The Black Star Part 14

"There were to be eight men and two women," he heard a captain say.

"We're one man and one woman shy."

"I saw another woman with the red ribbon on," spoke up one of the detectives. "Maybe I'd recognize her if I saw her again."

"We'll have all the exits guarded, and you can look--"

Verbeck whirled to Faustina.

"We've got to get out of this quick!" he said. "That man may have seen you, may recognize you. If we get out now we are safe, for if he saw you on the street afterward in different clothes he'd never recognize you. And n.o.body would suspect Faustina Wendell. But right now it would be dangerous for him to see you."

"What can we do?" Howard asked in sudden alarm.

"Quiet! Act naturally, for Heaven's sake. Come with me to the door.

You came in the electric?"

"Yes," Faustina said.

"Get all our things in the check room, Howard-as naturally as possible, remember-and meet us at the door--"

Already he was leading Faustina toward the nearest entrance. The captain of detectives was rus.h.i.+ng there to go on guard immediately.

Howard came from the check room, and Verbeck put Faustina's wrap over her shoulders.

"Wait a minute there!" It was the captain of detectives who called to them. "I want to see you before you go-- Oh, 'tis you, Mr. Verbeck?

You and your young lady and her brother? Go right along, sir. We're trying to catch a crook or two-we want to watch all who leave. Sorry to have bothered you, sir--"

"That's all right, captain," Verbeck said. "I hope you catch your crooks." He lifted his hat and led Faustina out into the corridor, Howard following. They went out into the softly falling snow and the blur of thousands of electric lights to safety.

They started toward the corner where the electric had been left. But before they reached it Verbeck halted in surprise, and with an exclamation of unbelief on his lips. Muggs was running toward him.

"May I speak to you a minute-boss?" he asked.

Wondering, Verbeck excused himself and stepped to one side.

"I've got the Black Star in the car across the street, where it's dark," Muggs said. "I gave him a crack on the head and threw him on the floor of the car and put a robe over him-but he's liable to come to any time."

"How--"

"For the love of Mike, boss, hand the devil over to the police and get rid of him. I've still got that hunch!"

Verbeck hurried back to the others.

"Get in the electric and wait for me at the corner," he directed.

"I'll be only a minute or so."

As they started on, Verbeck followed Muggs across the street. He knew exactly what he intended doing; there would not be any waste of time.

"We'll act on that hunch of yours right now, Muggs," he said. "Drive to the entrance of the hall."

In a moment they were there. Verbeck went inside and called the captain of detectives to him.

"Bring a couple of your men and come out here," he said. "I've got the Black Star for you. Yes-come along! I'm the man who caught him, captain, and did the telephoning to the chief."

The captain and two others followed Verbeck to the curb. The Black Star was groaning, but not yet conscious.

"Take him away," Verbeck directed. "I've got to escort my fiancee home, and she's waiting in a car at the corner. This is Muggs, my man.

He'll follow out to my fiancee's home with the car, and I'll drive right back in it to headquarters and tell you the story. Watch that man, captain-he's a smooth customer. Muggs-you understand?"

"Yes, sir," said Muggs.

He stepped aside with Verbeck as the officers carried the Black Star around the corner to a patrol wagon-the Black Star was wearing handcuffs.

"The police followed me back up in town," Muggs explained. "I couldn't get away by running, so I tricked 'em. I went to the union depot-time for a bunch of trains to be due, you see, and a big crowd there. I got a lead on 'em and whirled around the corner and stopped my car among a bunch of others-got out and was standing on the walk looking innocent and picking my teeth when the cops rushed by. They went on past the depot-supposed I had gone that way. Easy! Then I started up again to get back near the hall. Remember that dark s.p.a.ce near the middle of the viaduct, where so many holdups come off? Just as I got there I saw Mr. Black Star sneaking along with a suit case in one hand. Stopped the car and smashed him on the head with a wrench before he knew it!

Threw him in the car and covered him up-see? Easy!"

Verbeck's hand gripped that of Muggs for an instant, and then he hurried to join Faustina and Howard.

"We've got the Black Star, too," was all he said. "I'll have to run back to police headquarters after I go home with you, and tell them all about it. And I'll explain the entire thing to both of you to-morrow morning. I suppose you'll kiss me now, Faustina, even if Howard is looking? You wouldn't, you know, when you suspected me of being the Black Star."

Although she was driving the car, Faustina ran the risk of collision by taking her eyes off the street long enough to do as Verbeck wished.

Then, satisfied, he settled back in the seat beside Howard.

"One thing," he said, "I shall do. After this I'll pay more attention to any hunch Muggs may get. Great little man-Muggs!"

CHAPTER XIV-UNEXPECTED NEWS

It was exactly one o'clock in the morning when Mr. Roger Verbeck clasped in his arms Miss Faustina Wendell-dainty, sweet, and twenty-four-and pressed upon her lips an ardent kiss.

"It is time for little girls to be in bed," he said after the kiss.

"We'll talk it all over this evening."

There was another kiss, and then Roger Verbeck followed Howard Wendell to the outer door, turned up the collar of his ulster, and hurried out into the blinding snowstorm to where Muggs awaited him.

Muggs sat behind the wheel of Roger Verbeck's powerful roadster, his chin down in his coat collar, and allowed the soft snow to pile against the side of his head, meanwhile listening to the purring of the engine and living over again the events of the past two days.

Muggs was a modest man, but even in his modesty he was forced to admit that he had something to do with the fact that the Black Star now was in the hands of the police.

"Dreaming, eh?" Verbeck demanded, stopping beside the roadster.

"Excuse me, boss. I didn't think you'd be out so soon."

"We've got to hustle down to police headquarters-remember that, Muggs.

We must tell the chief and his boys what happened. All they know is that they have made some arrests on our information. Drive slowly."

Muggs started the roadster and drove on. He stopped the machine in the blinding snow at a corner and squawked the horn. Reasonably sure at last that he could cross without maiming half a dozen pedestrians for life, he sent the roadster down a side street and stopped it before police headquarters.