CHAPTER VIII--THE POLICE GET A TIP
Verbeck arose at noon to face the day that meant the culmination ofhis plans. As he bathed and shaved and dressed he kept thinking of theprowler he had seen a few hours before. Could it be possible, he askedhimself, that some of the Black Star's band had grown suspicious andwould take an active part against him? Had the Black Star, a prisonerin the old Verbeck house, sent out some message from his prisoncalling for rescue? Verbeck was half afraid he had made some blunder,had overlooked something that would allow the master criminal to turnthe tables and emerge victor from the duel of wits.
He telephoned the garage for his roadster, and hurried out to the oldVerbeck place, taking with him a lineman from the telephone company'soffice. The lineman connected the telephone, which had been out ofservice.
"How is the prisoner?" Verbeck asked Muggs after the lineman haddeparted.
"Down in the vegetable pit, thinking of his sins."
"Fetch him up," Verbeck directed, and began carrying in the food hehad purchased before running out from town.
It was a surly Black Star who entered the living room, with Muggs athis heels urging him on. He no longer was handsome because of a twodays' growth of beard and dark circles under his eyes. He glared atMuggs malevolently as he crossed the room and sat down stiffly on adivan.
"How long," he demanded of Verbeck, "are you going to keep meprisoner, with a maniac for jailer?"
"Probably until a late hour to-night. But you need not be confined inthe pit again. I'm going to have Muggs keep you in this room, where itis warm and comfortable. I want to give you a bit of liberty untilto-night."
"And then?"
"Then I'll probably hand you over to the police, and you'll havemighty small freedom for years to come."
"Indeed?" the Black Star snarled. "You have arranged everything, haveyou? Planned a coup of some sort?"
"Time will tell," said Verbeck.
"And don't you ever stop to fear for yourself?"
"I haven't felt particularly afraid at any time."
"I have warned you that the arm of my organization----"
"Is a long one--I remember," said Verbeck. "The arm of the law also islong, Mr. Black Star, and a clever, honest man can outwit a clevercrook any time, as I said once before. You called it a boast, Ibelieve."
"You are not done yet."
"Certainly not--but I'll be done within a few hours."
Verbeck walked to a corner and beckoned Muggs to him.
"I'll return to-night, some time after nine o'clock," he said. "I wantyou to watch the Black Star well, Muggs. If he escapes now----"
"Why don't you call in the police, boss?"
"And spoil everything? I'm going through with this now--I'm going tonab the Black Star and his gang."
"Then there's something big coming off, and I'm not to be in on it?"Muggs demanded.
"Neither am I, Muggs--at the moment it comes off. But we'll both be inat the finish--and we'll be there strong. Just curb your curiosity,Muggs, until this evening. I'll explain everything then. Careful, now,and don't let the Black Star escape. I fancy you've been aggravatinghim."
"Aw, boss----"
"He looks it. Haven't you?"
"I was just reciting a list of his sins, boss."
"Well, Muggs, recite less and keep your eyes open more. Watch everymove he makes. Don't you use that telephone, and don't let the BlackStar get near it. I had it connected so we can use it to-night. NowI'm off!"
He got in the roadster and started back downtown. He stopped before asuburban drug store and went into a telephone booth. He had not wantedto send this telephone message from his own apartment nor from the oldVerbeck place, for it might be traced.
He called police headquarters, and asked to be connected with thechief. No, he said, the chief's secretary wouldn't do. It wassomething about the Black Star.
In a moment he heard the chief's gruff voice.
"Listen carefully," Verbeck told him, "for I am not going to repeatwhat I say or answer questions. This is very important, and if youdisregard it you'll be sorry. Have your secretary get on the phoneextension and take down in shorthand what I am going to say."
There was a short wait while the chief made the necessaryarrangements, then Verbeck heard himself commanded to speak.
"I have run down and caught the Black Star," he said. "I am holdinghim prisoner now. I cannot hand him over to you just yet, for, if Idid, and the least news of it leaked out, you'd never catch one of hisgang, and, without his gang, you never could convict him. Never mindhow I know it--I am not talking nonsense. You've got that?"
An excited voice told him that the chief understood.
