Guy Garrick | Page 8

don't know as we shall."
"No," pursued Garrick, "I don't know and I'll admit that I'd like to know.
My position is, as it always has been, that we shouldn't work at cross
purposes. I have drawn my own conclusions on the case and, to put it
bluntly, it seemed to me clear that she was of the demi-monde."
"She was--in a sense," vouchsafed the commissioner. "Now," he added,
leaning forward impressively, "I'm going to tell you something. That
girl--was one of the best stool pigeons we have ever had."
Both Garrick and I were listening intently at, the surprising revelation
of the commissioner. He was pacing up and down, now, evidently
much excited.
"As for me," he continued, "I hate the stool pigeon method as much as
anyone can. I don't like it. I don't relish the idea of being in partnership
with crooks in any degree. I hate an informer who worms himself or
herself into a person's friendship for the purpose of betraying it. But the
system is here. I didn't start it and I can't change it. As long as it's here I
must accept it and do business under it. And, that being the case, I can't
afford to let matters like this killing pass without getting revenge, swift
and sure. You understand? Someone's going to suffer for the killing of
that girl, not only because it was a brutal murder, but because the
department has got to make an example or no one whom we employ is
safe."
Dillon was shouldering his burly form up and down the office in his
excitement. He paused in front of us, to proceed.
"I've got one of my best men on the case now--Inspector Herman. I'll
introduce you to him, if he happens to be around. Herman's all right.

But here you come in, Garrick, and tell me you picked up something
that my man missed up there in Jersey. I know it's the truth, too. I've
worked with you and seen enough of you to know that you wouldn't
say a thing like that as a bluff to me."
Dillon was evidently debating something in his mind.
"Herman'll have to stand it," he went on, half to himself. "I don't care
whether he gets jealous or not."
He paused and looked Garrick squarely in the eye, as he led up to his
proposal. "Garrick," he said slowly, "I'd like to have you take up the
case for us, too. I've heard already that you are working on the
automobile cases. You see, I have ways of getting information myself.
We're not so helpless as your friend McBirney, maybe, thinks."
He faced us and it was almost as if he read our minds.
"For instance," he proceeded, "it may interest you to know that we have
just planned a new method to recover stolen automobiles and
apprehend the thieves. A census of all cars in the questionable garages
of the city has been taken, and each day every policeman is furnished
with descriptions of cars stolen in the past twenty- four hours. The
policeman then is supposed to inspect the garages in his district and if
he finds a machine that shouldn't be there, according to the census, he
sees to it that it isn't removed from the place until it is identified. The
description of this Warrington car has gone out with extra special
orders, and if it's in New York I think we'll find it."
"I think you'll find," remarked Garrick quietly, "that this machine of
Warrington's isn't in the city, at all."
"I hardly think it is, myself," agreed Dillon. "Whoever it was who took
it is probably posted about our new scheme. That's not the point I was
driving at. You see, Garrick, our trails cross in these cases in a number
of ways. Now, I have a little secret fund at my disposal. In so far as the
affair involved the murder of that girl--and I'm convinced that it
does--will you consider that you are working for the city, too? The

whole thing dovetails. You don't have to neglect one client to serve
another. I'll do anything I can to help you with the auto cases. In fact,
you'll do better by both clients by joining the cases."
"Dillon," answered Garrick quickly, "you've always been on the level
with me. I can trust you. Consider that it is a bargain. We'll work
together. Now, who was the girl?"
"Her name was Rena Taylor," replied Dillon, apparently much gratified
at the success of his proposal. "I had her at work getting evidence
against a ladies' poolroom in Forty-seventh Street--an elusive place that
we've never been able to 'get right.'"
Garrick shot a quick glance at me. Evidently we were on the right trail,
anyhow.
"I