Gowdy said: “What do you mean: ‘join forces,’ Mister Kells?”
Kells cleared his throat, glanced at Beery. “You boys have the organization,” he said. “You, Gowdy — and Frank Jensen, and O’Malley — and Lee here. My contribution is very important political information, which I’ll handle in my own way and at my own time — and a lot of friends in the East who are going to be on their way out here tomorrow.”
Hanline looked puzzled. Gowdy glanced expressionlessly at Fenner.
“Bellmann’s dead,” Kells went on — “and the circumstances of his murder can be of great advantage to us if they’re handled in exactly the right way. But that, alone, isn’t going to swing an, election. We’ve got the personal following of all the administration to beat — and we’ve got Rose’s outfit to beat...”
Hanline asked: “Rose?”
Kells poured himself another drink. “Rose has built up a muscle organization of his own in the last few months — and a week or so ago he threw in with Bellmann.”
Hanline and Gowdy glanced at one another, at Fenner.
Kells said: “There it is.” He sat down.
Fenner got up and went into the bedroom. He came back presently, said: “It’s a good proposition, Abe. Mister Kells wants to put the heat on Rose—”
Kells interrupted: “I want to reach Dickinson tonight and see if we can’t get the first number of the Guardian on the streets by morning. There are certain angles on the Bellmann thing that the other papers won’t touch.”