over her with something in his hand that she couldn't see. She remembered her terror, and, as she started to scream, a hot hand coming from behind her, over her mouth. She remembered a sharp prick in her arm and her wild struggle, then she remembered nothing more.
Again she half opened her eyes. She was aware that she was lying on a mattress and the colour of the walls was a drab grey. Her heart began to thud wildly. It was no horrible nightmare, then. She turned over and looked round the room.
It was small. The thick carpet on the floor matched the walls. There was no other furniture in the room except the bed on which she was lying.
The door was opposite her. Slowly she sat up, holding her head between her hands. There was something the matter with the room. For a moment she couldn't make it out, then she realized that there was no window.
The discovery did a lot to clear her brain. She knew that she was in acute danger. Of what she didn't know, but all the same it made her sick with terror.
Slowly she got off the bed and staggered across the room to the door. Her feet sank into the pile of the carpet, which deadened her footfalls. She tried the door, but it was locked. She stood pulling weakly at the handle, and then she slid down on to the floor and began to cry.
Her head hurt so. She was so frightened. Where could she be? she asked herself. She stayed like that for some time, and when she couldn't cry any more she again got control of her nerves. She knew she would get nowhere just crying, and, taking herself in hand, she stood up.
She tried the door, pulling at the handle without success, and then she hammered on the panels. That gave her a horrible shock. The panels were covered with a thick layer of rubber. Her small fists bounced back every time she struck, and she could make no sound as she hammered.
She turned and stumbled blindly to the opposite wall and put her hands on it. Rubber again. The room was sound?proof, lined with heavy rubber, even to the ceiling.
She knew then that something horribly was going to happen to her, and she began to scream wildly.
18
RAVEN CAME out of the 22nd Club and signalled to a taxi. His thin white face was expressionless, but there was a triumphant gleam in his eyes. He carried a leather document case, and he climbed into the taxi with a new dignity that off?set his shabby clothes. He gave the address of his hotel and sat back.
The taxi was a symbol of his success. He hadn't ridden in a taxi since he'd left Chi. Now things were going to be different. In the document case were papers that made him a rich man. Grantham hadn't raised any objection. He had turned Mendetta's shares over to him without a word. They were all bearer bonds. Nothing to connect Raven with him. But they meant money. He had been willing to have shared all this with Mendetta, but the rat had said no. Now he had it all.
The taxi swerved and pulled up outside the hotel. Raven paid him off and hurried upstairs. The three were waiting for him, still chewing, blank, stolid expressions on their faces.
Raven looked round at them and they in turn looked at him. He raised the case so that they could see it. He knew it was no use explaining anything about holdings or shares or bearer bonds to them. They hadn't the mentality to understand. All they could understand was money. Not in cheques or bonds, but in notes and coin.
He took from his pocket his small, fast?vanishing roll. He peeled off two notes and gave them to Little Joe.
“Go and get some Scotch,” he said. “Get glasses from downstairs. Make it snappy.”
A little grin came to the faces of the three. This they could understand. A guy doesn't buy them one drink, he sends for a bottle. That must mean dough.
While Little Joe was away Raven took off his hat and combed his hair carefully. He adjusted his frayed tie and regarded himself for a long while in the fly?blown mirror.
The other two watched him with interest. Raven took no notice of them; he was waiting for Little Joe.
They knew this and were content to wait. Little Joe had tagged along with them; he was entitled to hear what was to be said as much as the others.
Little Joe came back with the Scotch and glasses. At a sign from Raven he poured drinks out all round.
Raven took his glass. “Money and power,” he said, and they all drank.
Sitting down, Raven ht a cigarette. “It's fixed,” he said. “We're movin' to the St. Louis Hotel right away.
When we're settled we can look around for somethin' better, but that'll do to get along with.”
The St. Louis Hotel was the best hotel in town.
Maltz said, “Gee! That joint's too swell for us guys.”
“You've got to change your ideasall of you. This is no longer a small?town party. We're big shots,” Raven said, sipping his whisky carefully. “I want to talk to you guys. We're startin' work right away. You've got to go round the bars and spread the rumour that all whores are to get off the streets or else... Do you get it?”
Little Joe scratched his head. “Say, what's the idea?”
Raven knew he'd got to be patient with these guys. “We're goin' to clean up the whole town. It's goin' to be a hell of a job, but it's got to be done. You three have got to get so many hoods in each district of the town who are tough enough to run the whores off the streets and to deal with their bookers. That's your first job. I'll make myself plain. What happens to a guy who smokes a lot and suddenly finds out he can't get tobacco?”
Lefty knew that one. “He goes nuts,” he said simply.
Raven nodded. “That's it, he goes nuts. Then supposing some guy comes along and offers him tobacco after a while at a greatly increased price? What happens?”
The three looked at each other. This was getting beyond them.
“He pays more because he can't get it elsewhere,” Raven said patiently.
“So what?” Little Joe said.
“That's what we're goin' to do. Once we get organized, no whore on the streets will be safe. She's got to be treated rough, so she's too scared to work. We want them to leave town. It'll take a little while, but if you treat
'em rough enough they'll go. If they don't, then we've got to start shootin', but that'll be the last straw. We don't want trouble with the cops. If we knock 'em about, cut 'em a little, the cops won't do anythin', but if we kill 'em, then they'll have to get busy.”
“It's goin' to be tough on the guys who like whores,” Maltz said, thinking of himself.
“Now you're gettin' somewhere,” Raven said. “We're goin' to set up houses. Not these fancy brothels that Mendetta ran. There's no big dough in those. He took a ten per cent cut on the house. The girls got fifty and the rest of the dough was put into expenses. That's a crazy way of workin' it. I'm doin' it differently.” He edged forward. “Each girl will be paid a fixed salary. She'll never see the dough. It'll be put to her credit in a ledger. Out of this she'll have to pay rent for her room, her clothes, smokes, drinks and whatever else she wants. The balance, if there is a balance, will be used to buy shares in the house to give her a business interest.” Raven smiled crookedly. “When she wants to go she can sell out at the market pricewhich will be fixed by meand she can beat it.”
Lefty understood a little of this. “She doesn't see any dough at all, then?”
“That's right. I'm using that dough as capital.”
“These dames like to see money. They won't like this, boss.”
Raven smiled. His thin lips just showed his teeth. It was more of a grimace than a smile. “They're not supposed to like it,” he said. “They're goin' to do as they're told.”
The three exchanged glances. “Rough stuff again, boss?” Little Joe asked.
“Ever been to Reno?” Raven said. “I have. Know what they do to a dame who won't play ball? They pour turpentine on her belly. They play ball all right after that.”
There was a long silence. The three digested that piece of information. “I guess that hurts all right,” Lefty said. “Gee! I'd hate that to happen to me.”
“It wouldn't hurt you as it hurts them,” Raven said.
“You think about it.” He got to his feet. “I'm goin' to the bank to get some dough. I'll stake you guys to a roll.
