Benny stared at him. “What!” he said.
Jay nodded. “I think so, Perminger.”
“You're crazy!” Benny said, his voice rising. He got to his feet. “That's a goddamn dirty lie, and you know it. Take it back, you heel, or I'll kick the nuts off you.”
Jay reached out and shoved him in his chest. Benny flopped over into the chair again. “Quiet,” Jay said.
“You've got to listen to this. You don't know how deep it goes.”
Benny said between his teeth, “You're goin' to be sorry for this, you heel!”
“Aw, shut up; let me tell you. Mendetta's dead. Who killed him? Some guy who thinks he can make more dough out of the racket. There's Grantham at 22nd Club. It might be he, but I don't think so. He hasn't the guts. Never mind who it is just yet. Mendetta's girls never had a conviction. Time after time I've been in court when one of them was brought in for soliciting, and every time they got off. Every time one of his girls came up Judge Hennessey was the guy who found them not guilty. Why? Ever heard of corrupt judges? All right.
Mendetta must have had a lot of protection. That means he paid out a lot of dough. When he was killed, I'm bettin' those guys who got regular dough started gettin' scared. If they find the guy who killed Mendetta they won't get any more easy dough. They're givin' him a run. If he keeps up payment, as Mendetta did, then he's safe. That's the way the racket is worked in this town.”
Benny said, “What the hell has it to do with Sadie?”
Jay leant forward. “Suppose Sadie saw the killer? Suppose she reported it to the cops? Suppose they got excited and saw that she was goin' to bust up their racket? What would they do? Give her a cake and a bronx cheer? Like hell!”
Benny sat very still. “What could they do with her?”
“They could either knock her on the head or else give her over to Grantham. You've got to face it, Perminger. If her body ain't found in a week or so, then she's in one of his houses.”
“They can't do a thing like that!” Benny said wildly. “By God! I won't let them do it!” He got to his feet.
Jay said, “You don't understand. You've got to take it. There's nothing we can do. Now listen; they know I'm on to their racket, so what do they do? I've got to go to New York to cover the Tammany Hall trial. That's just getting me out of the way. I've got no come?back. I gotta do it. If I turn it down I'm on the black list, and I can't afford to be on that.”
Benny said thickly, “And what am I supposed to do? Sit around and let them get away with it?”
“If I hadn't told you, you wouldn't have done anything. I've got no proof of all this. No, you've got to wait.
Go and see Grantham and try and sell him some trucks. Try and find out who's taken over the organization.
Maybe it is Grantham, but somehow I can't see him holding a job of work down as big as that. Anyway, snoop around. Don't start anything. Just snoop. When I get back I'm goin' to go after this business with both hands.”
Benny said, “If you think I'm going to sit around while Sadie's in those bastards' hands you're crazy. I'm going right over and split Grantham open.”
“You sucker,” Jay said. “How far will that get you? If you make it too hot you'll ran into a belly?load of slugs. Will that help Sadie? No, there's only one way of handling this, and that's by taking it slow. We can't help her now. Whatever's happened to her or is going to happen to her we can't stop. The cops won't listen to you. You can't force your way in twenty brothels and search for her. You've got to consider she's dead. Do you understand? You're not looking for her, you're avenging her.”
He got to his feet and went to the door. “I've got to catch my train. Stick around, Perminger, and take it.”
Benny sat in the chair and watched him go. His hands gripped the chair?arms until his knuckles showed white. He began to swear slowly and obscenely, using words that he never spoke aloud. Then quite suddenly he put his hands over his face and began to cry.
21
SADIE OPENED her eyes as the door swung open. She had fallen into an exhausted sleep and her dreams had been terrifying. She sat up on the bed, her hand going to her mouth and her eyes dark with fear.
Fan came in and shut the door behind her. The silk wrap that she wore outlined her full figure. There was no mistaking what she was.
Sadie caught her breath when she saw her. Her mouth was so dry that she couldn't say anything.
“Take it easy,” Fan said, leaning against the door; “I've been told to have a little talk with you.”
Still Sadie couldn't say anything. She continued to stare at her with growing horror.
Fan said crossly, “Don't look at me like that. You're givin' me the heebies. Relax, sister.”
“Who are you?” Sadie managed to get out.
“What does it matter?” Fan asked, giving a hard little smile. “You worry about yourself. You're in a spot.”
“Where am I? What does all this mean?”
Fan came over to the bed and sat down. “I've got to talk to you,” she said. “Don't think I want to, but when I'm told to do anythin' in this joint it's easier to do it than to kick. The old cow downstairs has sent me up to scare you. Well, I ain't goin' to. I'm goin' to tell you what'll be good for you, and what you ought to do.”
Sadie said, “But tell me where I am.”
“Can't you guess?” Fan said bitterly. “Take a look at me? What do you think I ama nun?”
Sadie felt herself go suddenly very cold. She flinched away from Fan.
“Skip it, sister,” Fan said roughly. “You don't have to take it that way. You're in the same boat as me. I don't know why they've picked on you, but they're goin' to put you through it. If you take my advice you'll do as you're told and get off lightly.”
Sadie looked at her in horror.
“There's a nigger who runs this house. She's tough. Make no mistake about it. She's had dozens of girls like you through her hands. Some of them stuck it for a hell of a long time. They wouldn't do what she wanted.
But they did in the end. You'll do it too. Maybe you don't think you will, but you will.”
Sadie said, “Get me out of here. I'll give you anything if you'll get me out of here.”
“Skip it. No amount of that talk will help. I can't do anythin' for you. All I can tell you is what'll come to you if you buck.”
Sadie controlled her nerves with a great effort. “They won't make me do that,” she said fiercely. “They'll have to kill me first. I won't!”
Fan took a packet of cigarettes from her pocket. “Have one?” she said, shaking two out on the sheet.
Sadie didn't even look at them. “If you won't help me, then I want to see someone else,” she said. “You can't do this sort of thing in this country and get away with it.”
Fan lit a cigarette and put the odd one back in the packet. “Don't be a sap,” she said. “A kid like you don't know anythin'. Listen, sister, have you ever been whipped?”
Sadie flushed hotly. “What's that got to do with it?”
“You tell me. Have you?”
“Of course I haven't. Why should I be?”
“Well, I have.” Fan said grimly. “And believe me it ain't pleasant. When Carrie comes up she'll explain what she wants done. You'll say yes or no. If it's yes, then you'll be okay; if it's noGawd help you. She'll tie you to that bed and she'll whip you. She'll whip you until you say yes. Don't think she'll get tired of itshe won't. She'll whip you every hour of the day until you can't take any more of it. And when she's broken you you'll be doin' what you said no to in the first place.”
Sadie said quietly, “She can do anythin' she likes to mebut I'll never agree.”
Fan sighed. “It's always the same,” she said. “My God, I'm sick of all this! She sends me up to talk you kids into being sensible, but you all say the same. You all think you've got enough guts to take it and in the end you give
