The Legend of Long Jones Read online

  “I have no idea. It was lightweight and didn’t look like it would do anything other than sit on something.”

  “Where was the girl being held, do you know?”

  “She was in the General Store at the end of Pine Street.”

  “Alright Mullins,” Muc said, “I’ll look into that when I get Stirling free tomorrow.”

  “I wasn’t asking you to do anything,” Mullins said.

  “Not yet,” Muc smiled, “But I know you and your wife here and you’ll be crying for the plight of that poor girl and anyone else it might happen to before the week is out.”

  “What are you saying?” Mullins said and Kate put a hand on his arm to ease the ire that was rising in him. Muc laughed and stood up. He felt sure footed again and it was time to get back home. He was hoping there would be good news waiting for him there.

  ON HIS WALK HOME, MUC stopped in to a few bars looking for any of his men for an update. He didn’t find anyone in some of the usual haunts this far from home and he assumed they were still out frantically searching for David Stirling.

  Closer to home, Muc made for the Old Brewery. When he walked into the busy tavern the bar man Anderson scowled at him and Muc smiled in reply. He looked around the room and his eyes fell on who he was looking for. He walked over and upended a young man from the seat he was in.

  “Sorry little fella,” Muc said, “I just need to talk to Susan here for a few minutes. I’ll keep your seat for you.” Muc sat down now facing her and the young man got up from the floor red faced and after a moment of hesitation stormed off and left the building.

  “I told you before not to do that!” Susan said slapping him hard on the forearm. As she did she saw all the dried in blood all over him and then the bandage at his neck. “Oh my God! What happened to you?”

  “Don’t be worrying about that,” he waved her concerns away, “I’ve just come to tell you to keep an eye out for a young fella going around wearing a police uniform. He’s a dangerous man trying to take over with the gangs. He killed Lizard Lawndale today and tried to kill me only a couple of hours ago.” Muc looked around the room so see if Terrence Scarrow was here but didn’t see him.

  “Who is he?” Susan asked. Muc shook his head,

  “I don’t know, but I just wanted to warn you to keep a lookout for yourself.”

  “What does it have to do with me?” there was a note of alarm in her voice.

  “Probably nothing,” Muc said,” But just take care.” She looked at his neck and touched softly at the bandage. “I think I might stop by your place late tomorrow night,” he said.

  “That would be fine,” she smiled at him. Before leaving, Muc asked around about Scarrow but no one had heard of any attack or the like on him. Muc was glad of this. It wouldn’t do for them all to be wiped out in such a cowardly way as the young buck had attempted.

  But that was trouble for later on, saving the life of an innocent lad was the priority until tomorrow night. After that, Muc would go after his would be assassin with as much force as he could muster.

  MUC LEFT THE ‘OLD BREWERY’ without having a drink and he stood in the snow-covered street a moment thinking. Part of him wanted to get home for the possible news, but that could wait. Another part of him wanted to know if Scaddow was still alive, and yet another part of him wanted to see Sergeant Malwey and ask what he knew about the fake officer running about the place.

  He decided the latter was the most pressing point at this moment in time.

  Malwey could be found most evenings at a bar down the street from his precinct building. It was not a place usually frequented by gang leaders, but Muc wasn’t one for conventions. As far as he was concerned, he could go where he wanted, when he wanted, night or day.

  As he made his way along the quietening streets, he found he was more on his guard than usual. He kept looking about and he had a feeling his attacker might come at him again to try finish him off tonight. Muc gave a wide berth to alley entrances and blind doorways.

  Malwey was laughing hard when Muc stepped into the bar and everyone looked at the newcomer with surprise. Malwey stopped laughing and polished off the last of a glass of whiskey. He got up, put on his hat and walked to Muc. Silence reigned and every pair of eyes in the place were on the two men. Muc didn’t say anything, he just watched. It was possible he was going to have to fight his way out of here and that wouldn’t do his search for Stirling any good at all. If there was going to be trouble, he was not going to be the one to start it. The sergeant walked right past Muc, using his eyes to indicate Muc should follow him outside.

  The door swung shut and Muc could hear the shuffle of tables and feet as men scurried for the best views out the windows and doors. Malwey walked out into the middle of the street before stopping and turning to face Muc.

  “What in the name of Jaysus are you doing coming in there!” he asked with a grin.

  “I needed to see you and I figured that was where you’d be.”

  “You could have got one hell of a beating doing that,” Malwey said and then nodding to Muc’s neck added, “And you don’t look like you’d be up to it tonight.” Muc put his hand to this neck,

  “Actually, it’s this little scratch that brings me to you this evening, Sergeant.”

  “How so?”

  “This was given to me by a young man pretending to be one of your own. He’d been going around the gang areas the last week or more dressed as policeman and today he killed Lizard Lawndale and tried it on with me to.”

  “Is he dead?” Malwey asked.

  “No, I didn’t get a hold of him before he ran off,” Muc said embarrassed.

  “That’s a first,” Malwey laughed, “You’re getting old, Muc.”

  “We’ll see who’s getting old the next time I see him!” Muc said angrily.

  “What is it you want me to do about this?” Malwey asked.

