption of the French word, "metissage"? which means - or so I'm told, "miscegenation",'3 the Kid explained sounding more ashamed than pleased that he was able to display such erudition. 'In Canada, "Metis" is the name1 given to people of mixed French and Indian birth.'

'Then that's what the two we killed could be,' Ballinger said thoughtfully. 'From the look of their necks, neither had been used to having his shirt collar b.u.t.toned and the state of their feet showed that they'd never worn anything with harder soles than these moccasins. They were even darker than just well tanned and their faces had a sort of Indian look. Their hair was shoulder long, too, but one wai brown and the other reddish and every Indian I've seen,: which isn't many, always had black hair. Was Fourmies a French Canadian?'

'Parisian,' the Kid supplied, impressed by the thoroughness with which the lieutenant had carried out the examination of the men killed in the entrance hall. 'As far as I know, he's never even been to Canada.'

'He hasn't,' Belle confirmed. 'Unless Tinville lied to me. With the exception of Father Devlin, this is the first visit to the New World for all of them.'

'I reckon we'd better finish that talk we were having," Ballinger stated, looking from the girl to the Englishman and back again, then indicating the chairs they had occupied before the return of Sergeant Molloy. 'What's going on?'

"You know the purpose behind the free entertainment this evening, don't you?' the Kid suggested, after they were all seated.

'From what I heard, it was fund raising for helping Irish Republicans,' Ballinger replied. He considered the way in which the Englishman had worded the question was a tribute to his ability as a police officer and not an accusation of complicity in the affair. His gaze went to the Rebel Spy as he continued, 'As I know the way Phineas Branigan and his buckoes go about taking collections, I thought it'd be as well if I was on hand in case they started doing it at the theatre. Thing I don't get, Colonel Boyd, is why you became involved and did what you did.'

'Because it is imperative that the United States shouldn't be proven to be involved in supplying the means for a confrontation, or a civil war, between two parts of the British Isles,' Belle replied. 'Which, no matter what your personal sentiments might be, is Ireland's status under law.'

'I still don't understand,' Ballinger admitted frankly.

'Shall I explain, Rem,' Belle asked, 'or will you?'

"You, if you wish, dear girl,' the Kid authorised, almost disinterestedly if his tone was any guide to his true emotions; not that either the girl or the detective believed this was so.

'Do you remember the findings of what has become known as the Alabama Arbitration Tribunal, lieutenant?' Belle inquired, after giving a swift resume of the discussion she had had with the Englishman in her room at the Carrick Hotel.

'Sure,' Bellinger admitted and darted a frosty grin at the Englishman. 'They were real popular, particularly in this part of town, when the report of them was given in the newspapers.'4 'I can imagine they would be,' the Kid answered, showing; not the slightest animosity. 'My aunt, the Dowager d.u.c.h.es of Brockley, was something less than enthusiastic when she heard. In fact, she had to be forcibly restrained from going and horse-whipping every member of the jolly old Tribunal.'

'The point is,' Belle continued, seeing that the detective was amused by the response to his comment, 'ever since that award was made, Congress - or most of it - has been aware of the need to tread very warily where anything that might be regarded as an infringement of British interests is concerned. And that is how collecting money for arms to be employed in an uprising against British rule in Ireland could be - in fact almost certainly would be construed by the British Government.'

'There're some who might say you haven't picked the best way of avoiding that,' Ballinger pointed out. 'From what I saw of it, the money in the trunk was pretty well all marked by the fire and could be easy to identify.'

'Which is why I set off the fire,' Belle replied. 'If the money was to be used for the purchase of arms and ammunition, the kind of dealer they will have to go to won't be willing to accept coins which are so marked and easily traceable.'

'There has to be more to whatever Miss Gorr-Kauphia and Father Devlin are up to than just that,' the lieutenant protested. 'Unless Fourmies was double-crossing them and came without their knowledge, they've proved they're willing to have her brother killed to prevent him from talking out of turn. And just having it proved that some guns have been sent to Ireland from over here doesn't strike me as being enough cause for another international committee to be set up. I should reckon that doing it'd cost plenty.'

'It did,' the Kid confirmed.

'And even if one is set up,' Ballinger went on, directing the words mainly at Belle. 'It's not certain that the U.S. of A. would lose out this time.'

'I wouldn't want to count on winning,' the Rebel Spy warned. 'The Tribunal found for the U.S.A. in Seventy-Two, but there's been a noticable anti-American feeling growing in Europe of late.'

'I'm afraid that's true, old boy,' the Kid confirmed, 'And, while it's not the British Government's doing, I'll admit there are some Members of Parliament who won't hesitate to try and exploit it.'

'From what you told me, Captain Reeder,' Ballinger said, sounding almost casual 'You're a member of the British Secret Service - ?'

