The Mystery of the Merry Magician (16 page)

There were a few lights on the bridge of the
Fiji Islander
, their glow reflecting on the ship’s smokestack which could be seen above Pier B. For a moment the veteran seaman studied the ship, then returned to the deckhouse.

“Don’t like the looks of it,” he said, shaking his head and frowning. “Looks like she’s getting up steam.”

“What shall we do, Grandpa? Gully and Fisty are aboard! Prisoners!”

“Aye, Peg girl. You run to that all-night luncheonette up the block and phone Inspector Queen. I’m going to board that ship and see what I can do about getting the boys free.”

Unconsciously his hand moved down to his belt. Peggy noticed the action and quickly grasped his hand.

“You’ve taken your old gun, Grandpa!” she cried. “No, you can’t go there alone.”

“Go on, girl! Every minute we delay may increase the boys’ danger …” He stopped suddenly and listened. “Some one coming!”

Several men jumped from the dock to the deck of the barge, one after another. Captain Foster pulled out his gun and swept Peggy behind him.

Outside a hoarse voice rumbled. “They’re not in their blankets, Inspector. I just stumbled over…”

“Go below and wake up the captain, Velie.”

Captain Foster threw open the door of the deckhouse.

“Inspector Queen?” he called out softly. “Sergeant Velie?”

“Yep,” the big sergeant replied. “It’s us.”

“Where are the boys?” the Inspector’s voice rasped.

“They’re gone … come inside.”

Inspector Queen stumbled in the dark as he entered the deckhouse. Velie and a uniformed policeman followed him inside.

“Come below,” said Captain Foster. “I don’t want to put on the light here where it can be seen.”

“What’s the mystery about?” Sergeant Velie asked.

They crowded in the corridor at the foot of the stairs and Peggy put on the light. Captain Foster handed the message from Gully to the Inspector who read it quickly and passed it on to Velie.

“The
Fiji Islander
is docked at Pier B,” the captain said.

“How did they ever get on that ship?”

“I don’t know, Inspector. I don’t know.” Captain Foster shook his head. “I should have watched them more carefully …”

“Never mind that now, Captain. What about this note?”

Peggy answered. “Little Banjo brought it to me.” She patted the dog which sat quietly at her feet. “We ought to thank Mr. Merlin for training his dog so well.”

“Hmmm … Velie?”

“Yep?”

“Call headquarters to arrange for a Coast Guard cutter to board the ship and clear all legal papers we might need to search it.”

“Sure, Inspector.” The big man turned to go.

“And Velie. Time everything so that we board the ship from the dock at the same time the Coast Guard comes alongside the ship from the river side. Have them get in touch with Customs Inspection, too.”

“I’ll take care of it, Inspector. We’ve got until dawn.”

Velie stumbled up the stairs and was gone.

“Well, you were right,” Inspector Queen said to the uniformed policeman. “I’m glad you woke me up, Sergeant Winkle.”

“How did you get here just when we needed you, sir?” Peggy asked.

“Thanks to Sergeant Winkle, here.”

“I figured that maybe there was something to the crazy story he told me after I found out the boy was Ellery Queen’s nephew …”

“He’s
my
grandson,” the inspector growled, giving the policeman an annoyed look.

“Yes, sir. Of course, sir” Sergeant Winkle turned red and wiped his forehead. “Your grandson—that he is, sir.”

“Don’t you forget it.”

“Yes, sir. That’s why I called you in the middle of the night and we came here to talk to the boy.”

“Well, the lad’s a prisoner on board that old tub,” Captain Foster said.

“We have to wait,” Inspector Queen snapped. Turning to Peggy he added, “Maybe you can cook up a pot of coffee, eh?”

By the time Velie returned, Peggy had the coffee ready.

“Coast Guard cutter is on the way, Inspector,” Velie reported. “Also Customs. And all legal matters will be cleared away. I’ve posted squad cars around the area, too. They’re out of sight, waiting for a signal from you to move in.”

“Good work, Velie. When is the cutter due here?”

Velie scratched his nose. “About dawn, Inspector.”

“Have some coffee and then go out and watch Pier B. Pick up anyone who leaves.”

“Yes, sir.” Velie gulped down his coffee quickly then hurried up the stairs and out.

