“That doesn’t seem like Daddy to go off and watch something like that. Not when there is work to be done.”
“Perhaps there isn’t any work to be done. I mean, not with all those people on the docks. He wouldn’t want to endanger anyone with loading and unloading ships and whatnot.”
“Well, you may be right, but there’s also the fact there’s a ship at the bottom of the bay. I’ll bet that’s where he is. He must be overseeing the recovery operation of the sunken ship.”
“Where would he be doing that from?”
“Jack, this is a pier with a lot of boats. Don’t you think my father has his own boat to head out into the harbor with? Or that he could get onto any small ship and have them take him where he wanted to go? Remember, he’s the manager of all that goes on with this side of the harbor. Nothing happens here he doesn’t know about or isn’t directly overseeing.”
“Do we need him to tell us what’s going on?”
Betsy wrinkled her brow in thought. “Noooo, not really. I think we can get by looking through his records. He has a really good filing system. If it’s important, it’ll be on top. Quite simple, really. And the most important things to Daddy would be anything coming in today or tomorrow. So what are we looking for?”
“Well, the ship that’d been sunk had a shipment for the Sohmer and Company piano manufacturers. We should see if they had anything else arriving by ship. That could key us in to where this villain might strike next.”
“I think this was either an accident, or they were trying to sink the Isere.”
“Please, Betsy, why would anyone want to sink the Isere?”
“The British Nationalists in this country have been trying for years to thwart our attempts at independence, and the Statue of Liberty represents that freedom. I maintain they were trying to sink that ship and sank the wrong one.”
“We’ve been over all this before. There are no British Nationalists in the United States.”
“You can say that all you want, Jack, but you know I’m right. However for now, I’ll humor you, and we’ll look into this piano conspiracy of yours.”
He wanted to retort, but held his tongue. If he continued to argue with her, she’d only push harder with the idea this was all the goings-on of the British underground. He admired her for her stubbornness, but her thinking could be a touch misguided from time to time.
The Americans had sent the British packing for home over a century before, and now the United States had thirty-eight states and several territories being scoured by adventurous souls. If the British were still on American soil, they were not only outnumbered, they were destined to be discovered and lose.
“I don’t care what it takes! I want that ship off the bottom of the bay before the lunchtime whistle. Get that crane moving, and get it moving now. I know it’s slow, and I also know it can move faster!”
The man stomping into the office chewed the burnt stub of a cigar in his scowling mouth. His shirt, wrinkled and stained, had its sleeves rolled up, and he was ready to work. He slammed a large wireless communication box onto a small table near the door. After tugging his pants, he adjusted the grimy, green hat on his head and looked up into his office.
Jack and Betsy had frozen in place near his desk. If he hadn’t still been standing, Jack was certain his heart would have stopped beating.
Mr. Wilkes. Mr. Gregory Wilkes. Old Iron Leg himself. Jack wasn’t the one responsible for the mechanical leg Mr. Wilkes wore, but he felt the kick sure enough. Behind Mr. Wilkes’ back the men on the docks jokingly called him ‘Happy’ and they’d all had a good laugh.
He looked first at Betsy. His expression didn’t change. If it had, it was so slight Jack didn’t notice.
“Hi, Daddy.” She didn’t move from her position behind the desk.
He nodded at her. Then his gaze shifted to Jack. Again, he was certain the expression didn’t change, but he could feel the eyes burning into his very being. Now he was certain his heart had stopped.
Very certain.
He tried to swallow, but his mouth had gone bone dry. He tried to smile, but his lips didn’t want to cooperate. This was the first time he’d run into Mr. Wilkes since his firing.
“Just what do you two think you’re doing in my office? This isn’t a playground for kids. This is a place of business. I don’t have the energy for games. Get out!”
“Daddy, we’re trying to find some information.”
He moved aside as Mr. Wilkes crossed the office and made his way behind his desk. Betsy bravely kissed the man on his cheek, though Jack thought she appeared as nervous as he felt.
