"Dry-fly fishin's my specialty," he said bitterly, "but no thank you!
When I'm pittin' myself against a trout, it's my private purpose to be a
better fisherman than he's a fish. Usin' what you've got would be like
dynamitin' a stream. No sport in that! No! But this Big Jake, he doesn't
act sporting with the public. I'd give a lot to stop him."
"You'd get no credit for it," said Brink. "No credit at all."
"I'd get the job done!" said Fitzgerald indignantly. "A man likes
credit, but he likes a lot better to get a good job done!"
Brink grinned suddenly.
"Good man!" he said approvingly. "I'll buy your idea, sergeant. If
you'll play fair with a trout, you'll play fair with a crook, and an
Irishman, anyhow, has a sort of inheritance--I'll give you what help I
can, and you'll do things your grandfather would swear was the work of
the Little People. And for a first lesson--"
"What?"
"Big Jake discourages me," said Brink. "So I'll call him up and say I'm
coming to see him. I'll say if he wants this business I'll sell it to
him at a fair price. But I'll say otherwise I'll tell the newspapers
about his threats and the four of his hoods in the hospital and the two
others on the way there. Want to come along?"
Detective Sergeant Fitzgerald reached his hand to where his service
revolver reposed in its holster. Then he drew it away.
"He's a very violent man," he said hopefully. "I wouldn't wonder he
tried to get pretty rough--him and the characters he has on his payroll.
If they have to be stopped from bein' violent by--what is it? Psi units?
Sure I'll come along! It'd ought to be most edifyin' to watch!"
* * * * *
There was a clanging outside. Brink and Detective Sergeant Fitzgerald
delayed while the two unnerved, helpless, and formerly immaculate gunmen
were loaded into the paddy-wagon and carried away--to the hospital that
already held four of their ilk. Then Brink called Big Jake on the
telephone.
Detective Sergeant Fitzgerald listened with increasing appreciation as
Brink made his proposition and explained matter-of-factly what had
happened to Big Jake's minions who should have wrecked the Elite
Cleaners and Dyers. When Brink hung up, Fitzgerald had a look of zestful
anticipation on his face.
"He said to come right over," said Brink. "But he was grinding his
teeth."
"Ah-h-h!" said Fitzgerald pleasurably. "I'm thinkin' of the cab-drivers
an' truck drivers that've been beat up. I'm thinkin' of property smashed
and honest people scared.... Do you know, I'm terrible afraid Big Jake's
too much in the habit of violence to stop, even if his eyelids twitch?
It's deplorable! But on a strictly personal basis I think I'll enjoy
seein' Big Jake an' his hoods discouraged by ... what is it Psi units?
Yes!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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