“Why dont we go down to Coney Island then? I’ve never been.”
“It’s a pretty rough crowd … still we can just ride round. Let’s do it. I’ll go phone for the car.”
Ellen sits alone looking down into her coffeecup. She puts a lump of sugar on her spoon, dips it in the coffee and pops it into her mouth where she crunches it slowly, rubbing the grains of sugar against the roof of her mouth with her tongue. The orchestra is playing a tango.
The sun streaming into the office under the drawn shades cut a bright slanting layer like watered silk through the cigarsmoke.
“Mighty easy,” George Baldwin was saying dragging out the words. “Gus we got to go mighty easy on this.” Gus McNiel bullnecked redfaced with a heavy watchchain in his vest sat in the armchair nodding silently, pulling on his cigar. “As things are now no court would sustain such an injunction … an injunction that seems to me a pure piece of party politics on Judge Connor’s part, but there are certain elements. …”
“You said it. … Look here George I’m goin to leave this whole blame thing to you. You pulled me through the East New York dockin space mess and I guess you can pull me through this.”
“But Gus your position in this whole affair has been entirely within the bounds of legality. If it werent I certainly should not be able to take the case, not even for an old friend like you.”
“You know me George. … I never went back on a guy yet and I dont expect to have anybody go back on me.” Gus got heavily to his feet and began to limp about the office leaning on a goldknobbed cane. “Connor’s a son of a bitch … an honest, you wouldn’t believe it but he was a decent guy before he went up to Albany.”
“My position will be that your attitude in this whole matter has been willfully misconstrued. Connor has been using his position on the bench to further a political end.”
“God I wish we could get him. Jez I thought he was one of the boys; he was until he went up an got mixed up with all those lousy upstate Republicans. Albany’s been the ruination of many a good man.”
Baldwin got up from the flat mahogany table where he sat between tall sheaves of foolscap and put his hand on Gus’s shoulder. “Dont you lose any sleep over it. …”
“I’d feel all right if it wasn’t for those Interborough bonds.”
“What bonds? Who’s seen any bonds? … Let’s get this young fellow in here … Joe … And one more thing Gus, for heaven’s sakes keep your mouth shut. … If any reporters or anybody comes round to see you tell ’em about your trip to Bermuda. … We can get publicity enough when we need it. Just at present we want to keep the papers out of it or you’ll have all the reformers on your heels.”
“Well aint they friends of yours? You can fix it up with em.”
“Gus I’m a lawyer and not a politician. … I dont meddle in those things at all. They dont interest me.”
Baldwin brought the flat of his hand down on a pushbell. An ivoryskinned young woman with heavy sullen eyes and jetty hair came into the room.
“How do you do Mr. McNiel.”
“My but you’re looking well Miss Levitsky.”
“Emily tell em to send that young fellow that’s waiting for Mr. McNiel in.”
Joe O’Keefe came in dragging his feet a little, with his straw hat in his hand. “Howde do sir.”
“Look here Joe, what does McCarthy say?”
“Contractors and Builders Association’s goin to declare a lockout from Monday on.”
“And how’s the union?”
“We got a full treasury. We’re goin to fight.”
Baldwin sat down on the edge of the desk. “I wish I knew what Mayor Mitchel’s attitude was on all this.”
“That reform gang’s just treadin water like they always do,” said Gus savagely biting the end off a cigar. “When’s this decision going to be made public?”
“Saturday.”
“Well keep in touch with us.”
“All right gentlemen. And please dont call me on the phone. It dont look exactly right. You see it aint my office.”
“Might be wiretappin goin on too. Those fellers wont stop at nothin. Well see ye later Joey.”
Joe nodded and walked out. Baldwin turned frowning to Gus.
“Gus I dont know what I’m goin to do with you if you dont keep out of all this labor stuff. A born politician like you ought to have better sense. You just cant get away with it.”
“But we got the whole damn town lined up.”
“I know a whole lot of the town that isnt lined up. But thank Heavens
