I'll Get You For This

  The Federal Agent was named Jack Hoskiss. He was a big, beefy guy, with a shock of blueblack hair, a big fleshy face and humorous eyes. He stood up behind his desk, offered a moist hand.

  I didn't beat about the bush. "I'm Chester Cain," I said.

  He nodded, said he recognized me, and what could he do?

  I stared at him. "I'm supposed to have killed three guys," I reminded him. "Don't you want to make anything of it?"

  He shook his head. "When Paradise Palms Police Department call us in, we'll do something about it," he said, offering me a cigar. "Right now, it's off our beat."

  I eyed him over. "Your job is to hold me anyway," I said.

  "Don't make it hard for yourself," he returned, grinning. "You don t have to tell me my job. We have an idea what you're after." He glanced out of the window, smiled to himself. "We might be after the same thing."

  I grinned. "That guy Killeano is nobody's love child."

  "It beats me why he hasn't yet made a false move," Hoskiss said. "We've been watching him for months, but so far he's been smart. I'd like to get something on him."

  "So would I," I said, and slid the five-dollar bill Davis had given me across the desk. "That might interest you."

  He looked at it without picking it up, looked at me. raised his eyebrows.

  "What's the idea?"

  "Look at it. It won't bite."

  He picked it up, examined it. Then he sat up, bringing his chair straight with a crash. He was interested all right.

"Where did you get this?" he snapped.

"Found it," I said. "There're a lot floating around Paradise Palms."

  "Yeah," he said savagely. He opened a drawer, took out a box and produced a bunch of notes. He compared the one I'd given him, grunted, put it in the box with the others. "They're good, aren't they?" he said grudgingly. "We've been after that gang for months. But up to now we haven't a lead. No idea where it came from?"

  "I might make a guess," I said.

  He waited, but I didn't enlarge on it.

  "Where?" he asked, when he was sure I'd need persuasion.

  I drew on the cigar, blew smoke on to the desk. "I have a proposition to discuss with you."

  A thin smile played on his lips. "I thought you might have," he said, nodding. "Shoot."

  I told him the story from the time I had hit Paradise Palms. I left Mitchell out of it and where Miss Wonderly was, the rest of it I gave him straight.

  He sat huddled in his chair, a blank look m his eyes, and listened. When I was through, he whistled soundlessly.

  "Why didn't that fool Herrick come to us?" he said bitterly. "We'd've given him all the protection he needed, and helped him clean up. I love these smart guys who hope to surprise us with a completed case."

  "He didn't come to you, but I have," I reminded him gently.

  He looked me over. "Well, what now?"

  "I'm tired of being the fall guy," I said, flicking ash on the floor. "I'm going to bust Paradise Palms wide open." I pointed a ringer at him. "That's why I've come to you."

  He raised his eyebrows. "Go on," he said.

  "Two things, both of them Federal business: smuggling aliens into the country and counterfeiting."

  "Where'll that get you with Killeano?"

  I smiled. "That's my end of it. I'm not giving you all the work to do; just part of it."

  "Go on."

  "Tonight a boat will unload a parcel of Cubans at Pigeon Key. They'll be leaving Havana around nine o'clock. The boat's a thirty-footer, painted dark green, no mast, no outriggers, broken windshield in the pilot house. I'll be glad if you'd take care of it."

  "Sure?"

  "Sure, I'm sure. It's a hot tip."

  "Okay, I'll take care of it."

  "Another thing. I want Killeano to get the credit for the tip-off. Davis will handle the publicity. Okay with you?"

  He frowned. "What's the idea?"

  "Just part of the little plot," I said. "Is it worth your while playing along with me if I turn over the counterfeiting plant and the boys who work it?"

  "It might be," he said cautiously. "You seem to know a hell of a lot about this business, Cain. Suppose you open out. And don't think you can use this office to further your own interests, because you can't."

  "Now you sound just like a cop," I returned. "Look, I'm giving you a boat full of undesirable Cubans, and I'm going to show you where this dud money comes from. Where's your gratitude?"

  He grinned. "Well, okay," he said, "but don't start anything we can't finish."

  "I wouldn't do that," I said. "Come to Paradise Palms on Thursday night. Meet me at 46 Waterside at eleven o'clock and come prepared for trouble. If you can arrange to have some of your boys within reach, so much the better, but they are not to show until trouble starts."

He stared. "What's the idea? That joint's a brothel. Why there?"

I winked at him. "Don't you ever relax, brother?" I asked as I made for the door..

5

  Six o'clock the following morning, Davis came bursting into my bedroom. I woke with a start, grabbed my gun from under my pillow, saw who it was, sank back.

  "That's the way guys meet with accidents," I said crossly, rubbing my eyes. "What time is it?"