“Winkle?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Go out on the dock, the very end of it, and keep an eye out for the cutter. Let me know the moment you sight it.”

“Yes, sir.” The policeman left.

Inspector Queen nodded to the others and sighed, “It’s not going to be easy, but now we have to wait.”

They did, for several impatient hours. Then a low whistle came from Sergeant Winkle. It was still dark on the waterfront. His face was lost in the shadows when Inspector Queen came on deck.

“There’s some kind of boat a little ways down the river,” Sergeant Winkle whispered. “I can’t make out what it is.”

“Let me have a look.” Captain Foster emerged from the darkness.

He jumped to the dock and went to the far end of the pier, jutting out into the river. He came back a few minutes later.

“She’s a Coast Guard cutter all right. I can tell by her lights. She’s hove to, probably waiting for it to get light.”

Inspector Queen looked up. “It won’t be long now.”

In the east, above the tall buildings of Manhattan, the first faint gray of morning was lighting up the sky.

“Stay here, Captain, and signal me when the cutter starts moving up. After that, you and Peggy keep out of the way. There may be shooting.”

Captain Foster frowned. “I’d like to … but whatever you say, Inspector.”

“Come with me, Winkle.”

The two men hurried down the pier to West Street. A short distance away, Sergeant Velie was leaning against the Inspector’s car.

“Nothing doing,” Velie said. “Quiet as a mouse in church.”

“Sergeant Winkle, make the rounds and tell all squad cars to be ready to move when they see my car start. Make sure they’re prepared for trouble.”

“Yes, sir.” Winkle slipped away in the gloom.

Dawn was coming quickly. Almost before they realized it, everything about them became lighter, and the fog began to lift.

Inspector Queen had his eyes fixed on Pier A where Captain Foster was keeping watch. Suddenly the captain looked in the direction of the car. He raised his hand quickly and waved.

“The Coast Guard is moving in, Velie,” Inspector Queen said. “You walk down to the pier. Pretend you’re tying a shoe lace or something. I don’t care what you do. Just make sure that gate is open when I get there.”

“Okay, Inspector.” Velie hitched up his shoulders and strolled casually toward the gate of Pier B.

Inspector Queen got into the car and started the motor. Then he took his gun out of its holster, checked to see that it was loaded, and laid it in his lap. He waited, watching the river for the Coast Guard cutter.

At the partly opened gate of the pier, Velie stopped to tie his shoe lace. He worked clumsily on his left shoe, finished, then began on the right one. Finished there, he studied his left shoe again. Inspector Queen’s car was not moving.

The watchman came out of the gate and stared suspiciously at Velie.

“What d’you want around here?” he asked.

Velie scratched his head. “Uh … you know if there’s a berth on that freighter? I’m looking for a job …”

“What are ya giving me? You don’t look like a sailor. Besides, she’s sailing in ten minutes. So beat it.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Velie saw the Inspector’s car start moving. It picked up speed, heading directly for the gate.

“Open the gates,” Velie commanded, changing his tone. “This is the police …”

“Cops!” the man shouted furiously. His hand dropped quickly to the holster hanging from his belt.

Velie swung hard with his right. His fist landed on the man’s exposed chin and his knees buckled under him. Leaping over the watchman’s body, Velie swung the gate wide open in time for the car to dash through.

With a swift scoop, Velie picked up the watchman’s gun and ran after Inspector Queen’s car.

The silence of West Street was shattered by the shrieks of police sirens. Inspector Queen drove straight at the ship’s gangplank, then braked sharply. He leaped out, keeping the car between himself and the ship.

“This way, Velie!” he called, waving his hand toward the gangplank.

He turned, and at that moment a furious fusillade of shots smashed into the car, shattering several windows. Splinters and slivers of wood leaped from the planking of the dock.

“Look out, Inspector!” Velie cried, crouching and running for the shelter of the car.

Inspector Queen stood up and shot twice at someone at the gangplank. Then suddenly he dropped to the dock as vicious spurts of gunfire came from the bridge of the ship.

W
ITH
an anguished cry, Sergeant Velie rushed to the side of the fallen man. Disregarding the flying bullets, he picked Inspector Queen up and ran to get behind the shelter of the car.

“Velie! You fool! Put me down!”

“You’re hurt, Inspector …”

“The only thing that’s hurt is my dignity!” Inspector Queen cried furiously. “Put me down!”