“I don’t have time for games. I told you—”
“This is concerning the ship that was sunk this morning. Jack doesn’t think it was an accident.”
“Oh, is that so? So tell me, bright guy. What do you think it was? Some kids gallivanting around and they happened to blow up and sink thousands of dollars of ivory to the bottom of the bay? Why? It’s not like we don’t have the means to recover it and ivory isn’t going to go bad on the bay floor.” He pulled the cigar stub out of his mouth and pointed it at Jack like a weapon. “Or perhaps you think someone has it out for Captain Issaks. Some do-gooders who don’t like where the ivory is coming from? Is that it? Or perhaps some people are against fair trade. Or how about the British?” This last statement he directed at Betsy. “I told you two already, I’ve got work. So why don’t—”
“Daddy, if this wasn’t an accident, we want to try and stop it from happening again.”
“Just what makes you think—”
A massive explosion rocked the dockside.
Seven
“We got you the pamphlets like you said, Boss,” Lenny said, carrying two of the first twenty boxes of leaflets as he entered. “We also busted up the printing press like you ordered and parked that carriage of yours beside the Frenchy’s boat.”
Felonious clapped his hands. “Finally, you dolts have done something right! I am pleased. Come with me. I believe it is time to carry out the next phase of the plan.”
He led them from the studio to his office. He sat at his desk and waved at them. “Please. You may stand in front of my desk when I sit.”
Lenny exchanged a glance with Squiggy then moved to stand in front of Felonious.
He held up two remote control devices. “Drat! I should have labeled these things. One is for the carriage, or ‘Plan B’ as I like to call it. The other is for the explosives that seem to have disappeared.” He stared at the two men. “Now, which do you suppose is the one for the carriage?”
Squiggy jumped up and down. “Oooh, oooh! I know!”
Felonious arched an eyebrow that made Lenny’s lips twitch. “Yes, minion?”
“I bet the one with the black button is for the carriage. Er, I mean Plan B”.
“Riiiggghhhttt!” Felonious drawled. He peered at the remotes. Both had black buttons. He put them on the desk. “I guess, since I don’t know which is which, I must employ a more scientific method to determining the right one.” He recited a rhyme, touching each remote as he spoke. “Eeeny, meeny, miney, moe, catch a minion by the toe. If it hollers let it go, eeeny, meeny, miney, moe!” He indicated the remote on his right. “Ah ha! I knew it.”
He picked it up and with a grand flourish, pressed the black button. As he was doing so, Lenny looked at Squiggy then dove to the floor.
In the distance, a column of flame billowed into the sky followed by the roar of an explosion.
Felonious leapt to his feet and rushed to the veranda outside his office. He grabbed the brass spyglass he had stored there and peered through it at the rising column of smoke. Across the river, a short distance from the French vessel that held the pieces of the Statue of Liberty, another ship was already sliding beneath the water, fire and greasy smoke belching from the floating remnants. The dock it had been tied to was totally gone.
He cocked his head. “Where did you put that case again?”
“Right
next to the Frenchy ship, just like you said, Boss,” Lenny said.
“Blast it! Someone else must have stolen my idea.” Felonious slapped the spyglass closed and faced his henchmen. “That makes me so very angry. Who would dare steal my ideas? Especially now that I am so close to achieving my goals?”
He strode back into the office, his men following on his heels. Grabbing the other remote, he punched the button. Lenny and Squiggy dove for the floor again.
“Since someone else has tried to steal my thunder, I have no choice but to invoke Plan B.”
Lenny peeked above the edge of the desk. “You mean the carriage, right, Boss?”
Felonious’ smile sent Lenny back down behind the desk. “Exactly, minion. Plan B is the carriage you took to the pier. With the push of this button, it transforms into an autonomous metal golem that will wreak such havoc as this pathetic city has never seen before.”
Lenny slowly stood and cocked his head to listen. He waited for several seconds before he spoke again. “How long does the transformation take?”
