Conrad bent down and picked up the photographs. He didn't let her see his excitement. He was sure now she had seen Maurer at Dead End. Why else should she have reacted like this?
He held Maurer's photograph out to her.
'Do you know who this is?'
She didn't look at the photograph.
'I don't know any of them.'
'Have you ever heard of Jack Maurer?'
'Of course; he's a racketeer,' Frances said, turning away. 'I'm not interested in him, and I'm not interested in any of the others.'
'I want to tell you about Maurer,' Conrad said, studying the photograph. 'He's quite a character. I'd say he was the most powerful man in the State right now. When he was fifteen he became a bodyguard to Jake Moritti. Before he was sixteen he had been arrested three times for homicide, but each time he made sure no witness lived to give evidence against him. When Moritti ceased to be a power, Maurer joined Zetti. Over a period of ten years he was responsible for thirty murders; mainly gang slavings. When Zetti went to jail, Maurer teamed up with Big Joe Bernstien. A little later he became one of the head men of the Crime Syndicate. You've heard about the Syndicate, haven't you? Their organization spreads over the whole of the country. It is divided into territories and Maurer got California. He has been the racket boss of California now for ten years, and it is remarkable what he has done in that time. He has taken over all the main labour groups. Every member of these unions pays him dues for which he gives them nothing in return, and they're too blind and stupid to realize it. He has taken over the Shylocking business. Do you know what that is? It's one of the greatest profit-making rackets in the country. For every five dollars borrowed, the borrower has to pay back six dollars, and the period is for one week. It works out at 120 per cent in forty-two days. If the borrower fails to pay up on time, two of
Mauler's men call on him, and they give him a schlammin. If you don't know what that is, I'll tell you. A schlammin is a beating, given with a lead pipe wrapped in newspaper. If the borrower still can't pay after a schlammin, then the debt's written off and the borrower gets a bullet in the back.'
Conrad paused to look at Frances, but she had turned her back on him and was looking out of the window.
'Maurer has also taken over the wire service,' he went on, 'without which no bookmaker dare operate, and for the privilege of using this service every bookmaker in the State has to kick in with a weekly payment or else. He has now control of the gambling concessions in the district, and that alone brings him in fifty-five thousand dollars a month.'
Frances turned suddenly.
'Why are you telling me all this? I'm not interested, and I don't want to hear any more!'
'Since Maurer's reign began here, there have been over three hundred murders,' Conrad continued, as if she hadn't spoken. 'We have had only ten convictions, and in each case the convicted men were known to be working for Maurer. Maurer himself is known to have murdered thirty-three people, but that was before he became the boss. Now he gives orders from a safe distance. We have never been able to slap a murder charge on him. But on the 9th of this month he slipped up. For the first time in fifteen years he killed with his own hands. It was he who killed June Arnot who was his mistress and who was cheating him. We have no proof as yet that he did kill her, but we have very strong circumstantial evidence that he did do it. We have only to place him on the scene of the murder and at the time of the murder to convict him and rid California of the most dangerous, murderous, powerful gangster of this or any other century.' He leaned forward and pointed at her. 'I believe you saw him leave or arrive at Dead End. With your evidence I can successfuly prosecute him. It's your duty, Miss Coleman, to give evidence against him, and I'm asking you to do it!'
Frances backed away. Her face was now as white as a fresh fall of snow, and her big eyes looked like holes in a sheet.
'I didn't see him! I keep telling you! And I'm not going to give evidence!'
Conrad stared at her for a long moment, then he shrugged.
'Is that your last word?'
'Yes! Now I'm going home!'
'Well, I can't stop you. I've told you the kind of man Maurer is. He thinks as I
do that you saw him. He knows a word from you will wreck a kingdom worth several millions of dollars a year. Do you imagine he'll take the risk that you didn't see him? Do you imagine a man like that will let you live for five minutes if he can get at you? Two of his men have already tried to wipe you out, and you're lucky they failed. They won't fail next time if you leave our protection!'
'I don't believe you. You're trying to frighten me! I didn't see anything, and I'm going home!'
Conrad restrained his temper with difficulty.
'Miss Coleman, I beg you to think about this. We can protect you. There's nothing to be frightened about. Are you frightened of Maurer? Tell me why you don't want to stay here for a few days?'
'I have no intention of staying and I don't want your protection,' she said angrily. 'I think you're just saying these things to frighten me into giving evidence, and I'm not going to do it!'
Conrad went to the door.
'Madge, will you phone down to the D.A. and tell him Gollowitz can come up?'
Madge stared at him, her eyes alarmed.
'Gollowitz? You're not letting . . .?'
'Will you please do as I tell you!' Conrad snapped. He turned back to Frances. 'There's a lawyer downstairs asking for you. He has a writ for your release. We can't hold you against the writ, but if you refuse to go with him, he can't make you. It's up to you.'
Frances met his eyes defiantly.
