Captain Henessey studied the eager face. “What do you want to do—commit suicide?” he asked finally.
“Nobody’ll get wise,” the radio cop declared. “Honest they won’t. There’s a back entrance to the garage where I can go in and out, and I can have the lights dimmed so nobody’ll notice. It’s the chance of a lifetime to keep an eye on this guy, and maybe something good will break.”
Cates’ eyes gleamed as he warmed to his theme. “Suppose Margolo should pull something funny while I happened to be at the mike? It wouldn’t be so tough, would it? Sure, and I can broadcast there just as well as anywhere. Furthermore⸺”
Captain Henessey raised both hands. “Shut up!” he roared. “Do you think I’ve nothing to do but listen to you talk? Get out of here, and I’ll see what can be done about it with the commissioners.”
CHAPTER IV: DRAGNET
The following night the gangsters gave proof they had not forgotten the radio announcer of the police division. Dave Cates, his work finished, came through the street door, and stopped to light a cigarette. His lighter slipped through his fingers and dropped. As he bent to retrieve it, a fusillade of shots came rattling from a passing car. The bullets chipped the stone masonry above his head. Had he been standing he would have been riddled.
“Baby boy!” he gasped, drawing to shelter. “That was too darn close!”
People crowded around, staring at him with curious eyes, but he didn’t wait to be questioned. As quickly as possible, he got to headquarters.
Such news travels like lightning. Captain Henessey was raging.
“Damn their hides!” he roared. “I’ll teach ’em to take pot shots at the men of this station! So help me, I’ll put out a dragnet and bring in every crook in town. They’ll find out before I’m through with ’em just how healthy it is to get cocky.”