'Well actually, old chap, I haven't told you any such thing,' the Kid corrected, guessing what was coming. 'But, like your General Washington, I can't tell a lie. I am.'

'Then there're some who might say it would be your duty to let them send the arms and make sure you could prove they'd come from over here,' Ballinger went on, unknowingly expressing the doubts formerly felt by the Rebel Spy. 'No offence to you personally, mind, but I'd say there are some in your Government who could see it that way. England might be just about the richest and most powerful country in the world,5 but fifteen and a half million - pounds, don't you call them? - isn't a sum of money to be lost without looking for a way to get it back.'

'There are some might say that the way in which Phineas Branigan and his buckoes make collections for the support of the Irish Republicans shouldn't be any of your concern, if it comes to that,' the Kid countered.

'I don't give a d.a.m.n what anybody thinks when folk are being hurt to - !' Ballinger began heatedly, then the words trailed away as he realised he was giving an answer which might not apply only to his motives for being willing to intervene.

'And that's how I see it,' the Kid declared. 'As I told Belle earlier, I'm more concerned with the people on both sides who will suffer than the possibility of Britain making money, or political capital, out of such a situation.'

'You didn't say that in so many words,' the Rebel Spy objected. 'But I knew it was what you meant.'

'Like I said, no offence,' the detective continued, satisfied by the confirmation of his belief that the Englishman had spoken with genuine sincerity. Holding out his right hand in evidence of his good will, he went on, 'Is it all right if I drop the "Captain"?'

'Well actually one is only supposed to reach first name terms after an acquaintance of no less than twenty-eight years, seven months, three weeks and five days, give or take a minute or two, Ed,' the Kid replied, returning to his laconic speech and exchanging a strong hand-shake with Ballinger. 'But, at the risk of making the foundations of the Empire shudder, I suppose we could make an exception. Try either "Pat", or "Rem".'

'"Rem"?' Ballinger repeated, wondering how the word supplied a sobriquet.

'It's short for the Remittance Kid,' Belle explained, delighted by the way in which the conversation was progressing. She was aware that the affair was far from over and appreciated how advantageous it would be if she could obtain the whole-hearted support of both men, with them working on amicable terms. 'That means his family pay him to stay as far away as possible from them. And, as he will insist on wearing that horrible false nose, I can't say I blame them.'

'Anyway, Ed, as you pointed out, this whole affair may cut far deeper than appears on the surface,' the Kid remarked, so blandly that he might not have heard the Rebel Spy's comment. Although his voice retained its lazy drawl, there was now a deadly serious undertone which was apparent to both members of his small audience. 'I don't know if General Handiman and your people have noticed it, Belle, but over the past few years we've become increasingly aware of a pattern behind the strife and civic disturbances that have been formented all over Europe, Asia and even down in Australia. Costly industrial disputes, international incidents which could have and, in some cases, even did result in open war have happened. Behind the majority of them has been a strong suggestion of an anarchist influence.'

'It's been commented upon,' the girl admitted. 'In fact, there's a strong rumour of a plot to a.s.sa.s.sinate Crown Prince Rudolph of Bosgravnia while he's down in Texas on a hunting trip.'

'I hope your people are taking the threat seriously,' the Kid stated.

'They are,' Belle replied. 'In fact, if it hadn't been for this business, I would have been going back down there. As it is, the General has made other arrangements for the Crown Prince's protection.'8 'He'll most likely ask Captain Fog to look after things,' Ballinger suggested prophetically, although he considered they were straying from the subject in which he was most interested. 'There aren't enough anarchists around to make all that much trouble.'

'They aren't in sufficient numbers to overthrow the government or rulers of even a small country by force as yet, I'll grant you, Ed,' Belle conceded. 'But they're waging a continuous campaign against different nations' finances, economy and, as far as possible, established traditions and way of life. It's calculated to weaken the structure of each's society until there is a collapse which will enable them to take over the reins of government.'

'That's the reason behind the kind of entertainment and literature their kind put out,' the Kid elaborated. 'Thank the Lord that so far they haven't the means to inflict it upon more than a small proportion of the population at one time. If they ever get something which will let them reach the majority, democratic freedom will be in deadly peril because they'll exploit it every way they can. They won't rest until their kind dominate the whole of the world. And they won't care how many innocent people they cause to be killed, or how much misery, suffering and ruin they create while they're trying to bring it about.'

'That's true,' Belle seconded, seeing that the lieutenant was as impressed as she had been by the vehemence with which the Englishman had spoken. 'Now what we have to decide is how to deal with their latest business.'

'Are you sure there are anarchists involved, Colonel?' Ballinger asked, knowing the local politicians who were supporting 'Father Devlin' had no such inclinations.

'All the performers in the show are anarchists,' the Rebel Spy pointed out. 'And, if the English can relax formalities, I don't see why we Americans have to keep using one another's ranks, Ed.'