Felonious’ sneered. “Only a few minutes. In fact, if we look now, it should already be visible.” He lifted the spyglass once more and viewed the pier that berthed the Isere.
“Any minute now…”
He continued to watch, his smile getting smaller and smaller. After ten minutes he lowered the spyglass and closed it with a snap. “You fools are certain you parked the carriage near the French ship?”
“Absolutely, Boss,” Lenny said.
“So, where is it, then?” Felonious said with a snarl. “It should have transformed and destroyed everything around it by now.”
“I-I don’t know, Boss,” Lenny said, sweat beading on his forehead.
Felonious paced. “I don’t ask much of you two. A robbery here, an explosive planted there. I give you every opportunity to succeed and nothing. Nothing but failure.”
“But, Boss,” Squiggy said. “We done got you the pamphlets you wanted. We busted up that printing press thingy but good too.”
Felonious sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Fine, minion. I will grant that you are not total failures. However, the things that matter, that really matter, fall flat. I ask you to blow up a ship. A pretty easy task for anyone. You destroy the wrong ship. Now, I ask you to drive my carriage and park it near a French ship, and you get even that wrong.”
“But—” Squiggy began.
“No buts, minion! Perhaps my faith in you two miscreants is misplaced. Perhaps I need to re-evaluate our employment agreement.”
“Naw, don’t go doing that, Boss,” Lenny begged. “Give us another chance. Please!”
Felonious tapped his foot. “Another chance? I do believe you two are about out of chances.” He paused to look at his fingernails. “However, I am a compassionate and caring employer so I will give you one more chance. Only one, mind you!”
“We’ll take it!” Lenny shouted.
Felonious stared at the man for several seconds before he spoke again. “Very well. I have been told a man is due to arrive on the afternoon zeppelin from England. You are to meet him at the terminal and bring him back here. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Boss,” Lenny said. “One question though, Boss.”
“Yes?”
“How will we know who he is?”
Felonious waved his hand. “Just look for the biggest ponce on the zeppelin. He calls himself ‘Mister Y’. Oh yes. He will be carrying a briefcase and silver topped cane. I believe the handle is shaped like a skull or some such nonsense.”
Lenny nodded so eagerly it seemed like his head might fly off. “We’re on it, Boss. Afternoon zeppelin. Ponce. Silver skull cane. Got it!”
He rushed off with Squiggy in hot pursuit.
~ * ~
Jack and Betsy followed Mr. Wilkes out of the office. The old man moved impressively fast. With his iron leg, Jack didn’t think Mr. Wilkes would be able to move so quickly. He most certainly never moved that fast normally.
Screams came from outside as the crowd at the grandstand near the Isere fled. What had been a happy occasion with a band and banners and even Mayor Grace, had turned into a hysterical, fleeing mass. However, the explosion hadn’t come from the Isere, but from one pier over. Yet another ship now slowly slipped under the water’s surface. A bomb had obviously gone off somewhere near where Jack parked the fine vehicle, for it too had disappeared.
Men from nearby buildings dragged hoses out to extinguish the fire that had erupted, and quickly the black smoke turned to white. The people from the grandstand had disappeared in short order, and only the police remained.
Office O’Malley stopped the three. “Now stop right there. Where do the lot of you think you’re going?”
“O’Malley, get out of the way. I need to get over there and see what happened,” Mr. Wilkes ordered.
“Old Iron Leg, I’m not letting you go over there and get hurt now. Let my men get everything under control first, and once I’m sure everything is safe…”
Loud creaking came from beyond the billowing smoke—the creak of twisting metal. The structure of the crane that had been on its way into the harbor to recover the sunken ship swayed drastically. First toward the buildings, then toward the deeper water. The operator tried desperately to get it under control, but with one of the crane’s legs out of commission, it was a lost cause keeping it upright and now a fight not to lose it in the bay as well.
“No! Not this too. I need that damnable thing!” Mr. Wilkes shouted.
“Back up, I’m not sure how much damage will happen when that thing comes down.”
