The Barrel MysteryFlynn, William J. (William James)
General
The Barrel Mystery
Flynn, William J. (William James)
Detective and mystery stories; Fiction
"We were not kept waiting long. Next morning, Salvatore Cina came to
the house in a very happy mood. He told me that I could not return to
New York because the work was to be continued with other and better
plates for the two-dollar notes. The five-dollar notes were to be
continued, and we were to print until five million dollars had been
struck off the press. This amount, he said, would make us all rich.
Then the work was to cease. He told me that it had been decided to buy
a horse and carriage for the exclusive use of the stone house. I was
to go to New York and meet Cecala who would introduce me to the man
who was to direct the work from now on. I was to tell Cina the day I
intended going to New York.
"After arranging that Giglio and Bernardo were to remain with
Caterina, while I was in New York and Uncle Vincent went to Newburgh
on business, I said that I would be ready for my trip in two days.
Then Cina left me after he had warned me not to tell any of the
secrets of the place, explaining how hard it was for the police to
discover the plant. He declared I must be happy in the thought of
future wealth.
"On March 7, 1909, Cina returned to the stone house with a carriage,
bringing Giglio and Bernardo to keep Caterina company. He drove me to
the Highland station, and I got aboard the 11 A. M. train for New
York. Arriving at the Grand Central station I was met by Cecala, who
took me to a house at No. 5 Jones Street. Not finding the party he was
seeking there, he told me to go to my aunt's house and return to the
Jones Street address at eight o'clock that evening and ask for Don
Peppe.
"That same evening at the appointed hour I went to the Jones Street
house and inquired in a grocery store on the street floor for Don
Peppe. A woman indicated to me the door where I knocked. A bald-headed
man, about forty-five years old, with a nice light brown moustache
opened the door.
"Cecala was there seated in a chair. He introduced me to the man who
opened the door saying that he was Giuseppe Calichio, a lithograph
engraver, alias Don Peppe. Cecala turned to Calichio and said:
"'Don Peppe, we are in need of your work. This man (indicating me) is
a printer, but he is not capable of doing the work that we require.
You must go with him and continue this work. It is already started and
everything will go well. When we have printed two or three million
dollars' worth we will stop. We are in luck.'
"'Unless we are discovered by the police,' replied Calichio.
"'Have no such fear,' said Cecala. 'The place where the work is done
is very secure. No one would ever suspect that such a thing is going
there.'
"'Listen, Cecala,' said Calichio. 'If things happen as they did when I
did work for you before, then I refuse to go. I do not care to work
and risk my life and then get nothing for it.'
"'No, no,' said Cecala. 'You know that that work did not turn out at
all well.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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