“Oh, he works with the police, eh?” laughed Borrango. “Well, that won’t do him any good here in Chicago. We have the coppers fixed in this town.”
“We have?” The question came from Nick Savoli. “Is Clarendon with us, Mike?”
“No,” admitted Borrango.
“Think that over,” commented Savoli. “We go out to get Clarendon. The Shadow spoils the game. Does that look good?”
“I’ll get Clarendon for you,” blurted Steve Cronin. “I don’t want Machine-gun McGinnis to help me, either. I’ll walk up to him and give him the rod, anywhere and any time. That’s the way I work.”
“It’s not the way we work,” replied Savoli firmly.
“No, no, Steve,” added Borrango. “We strike once — that’s all. Clarendon is safe from now on. Lay off him. You had your chance last night.”
STEVE CRONIN shrugged his shoulders. He was crude in his methods, despite his shrewdness. Yet he realized the wisdom of Savoli’s methods.
The average killer would commit murder openly, and take his chances on a getaway. Savoli did not work in that manner. He covered up. He protected his gunmen.
Cronin realized that he was working for the big shot, and that he must play the game as he was told.