Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Peace Conference

By the time Noonan and I arrived at Wilson's house at 9:30 p.m. as agreed, all the other delegates to the peace conference had already arrived.Everyone nodded at us and the greeting ended there. Finn Pete is the only one I haven't met.The bootlegger was a thick-boned, bald man of fifty, with a narrow forehead and a wide jaw—and thick, muscular. We sat around Wilson's desk. Old Elihu sat at the head of the table.The short hair clinging to the pink round head shone silver under the light, the blue round eyes under the thick white eyebrows were cold and domineering, and the lips and chin formed two parallel lines.

Sitting to his right was Finn Pete, his little black eyes looking around the group motionlessly.Reynold Starkey sat next to the bootlegger, his khaki horse face as dull as his eyes. Max Thaler reclined in the chair to Wilson's left.The little gambler in carefully pressed trousers, legs crossed carelessly, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his closed mouth. I sat next to Thaler and Noonan sat on the other side of me. Elihu Wilson called the meeting open. He said things couldn't go on like this anymore.We are all sensible, reasonable adults who know that no one in this world can do everything our way, no matter who he is.Sometimes you have to compromise.To get what you want, you must give what others want.He said he was sure almost everyone gathered here today wanted to stop this killing spree right away; he also said he believed that after an hour of open and honest discussion, things could be sorted out without turning Bosheng into a slaughterhouse .

nice speech. A period of silence followed.Thaler looked at Noonan next to me, as if expecting him to say something.The others followed his lead, all looking at the chief of police. Noonan's face was flushed, and he said hoarsely, "Whisperer, I will forget that you killed Tim." He stood up and held out a strong hand, "Shake hands and make peace." Thaler's thin lips curled into an evil grin. "Your bastard brother should have been killed, but I didn't kill him." He lowered his voice and said coldly. The director's face turned from red to purple.

I said out loud, "Wait, Noonan, we can't do this. It's going to be worse than it is unless everyone lets go. It was McSwain who killed Tim, you know." He stared at me dumbfounded, his mouth was open and he couldn't speak, he didn't understand what I was talking about. I looked at the others, put on an extremely kind-hearted look, and asked, "That's the end of the matter, isn't it? Let's move on to clarifying the other disputes." I said to Finn Pete, "What did you say to yesterday? The accident that happened in your warehouse, and what do the four subordinates think?"

"Accidental fart." He growled. I explained, "Nonan didn't know it was your place. He was there for an event in town and thought it was empty. Your men fired first, and he thought he had stumbled in by mistake Thaler's hiding place. When he found out that it was your territory, he lost his head for a moment, and then wrecked it to vent his emotions." Thaler looked at me with a grim smile on his eyes and mouth.Renault still looked dull.Elihu Wilson leaned toward me, his old eyes sharp and wary.I don't know what Noonan is doing, I can't see him.As long as I play right, the odds are good; if I am wrong, all is lost.

"Those four were paid for their lives," said Finn Pete. "As for the rest, twenty-five thousand dollars will do." Noonan said eagerly: "No problem, Pete, no problem, I will pay for it." I pursed my lips tightly to avoid laughing at the panic in his voice. Now I can watch him.He's beaten, crushed, and will do anything to keep his fat neck.He's working on it.I look at him. He refused to look at me, sat down without looking at anyone, and tried to put on a look that he didn't want to cause trouble and avoid being eaten alive. I continued to work hard, turned to Elihu and said, "What do you think about the bank robbery? Do you like it?"

Max Thaler touched my arm and suggested: "Why don't you tell what you know first, maybe we can find out who did the good thing faster?" I am happy to obey. "Nonan wants to arrest you," I told him, "and he's sure, or confidently expects, that Yard or Wilson will ignore it. He thinks that if you blame you for the bank robbery, your backers will throw you out." Come out and let him get you. From what I understand, you need Yard's permission to do anything unruly in this town. He wants to make it look like you're trying to steal Yard's space and hoodwink Wilson. That should annoy them enough to help Noonan arrest you. But he doesn't know you're here.