“O’Malley, get out of my way. Damage or not I’m going to see…”
They all got to see. The structure faltered and tipped toward the Isere. Mr. Wilkes threw his cigar on to the ground. The crane looked like a giant trying to keep its balance and failing. In a way it was just that. The blast had weakened one leg and the steel buckled and rivets popped. Jack turned and covered Betsy with his body. Her rapid breathing heated up the inside of his coat quickly.
“I can’t believe this. I can’t believe it’s really happening.” Betsy sounded on the verge of tears.
“Two ships in one day! Someone is up to no good,” Jack said as he patted her back.
“What about that crane?”
He had to wait to answer as the crane crashed into the pier and the explosion of wood and metal and water showered them. Mr. Wilkes cursed, but his words were lost amid the horrific noise as the crane finished collapsing and came to rest.
“…and I’ll have the heads of the people responsible for this happening on my wharf! Do you hear me, O’Malley? Find the ones responsible for this, and before you haul them off to jail, you bring them here to me. Heads will roll for this! Heads will roll!”
“I’m guessing…” Jack started to speak, listening to ensure Mr. Wilkes had stopped talking. “I’m guessing the crane was destroyed along with that ship to prevent the ivory from being recovered.”
He let Betsy out from the protection of his coat. He had to shake it vigorously to get the dust off himself. O’Malley had removed his hat and mopped his bald head with a handkerchief as he shook his head and looked at the disaster. Mr. Wilkes had disappeared completely into the lingering dust cloud that now blew into the city.
“Jack, I think we need to look into this,” Betsy said as she tapped the parasol in her hand. “We may have different ideas about who is perpetuating these attacks, but I think the end result is the same. It’s up to you and me to uncover what’s really happening.”
He nodded. “I agree with you. We’d better find out what was on the second ship.”
“Do you think my father will allow us near it?”
“Perhaps he’ll be occupied long enough for us to get back to the office. Can you see which ship got blown up?” Jack shrugged and motioned to the stacks of manifests.
“I didn’t see, but it was parked on pier twenty-nine.” Betsy went to the desk and started looking.
“That one sounds familiar. There’s something about pier twenty-nine. There’s a huge warehouse over there.” He slapped himself in the forehead with the palm of his hand. “Oh my goodness!”
Betsy’s jumped slightly. “What is it? What is it about pier twenty-nine?”
“That warehouse. It’s where Sohmer and Company store their pianos before they ship them out. I don’t think we need to go and look, but I’m pretty sure the sunk ship was either loaded or about to be loaded with a shipment of pianos.”
He stared down the wharf. Was it possible the culprit used the distraction of Mayor Grace’s speech to blow up another ship knowing the police force would be distracted with keeping the man protected? Whoever was doing these deeds was a crafty one. A crafty one indeed.
“Jack! Pay attention. We need to get over there and see if what I suspect is true.”
“Betsy, I can’t allow you to put yourself in danger like that. It’s quite possible the wharf in that area is unstable. I think we need to clear out.”
“No, we’re not going anywhere until we find out for sure what’s going on over there. If this is, as you suspect, an attack on the piano industry in New York, we need to know either what was on that ship or in that warehouse. I spent long enough here with my father, and I’m pretty sure, but we need to be certain.”
Jack suddenly felt the need to put on his mask and head off into the wreckage and find out what he could, but how could he do that with Betsy right here? She knew him quite well, but she had no idea of his alter ego. He couldn’t very well tell her. Not now. The time wasn’t right.
She cocked her head and looked at him closely. Her eyes widened, and she scanned the area to see if anyone remained. A few dockworkers milled about watching the smoke as it settled and started to clear, but it appeared nearly everyone else had fled. She took him by the arm like a schoolteacher with a problem student.
“Betsy, what are you doing? Betsy.”
Once they were out of sight of prying eyes and noisy ears behind a fully loaded lorry, she fixed him with a steady gaze. “It’s you, isn’t it?”
Jack Kane and the Statue of Liberty Page 8
