CHAPTER XIII.
MUGGS—GREAT LITTLE MAN
VERBECK felt Faustina grow limp in his arms, and he waltzed her to a position near the wall and the door. Howard stepped over to them.
“You—you” Faustina was trying to speak.
“Don’t say a word,” Verbeck whispered. “I understand everything. There is no danger for you. I have destroyed all the notes you wrote and the check Howard gave.”
“But”
“Thank Heaven I was in time! I almost failed to save you!”
“To save me”
“Careful—whisper! Step closer, Howard. I, too, was almost caught in the Black Star’s trap. I discovered his hiding place and took him prisoner. I knew his gang would have to be caught if ever he was to be convicted, and so I tried to play a lone hand against him. Muggs warned me—he had a hunch, he said. While the Black Star was kept prisoner, I played his part, issued orders, got all of the gang to be here to-night, then informed the police to take them in.”
“You” Howard began.
“Careful—act naturally! I gave you and Faustina orders, too, not knowing. Then the Black Star told me what I had done, tried to get me to let him go free. And I rushed to that house where he had his headquarters and destroyed the letters and Howard’s check. Nobody knows you were involved except the Black Star and myself, and the Black Star cannot prove anything. And that Chicago partner of his, you may be sure, will remain away. You’ll never be bothered. I’ve saved you—but I had a narrow escape.”
“Oh, Roger!” Faustina whispered. “And—almost—I thought that you were the Black Star. I recognized the ring and your hand—and Howard watched that night and saw you go home at four o’clock in the mor”
“I was afraid of that,” Verbeck said.
“I didn’t—really—mistrust you,” she said. “But it—it looked so peculiar. And so we came here to-night—but we talked it over first, and decided we’d not steal. I couldn’t do it, dear, and neither could Howard. And you must not blame Howard too much about that check. He was young, thoughtless—it has been a great lesson to him. They really stole the money from him, and he got it back from them. We intended going to the corner—at midnight—no matter what happened. We expected the worst—but we couldn’t steal.”
“My girl!” Verbeck breathed.
There was more commotion in the lobby. Some of the dancers were walking in that direction, and Verbeck led Faustina there, with Howard on her other side, in a manner as natural as possible.
The Black Star’s men and the woman wore handcuffs. Detectives were taking jewels from them, gems they had stolen in the last hour or so. One of the men already was cursing the Black Star aloud, swearing that the Black Star had betrayed them, and declaring he would tell everything he knew. Verbeck was thankful he had gone to the house and destroyed the letters.
“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 nobody 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 rushing 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 fiancée home, and she’s waiting in a car at the corner. This is Muggs, my man. He’ll follow out to my fiancée’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 space 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!”