Thugs and Economies (Gideon of Scotland Yard) Page 5

  There were a few ‘big’ criminals, but they were not the main problem. Few really clever men turned to crime deliberately, although some drifted into it, usually to try to recoup business losses. Half-clever criminals could do a lot of harm before they were caught, particularly those who were unknown to the police when they began to work, but the bitter war of attrition was with the little crook, who earned his livelihood from crime.

  Out among London’s two million homes and eight million people, hundreds of families were about to be robbed of money which few could afford. Listening to the radio or watching the television, the war would be brought into their home by crafty, cunning, stealthy men. The fact that if interrupted a thief might use violence was a consequence of the problem, not the problem itself. The fact that people were not safe from burglary in their homes was the heart of the matter.

  Among the crowds in the West End, the dips would soon be busy, and the pros would be out in swarms. Fools of men, eager for a woman, would submit themselves to blandishments, drink too much, and be robbed of everything they had in their pockets.

  There were so many facets to the war.

  In a dozen places, behind a facade of respectability, the gaming was going on. Here and there a bank was being entered, and a big haul planned, but the infantry of crime remained the little men, the little women, many unsuspected and unknown.

  Gideon went upstairs, passed his own office, and opened the door of one just round the corner. Here lights were blazing, the Night Superintendent in charge, Fred Champion, was at his desk, three men in their shirtsleeves were with him, two talking into telephones. It was a familiar kind of bedlam, but Champion greeted Gideon with a smile which seemed quite free from urgency or anxiety. He was thin and dark-haired, and rather saturnine-looking unless he was smiling. Like Riddell, he always dressed well, and usually wore brown; unlike Riddell, he had a quick mind.

  “How is Syd?” Gideon asked.

  “No fresh news, George.”

  “Where is he?”

  “The Middlesex.”

  “Got anyone yet?”

  “Not a hope.”

  That was the answer which Gideon had feared, the answer which made him want to say: ‘We’ve got to get the Slob if we forget every other case we’re on,’ but that kind of emotional outburst wouldn’t help. It reminded him that he was very edgy, and finding it difficult to take things as dispassionately as he should; that in itself made him a little uneasy, too.

  “What’s the report say?” He went round to Champion’s side, and stood by the desk, towering over it.

  “Bit sketchy, so far,” Champion answered. “Apparently there was some trouble between Taylor and a girl. Two of the people in the cafe say he interfered with her as she walked past. We know that’s a lie, but it tells us how they’re going to play it: that Syd tried to play around with a girl, and two of her boyfriends set about him. We can’t get anything else yet. The woman who found him said she didn’t notice anything. When our chaps got to the spot, there were only two people in the cafe near by, and they said they saw these two fellows on a motor cycle. Judging from what we hear, a dozen men must have ganged up on Syd, but I doubt if we’ll ever prove it.”

  “Sure the Slob left the house?”

  “Two independent witnesses from the other end of the street say they saw a car drive off. Anyhow, we can take it for granted that it was laid on to get him away.”

  “Suppose so,” grunted Gideon. “Who’s at NE tonight?”

  “Pratt.”

  “Call him, and tell him not to be surprised if he sees me about, will you?”

  “Right, George.” Champion knew that it would be a waste of time trying to persuade Gideon that he should not go over to the Division and the scene of the crime. Like most men who had come up from the ranks, at heart Gideon was still out on the job. Given any reasonable excuse he would go and see the spot, talk to suspects and witnesses, and in an almost miraculous way get to know the case and the circumstances better than anyone else.

  “Tell Information to call me if there’s any news of Syd,” he said as he turned to go.

  “I will.”

  “Anyone told his wife yet?”

  “Thought we’d hold off until we knew what the odds were.”

  “Yes,” Gideon agreed. “Who’ll go?”

  “Don’t know.” “

  “I will,” Gideon said. He still stood in the doorway. “Much else on yet?”

  “They picked up Larry Day. He heaved a brick through a jeweller’s window in Bond Street.”

