starting toward the bank and being shot. The hole was in his back. Fitting in with that, McGraw said the last seen of the stickup car was when it turned into King Street. The boys would be returning to the City Hall, to their jail alibi.”
“But didn’t the bank watchman say he shot Jerry? That’s the way it was in the papers.”
“He said so, but he’d say anything and believe it. He probably emptied his gun with his eyes shut, and anything that fell was his. Didn’t you see Jerry drop?”
“Yes, I did, and he was facing the bank, but it was all too confused for me to see who shot him. There were a lot of men shooting, and—”
“Yeah. They’d see to that. I also advertised the fact—at least, it looks like a fact to me—that Reno plugged Lew Yard. This Reno is a tough egg, isn’t he? Noonan went watery, but all they got out of Reno was a ‘What of it?’ It was all nice and gentlemanly. They were evenly divided—Pete and Whisper against Noonan and Reno. But none of them could count on his partner backing him up if he made a play, and by the time the meeting was over the pairs had been split. Noonan was out of the count, and Reno and Whisper, against each other, had Pete against them. So everybody sat around and behaved and watched everybody else while I juggled death and destruction.
“Whisper was the first to leave, and he seems to have had time to collect some rods in front of Noonan’s house by the time the chief reached home. The chief was shot down. If Pete the Finn meant what he said—and he has the look of a man who would—he’ll be out after Whisper. Reno was as much to blame for Jerry’s death as Noonan, so Whisper ought to be gunning for him. Knowing it, Reno will be out to get Whisper first, and that will set Pete on his trail. Besides that, Reno will likely have his hands full standing off those of the late Lew Yard’s underlings who don’t fancy Reno as boss. All in all it’s one swell dish.”