‘Can’t do it any harm. Teaspoonful of whisky topped up with water.’ He produced a flask from an inside pocket and poured generous measures. ‘Malt. Always prepared. Your health.’
‘Excellent. And now?’
‘Four things. One, our Chief of Police. For your information only. Donahure and I are not seeing eye to eye.’
‘You surprise me.’
‘Probably not half as surprised as Donahure is right now. I’ve been upsetting him. I’ve been the cause of his losing a van of his this evening — it fell off a cliff into the Pacific. I’ve confiscated some of his personal goods and interviewed a stake-out he set on me.’
‘He’s in hospital?’
‘He’ll need medical care. Right now I’d guess he’s reporting to Donahure on the failure of his mission.’
‘How did you pin him to Donahure?’
‘He told me.’
‘Naturally. Well, can’t say I’m sorry. But I did warn you — Donahure’s dangerous. Rather, his friends are. And you know how cornered rats behave. You have a tie-in between him and San Ruffino?’
‘Things point that way. I’ll look through his house later on tonight, see what I can find.’
‘He might be at home.’
‘What difference does that make? Then I think I’ll go have a word with Judge LeWinter.’
‘You will? He’s a different kettle of fish from Donahure. Spoken of as the next State Supreme Court Chairman.’
‘Still tarred with the same brush. What do you know of him?’
‘We have a file on him.’ Dunne peered at his glass.
‘That means he’s poison?’
‘I’m being non-committal.’
‘Yes. Well, something else for your file. Donahure called tonight with a search warrant on such an obviously trumped-up charge that only a crooked judge would have signed it.’
‘Any prizes for guessing?’
‘No. Number two. I’d appreciate your help in this and the next couple of matters.’ He drew Carlton’s file and the notes he had made on it from a large envelope. ‘Security deputy. One of the seven snatched this afternoon. His
‘All the best villains are.’
‘Yes. Army, intelligence, two security jobs before coming to San Ruffino. As he’s always worked for the Army or the AEC his past should be an open book. However, I’d like an answer to those few questions I’ve noted, especially his past contacts. The contacts, no matter how unimportant, are the important things.’
‘You have reason to suspect this man Carlton?’
I’ve no reason not to, which is the same thing to me.’
‘Routine. Number three?’
Ryder produced another paper — Marjory’s transcription of Susan’s shorthand — and explained how he had come by it. Dunne read through it several times. Ryder said: ‘You seem to find this interesting?’
‘Odd. This bit about not getting wet feet. About once a year since the turn of the century some people in this State have been confidently expecting the second flood. Cranks, of course.’
‘Cranks and highly organized criminals like this Morro or whoever don’t go together?’
‘They’re not mutually exclusive either.’
‘Does the FBI have their names?’
‘Of course. Thousands of them.’
‘Forget it. If you were to lock up all the nonconformists in this State you’d have half the population behind bars.’
‘And maybe the wrong half at that.’ Dunne was pensive. ‘You mentioned the word “organized”. We do have groups of what you might call organized and successful cranks.’
‘Subversives?’
‘Weirdos. But weirdos who have managed to put it together in an acceptable and comprehensible fashion. Acceptable and comprehensible to them, that is.’
‘Many of those so-called organized groups?’
‘Haven’t seen the list lately. Couple of hundred perhaps.’
‘Just a handful. No stone unturned, is that it?’
‘And no avenue unexplored. I’ll get a list. But that’s not what you’re interested in. This Morro character. Fictitious name, of course.
‘Bit more personal, Major.’ Ryder slid a photograph and piece of paper across the table. ‘I want this person taken care of.’
Dunne looked at the photograph with appreciation. ‘Lovely young lady. Obviously no relation of yours, so what’s the connection?’
‘Peggy. My daughter.’
‘Ah!’ Dunne was not an easy man to knock off stride. ‘Mrs Ryder must be a beautiful person.’
‘Well, thank you very much.’ Ryder smiled. ‘She’s a sophomore at San Diego. The address is the flat she shares with three other girls. Tried to phone her — that’s her number there — but no reply. I’m sure one of your men could find out where she is in no time. I’d like her to know what’s happened before she finds out on the radio or TV in some crowded discotheque.’
‘No problem. But that’s not all, is it? You said “taken care of”.’
‘They already have my wife. If Donahure is tied into this — and I’ll know within an hour — Morro and his friends might not like me.’
‘The request is unusual.’
‘So are the circumstances.’ Dunne was hesitating. ‘You have children, Major?’
‘Damnit, yes. I mean, damn you, yes. How old is Peggy?’
‘Eighteen.’
‘So’s my Jane. Blackmail, Sergeant, downright blackmail. All right, all right. But you know I’m supposed to be co-operating closely with Donahure. You’re putting me in a difficult position.’
‘What kind of position do you think I’m in?’ He looked up as pink pantaloons approached their table and looked at Ryder.
‘You Mr Green?’
‘Yes. How did you know?’
‘Caller said a wide man in a dark suit. You’re the only wide man in a dark suit here. Phone’s this way.’
Ryder followed and picked up the phone. ‘Well-built, my lad, not wide. What news?’
‘Raminoff’s been and left. Houseboy drove him. Still bleeding. Gone to some struck-off quack, probably.’
‘Donahure there?’
‘I don’t imagine Raminoff spent five minutes talking to the houseboy.’
‘Meet you at the corner of Fourth and Hawthorne. Ten minutes, maybe fifteen.’
Ryder had arrived back at his table but had not yet sat down when pink pantaloons appeared again. ‘Another call, Mr Green.’
Ryder was back inside a minute. He sat and brought out his flask again.
‘Two calls. The stake-out did in fact report back to Donahure. Going out there in a minute.’ Under Dunne’s puzzled gaze Ryder gulped the contents of his refilled glass. ‘Second call was from John Aaron. You know him?’
‘The
‘AP and Reuters are burning up the wires. Gentleman called them. You’d never guess the name he gave.’
‘Morro.’
‘Morro it was. Said he’d engineered the San Ruffino break-in of which he was sure they knew nothing about. Gave in specific detail the amount of Uranium Two-Three-Five and plutonium that had been taken, and asked any
