"The Parkerside Trust should have been a set-up today. The tough job was
the Terminal National - I that's why Wolf let me take it. The odds were with
him - the odds were against me. I came through and Wolf didn't."
"The tear gas was a great stunt."
"Certainly. Wolf could have used it on his job, but he didn't show any
brain work."
"I can't let Wolf out."
"I'm not asking you to. But I'm telling you this, King: while Wolf is
working in New York, I'm not!"
The big shot surveyed his lieutenant narrowly. His fat lips took on an
ugly leer.
"You're thinking of quitting, eh?" questioned Furzman. "Figuring maybe
you'd better take it soft -"
"Forget that stuff," interposed Graham. "I'm not through. I'm going
somewhere else - that's all. Some place where the pickings will be as soft as
in New York - some place where Wolf Daggert can't crimp my game."
King Furzman drew a fat cigar from his pocket and bit off the end of the
perfecto while he continued to stare at Graham Wellerton.
"All right," growled the big shot. "Where are you going?"
"I'll tell you tomorrow night," said Graham. "I've got a couple of cities
in mind - and I'll decide after I've thought it over."
"Yeah? How do I know you'll be sticking with me?"
"Your men will be with me."
"Well - that's a point -"
"And you've tucked away your security. You owe me a split, don't you? All
right; I won't ask for it until I come back with some more."
King Furzman began to nod again. Graham Wellerton's arguments had been
effective. The young man watched the big shot and waited for the psychological
moment to speak further. The time came.
"King," said Wellerton quietly, "you're cagy. You've got to be, in your
game. You deal with an ordinary lot of crooks, like Wolf Daggert. But I'm
different. I didn't choose crime as a profession. It was thrust on me.
"I like to talk man to man. I know how you're situated, even though you've
never told me. You prefer rackets to crime - but the rackets were getting you in
trouble. Not with the police, but with other racketeers. So you went in for
crime.
"You're backing a bunch of bank robbers. You took on Wolf Daggert. I came
with him. You figured I could run a crowd of my own and double up on the gravy.
"You're covering up very neatly. You don't want to quit. I don't blame
you. You've treated me square enough - because it's profitable. I'm sticking
because I'm in the game of crime. I'm working for you - therefore I'm thinking
of your interests.
"I want a free hand outside of New York. It will be better for you because
I'm at a distance. It will be better for me because I'll be clear of Wolf
Daggert."
HAD an ordinary henchman talked in this manner, King Furzman would have
boiled over in rage. But he sensed from Graham Wellerton's tone that the
lieutenant was working for a sensible understanding.