  “Fred,” Gideon said abruptly, “we’ve got a problem, because we can’t cover the ground. If you’ve time, check how many jobs we’re handling with a man short, and then check with four or five Divisions to find out how many men they’re short – CID and the Uniformed Branch separately.”

  “What’s this, a Gallup poll?” Champion demanded.

  “Could be.”

  “Only way you’ll ever get the extra staff you’re after is by getting public opinion behind us,” Champion declared, “and as we’re not allowed to go after public opinion, there isn’t a chance. It’s no use applying common-or-garden logic. This is politics, my boy, and the politicians are screaming for economies. This time they’re going to get it.”

  “Who’s been talking to you?” asked Gideon.

  “Just a little bird,” Champion answered.

  If he knew, then the fact that Gideon had let off steam at the conference that morning was all over the Yard. He should have realised that was likely. As far as he could tell, it made no difference – except that Champion had made him very thoughtful about public opinion. That was a point. First get something to rouse public opinion, and then cash in on it. But how?

  Gideon went down to his car, and as he heaved his great body in, realised that there was a kind of excitement in his mind, a knowledge that what had happened to Taylor might be the turning-point in the fight he had on his hands. If Taylor died, it would be in every headline tomorrow morning.

  “What the devil’s got into me?” Gideon asked himself savagely. “He mustn’t die.”

  Syd Taylor’s wife was a small, wiry, alert-looking woman, whom Gideon had met at the police ball, and occasionally at the police sports club. Obviously she knew as soon as she set eyes on him that he brought bad news. When he told her, he thought she would collapse; but she collected herself, and was soon ready to go to the hospital.

  Even though she couldn’t see Syd, she could wait; and two Yard men were there already.

  The Divisional men were outside the East End cafe when Gideon drove up, soon after he had left the hospital. There was a diagram on the pavement, where Taylor had been found, and the whole area around the shop had been cordoned off. The woman café owner was complaining that no customers were able to get in, and she was going to claim compensation. A few dozen people stood about, including several children. The front door of the house where Micky the Slob had been staying was wide open, and Gideon saw the grinning man who lived there with his family. This was a sharp slap in the face for the police, and most of the bystanders were gloating.

  Pratt, one of the NE Division’s senior Chief Inspectors, was supervising the work. Three photographers were busy, and another man was taking plaster casts of footprints in the dirt at the side of the road. Several bloodstains, just brown smears, led from a patch of Taylor’s coagulated blood.

  Pratt was a big man with a good reputation, and the quality of perseverance rather than brilliance. He wore horn-rimmed glasses, his black hair was heavily oiled and smeared down, and it would be easy to mistake him for a bookmaker’s clerk.

  He hurried across to Gideon.

  “Was told you might look round, Mr Gideon, very glad you’ve come. Any news of Taylor? “

  “They’re operating. They’ve one of the best surgeons, anyhow.”

  “I suppose that’s something,” Pratt said. He took off his glasses, which were badly smeared, and began to clean them with a spotless
and beautifully laundered handkerchief. “The devil of it is I feel largely responsible. There was an official request for a man to stand in with Taylor, but I decided that it would probably be a waste of time, so I refused. No doubt that the Slob took a chance because there was only one man watching him.”

  “Couldn’t agree more,” said Gideon.

  “Thing that worries me is, where’s it going to end?” asked Pratt. “I expect it worries you, too. It’s about time the recruiting campaign really woke up; what’s the use of plastering a few posters round the place, saying what a lovely life it is to be a policeman? Just tells people like Micky the Slob that we’re hard up for men. Micky’s not one of the brightest, but even he can see that. Some of the brighter boys are going to tell themselves that this is just their opportunity, that’s my considered opinion.” He talked rather like Worth wrote his reports. “A lot of people knew that Taylor was on his own, but most of them thought that he had someone else watching, out of sight. Now that it’s so obvious that we could only spare one man to keep a lookout for Micky – well, I’d expect a lot of trouble in the next few weeks. Wouldn’t you?”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me,” Gideon agreed. “Any idea who would be most likely to take advantage of the situation?”