'Anything the Limey can do, we can do better, Belle,' Ballinger concurred with a grin. Then it faded and he went on, 'You're not saying Father Devlin's one, are you?'

'If he is, we've never heard about it and it's likely we would have,' the girl replied. 'As they considered that religion is used by governments to help control the lower cla.s.ses, anarchists generally profess to be atheists or agnostics. So a priest who became one would almost certainly be talked about.'

'Whether he is, or he's not, he's hand in glove with them,' Ballinger declared. 'That showed in the way he kept backing Miss Gorr-Kauphin up in trying to mislead me at the theatre. Of course, that doesn't mean he's an anarchist himself. He might be so dedicated to seeing the British run out of Ireland that he'd be willing to go to any lengths, even lying to the police, to help anybody who's trying to do it.'

'That could be so, old chap,' the Kid admitted. 'Although, speaking from my personal experiences, I've found that your local Irish supporters of independence for Ireland tend to be somewhat insular in their outlook and look askance upon everyone who isn't Irish becoming involved in their affairs. The reaction of the audience tonight when I pointed out that dear Vera was British and of the cla.s.s she was reviling was a good example of that."

'I wondered what you were doing in the theatre,' Ballinger said. 'Anyway, I'm not gainsaying what you said. The men behind Branigan and his buckoes wouldn't take kindly to the notion of having a bunch of foreigners taking the credit for fund raising, but they'd do it if a priest suggested they should.'

'From what I've seen of him and been told,' Belle put in, 'Father Devlin isn't the kind to be fooled by anybody. So, whatever else his motives might be, he wasn't just being used by Vera Gorr-Kauphin.'

'I got the feeling they were close,' Ballinger remarked pensively. 'Not friendly, but at least working together. The thing is, did they know Fourmies was coming to kill her brother?'

'He'd never dare do it without their approval,' Belle stated. 'And, even with it, I'm surprised he had the courage to do it.'

'Maybe he's done it without them knowing, though,' the lieutenant objected. 'It could be him and that Tinville feller they were so eager to have blamed, but didn't want me to find are in cahoots and planning to double-cross them. Even if they're not and he was sent by the Father and Miss Gorr-Kauphin, how do we prove it? We can't even prove the feller we shot upstairs is Fourmies. I don't suppose anybody, except the Gorr-Kauphins and Tinville maybe, has seen him with his hair cut short and beard shaved off. At least, n.o.body we can lay our hands on in a hurry.'

'The most obvious solution would be to go and confront dear Vera and the good Father with a demand to be told why they tried to pull the wool over your official eyes, old chap,' the Kid commented. 'But I can appreciate how doing it might be somewhat impolitic under the circ.u.mstances.'

'That's one name for it,' Ballinger answered dryly. 'In this part of town particularly you don't even suggest that a priest might be doing something underhand unless you've got certain proof of it. And I haven't. All they'd need to do is say that Fourmies was called out of town suddenly, so he couldn't have killed young Gorr-Kauphin and that whoever did is a stranger to them. Having those two jaspers with him, who sure as h.e.l.l aren't city boys and don't even look to be all white would help them make it stick.'

'Father Devlin hasn't been here for long, has he?' Belle put in.

'About eight days,' Ballinger replied. 'He was brought down from Green Bay, Wisconsin, when old Father O'Keefe retired.'

'Did anybody here know him before he came?' the girl went on.

'I wouldn't know,' Ballinger confessed. 'Are you saying he might be an impostor?'

'If he is, it would answer a lot of questions,' Belle replied.

'He'd have to know all the right things to get away with it,' the detective objected, but he agreed with the Rebel Spy's comment.

'You could always try sending for information about him to Green Bay,' the Kid suggested and raised a hand in a placatory gesture as Ballinger was about to speak. 'I know, old sport, you've already decided to do that. But getting the answer is going to take time and I'm willing to bet that, when the man who escaped tells them what's happened here, they'll be leaving Chicago before you receive it.'

'You mean they'll give up whatever it is they have in mind?' the detective asked.

'I wouldn't want to count on that,' Belle replied, before the Kid could make a similar response. 'Neither Vera Gorr-Kauphin nor "Father Devlin" are the kind to give up anything they set their mind to that easily. So what we'd better decide is how do we deal with them?'

'And how to find out what the scheme is in case they escape,' the Englishman supplemented. 'The fact that those two chappies we had to kill in the entrance hall might be French Canadians, or Metis, suggests that there's something more involved than just collecting money to send arms to Ireland.'

'Tinville might know the answer,' Belle suggested. 'Why don't we go and ask him?'

'I'd be the first to say "yes" to that,' Ballinger replied. 'But finding him's the problem. He wasn't at the County Clare Hotel when we got there and, unless he's come back and Sergeant Damon's put the arm on him, he's got the whole city to hide in.'