  “Nothing much, but I wanted to know if you already knew about it?”

  “There were a couple of reports of an officer I couldn't account for. Some were going on the idea that it was David Stirling in disguise.” The way Malwey had said the young man’s name led Muc to wonder if he knew Stirling was being held captive as they spoke.

  “Well I can put paid to that idea right now, it wasn’t David Stirling who did this to me!” Muc said patting lightly on his neck. Malwey raised an eyebrow to this and Muc knew he’d said too much.

  “I wasn’t aware you knew David Stirling,” the sergeant said.

  “I don’t, but I’ve heard enough descriptions of him to know he’s a little on the wimpy side and there’s no wimp who could even think about killing me!” Malwey looked in Muc’s eyes, studying them and then he tilted his and said,

  “Come on away from here,” before starting to walk. Muc fell into step beside him. It was clear the policeman wanted to tell him something he didn’t want those nosy officers at the window to hear. Muc didn’t say anything but waited patiently as they walked on the heavy snowfall.

  “There was a bit of a development on the night of Jeremiah Roan’s murder,” Malwey finally said as they rounded the corner at the end of the street.

  “Oh?”

  “Joseph O’Malley was on the next street, blind drunk and roaring and shouting at around the same time Roan was being murdered. We’ve looked into it, though and the timing is a little off. O’Malley was stumbling away towards the scene just after the attack and the alarm was raised before he got to the corner of Roan’s street. Witnesses saw he just shambled off as the crowd gathered.”

  “This was just as Roan was killed?”

  “Right after it would seem.” Muc mused on this and smiled.

  “You look pleased with this news,” Malwey commented.

  “I am, sergeant,” Muc said, “It possibly answers one of the last questions for me.” Malwey looked on Muc and shook his head with a mirthful grin.

  “I’m not even going to ask,” the policeman said

  “I’ll tell you all wh
en I bring your killer in,” Muc winked.

  “Well, having heard so much about him, I’m looking forward to meeting this ‘Long Jones’ fellow,” Malwey laughed.

  “I’ll make sure to fold him in half so he’ll fit in one of your cells,” Muc laughed too.

  Chapter 10

  Men shovelled snow from early the next morning, clearing ways for the delivery carts to pass and allowing the commerce of the city to keep churning. It had been a hard fall in the early night but had stopped for hours now. Everything wore a fresh coat of clean pristine white.

  Mullins was late leaving his home for the smithy, his night’s sleep having been addled by bad dreams and uneasy waking thoughts about Timmons’ daughter and what had happened to Muc. Timmons and his family would not be able to leave the city before the weather and snow let up and he hoped nothing more would come from the man who’d taken her captive. Muc was a completely unpredictable character and God only knew what he might have got up to last night. His ire was up from the attack and Mullins was sure some poor soul had paid a price for that. It dawned on Mullins then just how often he work up in New York wondering if Muc was still alive. He’d never thought such things back in Dublin, even at the height of the murders back there. If there was anything to know, news of it would spread quickly to his ears.

  At the smithy, the earthen floor was darkened where Muc’s blood had spilled. Mullins turned the soil and evened it out again with the blood below ground now. The door was open and cool air came in feeding fresh oxygen for the two fires going. Looking around he noted the work to be done this morning and it was not all that much. Little as it was, however, Mullins found that he could not get started on it. His mind was elsewhere. On a spur of impulse, he doused the two fires and left them steaming out, locking up the smithy and heading off in the direction of Pine Street.

  The general store was busy when he got there and he stood outside a while waiting for a quiet moment to get inside and talk to the owner. Had he been thinking straight he would have allowed that morning time would be the stores busy period. Standing around outside and peering in every minute, Mullins looked like a bandit with the intent to rob the place. When the glances from those inside started to become nervous ones, he decided it was time to go inside.

  “Are you the store owner?” Mullins asked the man behind the counter. He looked at Mullins warily and nodded,

  “Yes, what can I do for you?”

  “There was a girl being held here yesterday against her will,” Mullins said, red coming to his face as he became angry about the event once more. The owner’s face went red too, but Mullins saw at once it was not rage but embarrassment that caused it. The man looked around hoping that none of his customers had heard this.

  “Regrettably, that is true,” he said.

  “Who put her here?”

  “I don’t know who he is, but works for someone with money and influence and he threatens a lot of bad things if we don’t do as he says.” Mullins noticed the man take his left hand in his right and massage a couple of fingers there absently. If he had to guess, he would say they had been broken by the man in question in the past.

  “Who does he work for?”

  “I don’t know that, either,” the man said blushing afresh. Timmons had been terrified of him too. Who could it be that could instil such fear as this? Some gang leader?

  “Can you tell me anything about the man?” Mullins asked and added quickly, “I want to put a stop to this kind of thing happening.”

  “He’s tall, weathered face, never gave his name. He’s always dressed in a thick black greatcoat with silver buttons down the front. And he uses the same cart for moving things and people around the place.”

  “I saw him and that cart here yesterday, but I didn’t get a look at his face,” Mullins said. “Any idea where he drinks or hangs out during the day?”