The husky sergeant stared at his superior officer, dumfounded. “You’re not wounded? I thought you were hit. You dropped …”

“I wasn’t fool enough to stand there while they were shooting at me!” The Inspector glared at the sergeant. “Keep that gangplank covered.”

“Yes, sir.” Velie raised his head above the hood of the car. “Gosh, I was scared you were …”

“Never mind that now.” The Inspector fired at the ship. “But thanks, anyway,” he added in a low voice.

Police cars were speeding into the huge warehouse, swinging around to present their sides to the ship. The noise of the gun fire rolled and echoed through the cavernlike space, merging like continuous thunder.

“Where’s that Coast Guard?” Velie grumbled. “They got us pinned down here …”

The shooting from the ship began to slacken, then ceased altogether. For several minutes no sound could be heard from the ship. Then a voice called out.

“Cease shooting! Everything’s under control.”

Gun in hand, Inspector Queen charged up the gangplank, Velie panting behind him. A grinning young Coast Guard officer greeted them as they reached the deck.

“They were so busy shooting it out with you, sir, they didn’t see us board the ship. There wasn’t much fight left in them when they saw us.”

“Good work, lieutenant,” the Inspector said, glancing at the officer’s insignia. “Any sign of the boys we’re looking for?”

“Not yet, sir. My men are still rounding up the crew.”

Several Customs men crowded past. One of them nodded to Inspector Queen. “We’ll search this ship from top to bottom.”

From up forward came muffled cries and loud hammering. The Coast Guard officer glanced around.

“What’s that banging?” he asked. “It’s coming from up forward.”

“We’ll see.” Inspector Queen ran toward the bow of the ship. The hammering came from a small door under the forepeak of the ship. He threw it open.

“Grandpa!” Gully stumbled out.

“Boy! We’re sure glad to see you!” Fisty was grinning as he came out.

“Are you boys all right?” Inspector Queen eyed them affectionately.

“Oh, sure. But we were plenty scared … until we heard the shooting,” Gully said. “Then we knew our message reached you.”

“That’s the difference between you and me,” said Velie joining them. “I got scared when the shooting started.”

Inspector Queen eyed the bathing trunks the boys were wearing.

“What are you doing in those?”

Velie interrupted, laughing. “It was plenty hot around here. Maybe they wanted to cool off.”

“You’re not very funny, Velie,” the Inspector growled. “Let’s go see the Coast Guard and find out what’s happening here. Maybe they know …” He turned back to Gully. “And from you, I’ll want a complete explanation of what you were doing here.”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Gully said. “We were gathering facts about the smuggling …”

“What smuggling?”

“Well, sir, this ship smuggled in diamonds as payment for guns.”

“You don’t say?” Inspector Queen motioned for the boys to follow him. “Customs should hear your story. Come along.”

One of the customs inspectors was talking to the young officer from the Coast Guard.

“At least fifty cases so far. Guns, ammunition, even hand grenades …”

“Well, from the way it looks, they were smuggling guns out of the country. The captain and his mates are part of the gang. And some of the crew. But most of the sailors don’t seem to know about the guns.”

“I don’t know,” said the Customs Inspector doubtfully. “Hard for a sailor not to know what’s going on.”

“They were given shore leave for the night and told to come aboard at dawn,” the Coast Guardsman said. “Well, an investigation will bring out the facts.”

At the side of the ship, near the bulwark, police and Coast Guard sailors were guarding the prisoners. Fisty and Gully looked them over.

The tattooed man was standing there, handcuffed and sullen. The captain of the ship, his head bowed, stood beside him. Behind them, Sandro stood leaning against the rail.

“Going for a swim, boys?” Sandro asked in a loud voice, smiling and nodding his head toward Fisty and Gully. “You’re dressed for it.”

His words turned the attention of the guards toward the two boys. In that instant, Sandro grasped the rail with one hand and leaped overboard. His body plummeted straight down between the ship and the dock and vanished in the water.

So quickly did the man move that the guards stood silent and amazed. Then Velie’s voice crashed through the stillness.

“Spread out over the dock and keep an eye on him. Call the Harbor Police. He’s got to get out of the river somewhere.”

“The tunnel under West Street!” Gully cried, seizing the sergeant by the arm. “He’ll try to escape that way.”