Page 78 (2/2)

“Of course I understand Well, opium it will be Come with , and warm She led hiet comfortable, with his head propped on soft pillows One of the painted “Chinese” girls brought a pipe The redhead said, “Enjoy yourself I’ll come back later”

30

THE GOPHERS GOT ONE OF MY BOYS,” HARRY WARREN telephoned Isaac Bell at the Knickerbocker

“Who?”

“Little Eddie Tobin, the youngster”

Bell raced to Roosevelt Hospital at 59th and Ninth Avenue

Harry intercepted him in the hallway “I put him in a private room If the boss won’t pay for it, I will”

“If the boss won’t pay, I will,” said Bell “How is he?”

“They kicked him in the face with axheads in their boots, cracked his skull with a lead pipe, broke his right ars”

“Is he going to make it?”

“The Tobins are Staten Island scowh kid Or was Hard to say how alike that Near as I can tell there were four of them He didn’t stand a chance”

Bell went into the room and stood with clenched fists over the unconscious detective His entire head athed in thick, white bandages seeping blood A doctor was sliding a stethoscope incrementally across his chest A nurse stood by in starched linen “Spare no expense,” Bell said “I want a nurse with hiht”

He rejoined Harry Warren in the hall “It’s your town, Harry, what are we going to do about this?”

The gang expert hesitated, clearly not happy with the answer he had to deliver “One on one they don’t mess with Van Dorns But the Gophers outnu on their own territory”

“It already has come to war,” said Isaac Bell