  “No, but always comes from that direction,” the store owner pointed down the street in the direction Mullins had seen the cart leave the day before.

  “Thanks,” the big blacksmith said and he left with the intention of finding this evil man.

  LORD MUC ENJOYED HIS breakfast on the morning of day three. It was the last day of this Stirling business and he couldn’t say he was not glad of that. There was something much more serious afoot now and he didn’t want any distractions while he focused on the new threat.

  “There’s still no sign of Stirling anywhere in the city!” Tobias said on entering the kitchen. He looked tired and frantic and Muc knew that it was failure that chewed at him.

  “Well that can only mean one thing then,” Muc said, “He’s not in the city. They must have shipped him out to the countryside somewhere and they’ll bring him back in some time today.” Muc had faith in his men and was sure they would have found Stirling by now if he’d been around to find. Tobias looked at him.

  “Will I station men on the roads and waterways into the city?” he asked. Muc shook his head,

  “No, I don’t think we’ll bother with all that fuss,” Muc said and added, “Why don’t you sit down and eat something. You look exhausted.” Tobias was only too happy to comply.

  “What are you not telling me, Muc,” Tobias asked sitting down to the table. Aunt Kay came over and put a plate down for Tobias who nodded in thanks.

  “Aunt Kay did some investigative work for me yesterday and she’s figured the whole thing out. I’m thinking I might get rid of all you men and get some of her kind around here.” Muc winked at Kay as he said this and Tobias looked to her for an explanation. Kay didn’t say anything, she smiled lightly and went back to her work.

  “Is it over then?” Tobias asked, still completely unsure what was being alluded to.

  “Not yet, but it will be tonight. What I want all the men working on now is finding out about the man who’s trying to take over the gang areas. That’s next on the agenda.”

  “What’s happening tonight with Stirling? We have to get this finished too don’t we.”

  “Like I said, don’t be fretting about it. All will be revealed tonight at a location as yet unknown to me.”

  MULLINS NIPPED INTO a bar to warm up a bit after half an hour traipsing about in the cold. He had a whiskey and stood by the window looking out onto the street. Having spoken to a few people and seeing only fear in their faces, he wondered if he was doing the right thing seeking this man out. There was no doubting what Kate would have to say about it- and that was before she found out he had sacrificed a morning of work so far into the bargain.

  The terrified eyes of Timmons daughter came to his mind at that moment and Mullins was reaffirmed that what he was doing was all he could do. He had no idea what he would do when he found the man if he didn’t respond to Mullins’ threats but he would deal with that if and when he had to.

  The door opened and a gust of icy chill swept in before it was closed again. Mullins looked and saw a man he’d spoken to not too long ago come in and go to the bar. While he was waiting for his drink his eyes wandered around the room until they fell on Mullins. A look of grim determination came over his face and he marched over to Mullins and whispered,

  “You’re looking for Badger Hanscome.” Mullins first instinct was to ask why he hadn’t told him this when he first asked him, but on seeing how much nerve it had taken the man to do it now he refrained.

  “Why don’t you get your drink and join me,” Mullins nodded back to the bar.

  “Thanks, but I don’t want to be seen talking to you if you intend to cause some trouble with Badger.”

  “Can you tell me where to find him?” Mullins asked, but the man was already walking away.

  “I’ve done all I’m willing to. You won’t have trouble finding him I reckon.”

  WHEN MUC WENT DOWN to the yard after his breakfast, James was feeding the squealing pigs from buckets of swill he’d gathered at the gates of the pens. James smiled at his boss,

  “You have Tobias’ head in an awful spin, Muc,” he laughed. “He do
esn’t know what’s going on.”

  “He knows enough to keep him going,” Muc replied. “I have a job for you and I need it kept quiet.” James poured the last swill from the bucket in his hands and turned to face Muc.

  “What is it?”

  “I need you to arrange safe passage out of the city for a woman this evening.”

  “Where to?”

  “Out of the city to begin with and on to California afterwards.”

  “Who is it?”

  “That’s not important right now, but make sure no one knows what you are up to and have it all ready to go by eight tonight, alright?”

  “Yes, no problem,” James nodded.

  HAVING BADGER HANSCOME’S name wasn’t getting Mullins much farther than without it. People he spoke to were afraid to say anything to him and most froze up when the name was mentioned. People would hurry on away from him without saying a word. Mullins felt it very odd that he had never heard of this man before. It sounded like he commanded more fear than any of the gang leaders and yet Badger seemed to be simply in the employ of someone else.

  Mullins looked around the street at the people going about their lives and realised his mistake. He’d been asking the wrong people for information. What he needed was not decent people living their lives and trying to avoid fear at all costs, but gang members and low life’s. Bars and back alleys were the places to find these people.

  Leaving the street by the first alley he came to, Muc found what he was looking for almost at once.

  “What’s your business here?” a rough looking bearded man said stepping in front of him. Mullins was a good four inches taller and much stronger looking of the two but the man seemed to make no allowance for this.

  “I’m looking for someone,” Mullins answered.

  “Well you won’t find him down here,” the man said smiling.

  “How do you know if you don’t know who I’m looking for?”