"Renault and his gang are in prison. Renault is Yad's lackey, but he doesn't care about betraying his master. He is almost ready to take the city from Yad." I turned to look To Raynor, ask, "Isn't it?" He looked at me blankly and said, "Didn't you say that?" I continued: "Nonan released false news that Thaler was at the Cedar Hill Inn, and rushed there with all the police officers he didn't trust, and even cleared the traffic police on Broadway Street, so that Renault could have a smooth journey. Here, McGonagall Law and the rest of the cops smuggled Raynor and his men out of the cell and put them back in when they were done. What an alibi. And then bailed them out a few hours later.

"But it looks like Lu Yard found out. Last night he sent Dutchman Jack Wall and some men to the Silver Arrow to teach Raynor and his men to get out of their way. Raynor fled back to the city. Now they Either you die or I die. So he stood in front of Lu's house with a gun this morning, waiting for Lu to come out. It seems that Reynolds made the right bet, because I noticed that the chair he is sitting on now belongs to Lu Yard ——Lu was killed." Everyone sat quietly, as if to call attention to how quietly they were sitting.No one expects to have friends among the people in front of them.This is not the time for anyone to act rashly.

Whether or not what I said affected Renault in any way, he didn't show it. Thaler lowered his voice and said softly, "Didn't you miss a part?" "You mean the Jerry part?" I continued to be the soul of the meeting. "I was about to talk about him. When you escaped from the detention center, I don't know if he escaped or was caught back later, or if he didn't know at all. Didn't run away. I don't know if he wanted to go through the muddy waters of a bank robbery, but he did. He was driven in front of the bank because he was your right-hand man. He was killed there and could have the whole thing It was your fault. He was held in the car until they were about to get away and he was pushed out of the car and shot in the back. He was facing the bank when he was shot, his back to the car."

Thaler looked at Renault and asked in a low voice, "How is it?" Renault looked at Thaler with dull eyes, and asked calmly, "How about what?" Thaler stood up, said: "I quit." Then walked to the door. Finn Pete stood up, resting his big bony hands on the table, and said from the depths of his chest, "The Whisperer." Thaler stopped and turned to face him. "I'm telling you, Whisperer—you, and all of you. This damn shootout is over, and you all know that. If you don't have brains and don't know what's best for you, let me tell you You guys. Cracking up the city like this isn't good for business. I've had enough. Be smart, you guys, or I'll teach you to behave. "I have a team of young lads who can play with any kind of gun, and they're all at my command. I'll use them against you if I have to. Don't you like playing with bullets and dynamite? I'll show you how to play. You don't Like to fight? I'll let you fight. Mark what I say, that's it." Finn Pete sat down. Thaler was silent for a while, thoughtful, and then left without saying a word, no one knew what he was thinking. His departure made the remaining people unable to sit still.No one wants to stay put while others have time to keep their guns close at hand. Within a few minutes, Elihu and I were the only ones left in the study. We sat and looked at each other. After a while, he asked, "Do you want to be the chief of the police department?" "No. I'm not good at running errands." "I don't mean with the gang, but after we get rid of them." "Find another group who are similar to them." "Damn it," he said, "it doesn't do you any harm to be polite when you're talking to someone old enough to be your father." "A person who relies on the old to betray the old and hides behind his back and curses me?" The veins on his forehead popped out of anger.Then he laughed. "You sharp-tongued rascal," said he, "I can't accuse you of not doing what I say." "Thanks for your help." "Do you still need a nanny? I gave you the money and the freedom to do what you want. Isn't that what you want? What more do you want?" "You old thief, I blackmailed you to agree to these things. You have been against me until now. Now you see that they are all ambitious to swallow each other, so you remind me again something you gave me?" "Old thief," he repeated. "Son, if I hadn't been a thief, I'd be getting paid in Anaconda right now, and there wouldn't be a Bosan Mining Company. I think you're a goddamn sheep. Boy, I did that too, when I was young. I didn't like it - I didn't know anything worse than that until tonight - but I couldn't help it, I had to wait for my chance. Because since Talell the Whisperer came Here, I am imprisoned in my own home, like a poor hostage!" "Poor. Where are you now?" I pressed. "My side?" "As long as you can win." I stood up and said, "I pray to God that you get arrested with them!" He said, "I guess you would, but I won't." He squinted at me happily, "I'm paying you to be nice to you, understand? Boy, don't push me, I'm kind of— —” I threw down the sentence: "Go to hell!" and walked out.