  “Could name a dozen,” Pratt answered.

  If he could name a dozen criminals quick enough on the uptake to see and to seize any special opportunity, then the other East End and Central London Divisions could name at least three or four dozen between them. Deep down, Gideon knew, this had been responsible for the depth of his own feeling and for his outburst that morning. Once the well-trained, well-equipped army of criminals realised that the police could be caught on one foot, they would jump into the attack. It would not be organised because organised crime in London was very limited; but it would be spontaneous, and perhaps more dangerous.

  “Name that dozen in a report, will you?” Gideon said, and switched the subject. “Any news of the girl?”

  “She’s been in digs at a house along the road, 57 Dock Street,” Pratt answered. “Been there about three weeks. We’ve been after Micky the Slob for a month, so it looks as if she was planted there. I can’t get a really good description but I’ll dig something out. If Taylor could make a statement, it might hold a lot. Think he’s likely to come round? “

  “Wish I knew,” said Gideon.

  He shook hands with Pratt, had a word with all the men working on the job, and went back to his car. Among the crowd, some of the people jeered, and there was a chorus of Gee-up, Gee-Gee. A wag cried: “Also ran, Gee-Gee!” and won his laugh from the crowd. At his car, Gideon turned, looked at them, and then startled them by grinning and waving. Puzzled people watched him as he drove off.

  “Looks almost pleased with himself,” a man said to Pratt.

  “Just putting up a show.” Pratt said.

  But in fact, in a queer way, Gideon felt exhilarated; he was seeing a lot of things very clearly.

  There were two sides even in this war.

  He got away from the docks, pulled into the side of the road, and flicked on his radio. Information Room answered almost at once.

  “Gideon,” he announced. “Any news of Taylor?”

  “None, sir.”

  “The Slob?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Flash me if there is. Meanwhile, send a message to all Central London Divisions and to E1 and D1, say that I’ll be calling. I’ll do OP next, then E1, then work my way south of the river to CD, then north of the river. Got all that? “

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Thanks,” said Gideon, and flicked off, started the engine again, and got off to a quick start.

  Suddenly, he was in a hurry.

  That evening, the child who played at the edge of the sea on Bournsea Beach, while the older children swam and dived and played, saw the big dog which liked toffees leaping across the sands towards her. This time, she did not look so frightened, but was a little uncertain, and glanced at the dog’s owner, who was strolling down from the promenade. He reached the child, took out the bag of sweets, and said:

  “Would you like to give him a toffee tonight?”

  She looked even more uncertain.

  “Try,” he urged. “He won’t bite you, I promise. Look, I’ll hold your hand.”

  “All right,” the child agreed.

  The man unwrapped a toffee, put it on the palm of her small hand, then placed his hand beneath it, and held hers firmly. He placed his free hand, very gently, against the child’s round little belly and, standing behind her, pressed her against him.

  She stood stiff with fear of the dog.

  It put its head on one side, took the toffee, and began to chew.

  “See, it’s easy,” the man said.

  The seven-year-old suddenly laughed with delight, looked into his eyes and said: “I gave it to him! He took it away from me!”

  “I told you he would, didn’t I?”

  “Yes, you told me,” she agreed, and there was the birth of great trust in her bright eyes. “You said he would, and he did.” She was young even for her age, and had a true simplicity. “Can I have a toffee?”

  “Yes. Like two?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “Here you are,” the man said, and patted her head, patted her bottom, and then went back to his chair and sat, back to the promenade, watching her. Very few people were about, and the beach attendants were all having their time off; most of them were finished for the day.

  When the elder children came back, dripping sea-water pearls, the man and the dog had gone. The seven-year-old did not tell them about the toffees she had had, but boasted gleefully about the dog she had fed out of her own hand.