'There's just one chance, though,' Belle stated and quickly described her a.s.sociation with the missing actor, concluding, 'The money I gave him was only the advance payment and he's got the same amount after we've pulled off the robbery in exchange for telling us where Vera Gorr-Kauphin keeps her jewellery hidden while she's at the theatre.'

'I've got much the same arrangement, dear girl,' the Kid declared. 'We're to meet tomorrow morning and he'll let me into the secret.'

'He must think my "gennelman friend" and I are better prospects than you,' Belle said with a smile, stroking the handle of her re-a.s.sembled parasol. 'We're to meet him at midnight tonight.'

'All right then,' Ballinger said, rising from the desk and donning his hat. Tell me where you're meeting him and I'll do my best to get you there on time.'

1 The first occasion is described in: THE COLT AND THE SABRE. J.T.E, 2 'Metis' and 'metissage' are p.r.o.nounced, 'Matefs' and 'matesazh', J.T.E.

3 Miscegenation: marriage, or interbreeding, between members of differed races. J.T.E.

4 In 1872, an international committee sitting in judgement on what had become known as the 'Alabama' Arbitration Tribunal, over protests levelled by the United States of America at Great Britain's conduct during the War of Secession, hail ruled in favour of the complainants. For allowing Confederate States' naval vessels such as the cruisers Alabama, Florida and Shenandoah to not only be built in, but to operate out of its ports - and being involved in blockade running and other activities equally detrimental to the Union's cause - the Government of Great Britain had been ordered to pay rest.i.tution to the sum of PS15,500,000. J.T.E.

5 This was true at the period of the events recorded in the present volume. J.T.E.

6 What the arrangements entailed is told in: BEGUINAGE and BEGUINAGE IS DEAD! J.T.E.

CHAPTER TEN.

I KNOW HOW THEY WERE DAMAGED.

'What is this?' Ernst Kramer growled indignantly, glaring at the discoloured and partially melted coins which he had poured from the second of the canvas bags on to the table in front of him. Raising his eyes, he scowled at his visitors and the Germanic timbre of his harsh voice became even more p.r.o.nounced as he went on, 'You're not expecting me to accept these, are you?'

'What's wrong with them?' 'Father Matthew Devlin' demanded, with well simulated innocence, although he knew the answer. 'They might be disfigured, but they're still acceptable legal tender.'

'And they'll be noticed anywhere I pa.s.s them,' Kramer countered. 'I'm not accepting them!'

The time was just after half past eleven. Having arrived to keep an appointment of great importance, Vera Gorr-Kauphin and the bogus priest were finding themselves faced with the problem they had antic.i.p.ated.

On receiving the message sent by the surviving member of the trio who had accompanied Raoul Fourmies to the Streeterville Munic.i.p.al Hospital, the couple had held a council of war. They had been compelled to do so by the alarm Phineas Branigan had displayed over the news, particularly that Lieutenant Edward Ballinger was at the hospital. Having questioned the driver of the fringe-top Surrey, they had concluded that either the artist's disguise had been penetrated or - considering the amount of time that had elapsed between him entering and the commencement of the shooting - that his purpose had become suspected. Taking into account the behaviour of his escort, they were inclined to a.s.sume it was the latter contingency. The comment about Fourmies having to take his chances had implied that the survivor was unable to see what had happened to him. If he had been arrested, or shot, the man would have mentioned it. The general concensus of opinion - including that of the actress, despite the victim being her brother - or rather the hope was that Fourmies had carried out his task successfully before being discovered, but had not been taken alive.

It had been apparent that Branigan and his men had no intention of waiting at O'Malley's Grand Emerald Isle Theatre until the survivor returned. Vera and 'Devlin' had agreed with him that there was an urgent need to depart. Not only had they much to do that evening, they realised that the theatre was the first place Ballinger would come to look for them if Fourmies, Gorr-Kauphin, or even Marcel Tinville - who still had not been located by Branigan's men - had fallen into his hands.

Of the three, the actress and the impostor had been least concerned over the possibility of Tinville being apprehended by the police. While he knew something of their plans, he had not been present when the real Father Devlin was murdered. Nor had he taken part in the disposal of the body. Knowing the artist and Gorr-Kauphin, the couple felt sure that neither would have told him about the incident. They would have no wish for him to possess such incriminating knowledge, as it would give him a powerful hold over them. So Tinville would be unable to supply Ballinger with any details of the crime. Nothing else the couple had done left them open to such serious legal repercussions. They could deny all knowledge of the reason for the artist's visit to the hospital. Nor would many people believe that a woman would authorise the murder of her own brother, much less that a priest would condone the act. On the other hand, if arrested, Fourmies might turn state evidence in the hope of saving himself from hanging. Or, should the attempted murder have been foiled, Gorr-Kauphin was just as likely to do the same out of a desire for revenge when he learned what had brought the artist to the hospital.