"Now, listen to this," Verbeck went on. "I have arranged for all theBlack Star's band to be at a certain place at the same time, so youand your men can take them all. Keep quiet, chief, and don't askquestions. I want you to send men enough to arrest them--eight men andtwo women are in the crowd. They are to be arrested just when andwhere I say. If you let as much as one of them escape all my work andyours probably will have been for nothing. When you get them you'llfind stolen property on every one. And as soon as I learn you have allof them under arrest I'll turn over the Black Star to you, I'll tellyou where and how he met the members of his gang and gave them orders,and I'll let you have the inside workings of one of the smoothestcrooks' schemes ever devised. But if you make one false move----"
A torrent of words over the wire stopped him for a moment.
"No questions, I said," he went on. "You have understood so far? Verywell! No, I'll not tell you who I am or where I am! Very well, ifyou'll not listen! I'll call you up later, when you're in a bettermood, and explain where you are to make the catch. Good-by!"
And an irate Roger Verbeck strode from the telephone booth, went outto the street, and sprang into his car to drive furiously down thethoroughfare. No excited chief of police could bully him with a lot ofmandatory questions, he told himself. Let them fuss and fume for atime, then they'd listen when he telephoned.
His actions had the desired effect. At police headquarters there was aspirited debate for five minutes between the chief and his secretaryas to whether the telephone communication had come from some practicaljoker. The secretary was inclined to believe that it had. The chiefinsisted that some member of the Black Star's band had turned againsthim and was engineering his downfall.
Verbeck drove on through the streets until he reached the Wendellapartment house. Faustina was waiting for him, and again Verbecknoticed that anxiety was stamped on her face, and now he thought therewas a look of fear also.
"Well, here we are," he said. "And what about the ball?"
"I--I have decided to go," she said, looking at him peculiarly.
"Brother Howard going, too?"
"Yes--he is going."
"With any particular young lady?"
"No--alone."
"Good! Will you be angry, Faustina, if I ask you to go to the ballwith Howard? I cannot explain just now, but--well, I'll be there late,in time to have a couple of dances and bring you home. I'm sorry thatI cannot explain exactly--it is something important that will keep meaway until late."
He looked up, to find her staring at him fixedly.
"Why--what is the matter?" he stammered.
"I--oh, Roger, it is nothing!"
He sat down beside her and started to take her in his arms, but shedrew away from him.
"Why, Faustina----"
"I'm--oh, I'm just a bit nervous, Roger."
"There seemed to be something troubling you yesterday, and therecertainly is to-day," he said. "Can't you confide in me, Faustina? Isthere anything wrong--anything I can do to help?"
"Nothing you can do--to help," she said.
"Then there is something wrong?"
"Don't ask me, please, Roger. I'm nervous, worried. Just let me restuntil to-night--I'll try to be all right then. Certainly I'll go to theball with Howard--and expect you later. And now you'll go, won't you,Ro
ger? I must lie down--and rest."
The puzzled Verbeck walked slowly to the door, Faustina following him.He took her in his arms and kissed her. She did not return the caress,and she seemed on the verge of tears.
"Don't worry," he said softly.
"You tell me not to worry."
"Why, yes. Perhaps whatever is troubling you will cease to trouble.We'll talk of it to-night? You'll let me help you?"
"Yes," she said, "we'll talk of it to-night. We must talk of itto-night."
Verbeck hurried out, got into the car, and started for the businessdistrict. Faustina's actions and manner worried him, yet his mind wasbusy with the Black Star and his affair. Once the Black Star and hisband of crooks were handed over to the police he'd look intoFaustina's trouble, he told himself. Perhaps Howard was running abouttoo much. Perhaps there was financial trouble in the family. Whateverit was, he'd smooth things out, he promised. He couldn't have Faustinaworrying.
He drove carefully now through the heavy traffic, and finally stoppedbefore a hotel. There he entered a public telephone booth, and calledpolice headquarters again. Once more he got the chief on the wire.
"Will you listen now, and ask no questions?" he demanded. "This is nohoax, so you'd better act on my tip."
Then he told the chief where the members of the Black Star's bandcould be captured, and when and how.
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