  “Garn,” said the elder sister, “you’re only making it up. Come on, we’d better hurry, or Ma’ll give it to us.” They towelled themselves vigorously and then made their way off the beach towards the back streets of Bournsea, where they lived. Their mother, who went out to work from eight until half past six, would expect supper ready when she arrived home.

  Their father, a merchant sailor, was at sea.

  It was not really surprising that on his jaunt that night, Gideon saw another of the placards which had caught his attention at his own newspaper shop.

  CHILD KILLER STILL AT LARGE

  He hardly gave it a thought, for he had so much to do.

  Keith Ryman was in a night club near his home when he saw Rab Stone, who came towards him, grinning broadly. There was a bubble of conversation, and no one appeared to take any particular interest in the two men.

  “Well, how’re tactics?” demanded Stone. “Coming along okay?”

  “Just about to bear fruit,” Ryman answered. “What’s making you so happy!”

  “I’ve seen Charlie Daw,” answered Stone, “and it’s all over the town, the cops are pulling their punches because they’re short-staffed. And it’ll get worse before it gets better.”

  “That wouldn’t surprise me,” Ryman said. “We’ll make our packet and be out of the business long before there’s anything to worry about.”

  “Any specific ideas yet?” Stone inquired.

  “When I’m ready, I’ll tell you,” Ryman said.

  5

  FIRST BLOW

  Hopkinson, Of NE Division, was contemporary with Gideon; they had joined the Force in the same week, and followed almost identical careers to the Yard, until Hopkinson had been given a Divisional Superintendency; there was not a better man in charge of any London Division. He was short, barely five feet nine, rather small-boned, and bald as a coot. His movements were brisk and sometimes he gave the impression that he was nervous; but he did not know the meaning of nerves. He had a widespread Division, and only that part of it which was close to OP across the river and had common boundary with QR, was really densely populated; there he found most of his trouble, most of his bad men.

  He pumped Gideon’s hand.

  “Feel like a nip, George, or rather have
a cuppa?”

  “A nip’ll suit me fine,” said Gideon, and dropped into a big armchair; this was one of the few Divisions where they had a chair large enough for him to sit in comfort. “Thanks,” he said a minute later, and lifted his glass. “Here’s to a busy night.”

  They drank.

  “Always on the go,” declared Hopkinson.

  “You don’t know what it is to be busy,” Gideon scoffed. “Hoppy, I know you think Pratt’s a pain in the neck, but he jolted me just now. Said that once it was known we really had only one man watching Micky the Slob, a lot of the boys would try to cash in, so we could expect a big bulge in the graph.”

  “S’right enough. How long have you been letting other people do your thinking for you?”

  “He reckons that he could name a dozen boys in his manor who would be quick enough on the uptake to get moving right away.”

  “So could I.”

  “Thanks,” said Gideon. “Go through the ones in your manor, pick out the bright boys who might see the chance, and pull ‘em in, even if it’s only for questioning. See if you can find a handy little charge to put ‘em on remand for the usual eight days. Put as many of them as you can out of the way, and scare the others into behaving themselves for a few days. Got the idea? “

  Hopkinson had bright little blue eyes.

  “Pratt didn’t think that up,” he commented. “I’ll see what I can do, George.”

  “You just do it,” Gideon said. “And if you can pick any of them up tonight, fix that too.”

  “I’ll bring a few in, I’ve got a few charges up my sleeve,” Hopkinson told him. “I hoped that I’d get something bigger against most of the slobs, but I can see your point. If we can get our blow in first, it’ll discourage them.”

  “Right,” Gideon said.

  He went off, feeling much better humoured than he had expected to.

  That night he covered eight Divisions as well as made a visit to the City Police, where the Superintendent in charge was as willing to co-operate as any of the Metropolitan Police Chiefs. It was half past eleven before he finished, after being on the go all the time, talking to each man with the same enthusiasm. Some Superintendents off duty for the night had even come in when they heard he was going to call.