Page 8 of Romancing the Rumrunner
“Not to this extent. We had no interest in her ourselves until right around the time she split with Russo. That’s when word started spreading about the Phoenix and his new speakeasy. And this dame’s involvement. Not long after that, Russo is out of the picture and The Red Phoenix is the hottest ticket in town.”
“Even so, why does Willie care if one little speakeasy does well? Surely it’s not making that big of a dent in his profits.”
Jameson shrugged again. “Enough that he’s taken notice. Apparently, The Red Phoenix is a jumping joint and if the Phoenix is selling Miss Harlan’s gin, then he’s not buying Willie’s. That’s rubbing Willie the wrong way.”
“He’s got men watching her, too?”
Jameson nodded and Tony whistled. “So what are the specifics? You want the club, the booze, and the Phoenix?”
Jameson nodded.
“She’s not going to give any of that up easily.”
“Of course not,” Jameson said, leaning over the table. “Which is why we wanted you for the job.”
Anger burned its way through Tony’s gut. It wasn’t his skills as a P.I. that the agency wanted. It was his pretty face.
“You want me to romance it out of her.”
Jameson smiled. “If necessary. Should be easy enough for you. And much more fun than any of the jobs you’ve been running lately. She’s not so bad to look at.”
The thought of what they wanted him to do made Tony sick. “She’s a lady, not some floozy.”
“And you know that from talking to her for all of two minutes?”
Tony didn’t trust himself to answer. His anger on her behalf was irrational and he couldn’t explain where it was coming from. The evidence, circumstantial though it was, was damning enough that he could understand why the Feds were interested. But he’d be willing to bet his hat that Jessica Harlan wasn’t what they thought.
“She’s not a lady. She’s the whore of a criminal, and not for the first time. Even if she’s not directly involved with his activities, she’s far enough in. She’s guilty by association and I’m sure by a lot more. It’s your job to find out how far in she is.”
Tony shook his head. “No. I’m not using some poor girl just because you can’t do your job.”
“Oh, grow up, Solomon. She’s neck deep in this and you know it. You want to know where the speakeasy is, you go to her. The place is probably selling her father’s booze. She’s using profits from the club to keep her shop running. She’s just as much a criminal as the Phoenix is. Her pretty face doesn’t change that fact.”
Tony sat back, still fuming. Jameson actually made a compelling argument, though he hated to admit it. Still…
“Besides, here’s your incentive.”
Jameson tossed an envelope on his desk and Tony glanced down at it.
“Open it.”
Tony didn’t want to comply, but his curiosity, and his empty bank account, got the better of him. The amount on the check made his blood run cold. And he hated himself for it. He wanted that money. Needed it. It would keep his rent paid for the next year, at least. More importantly, he could finally do right by his mother, find her a nice place uptown, and get her out of the dump she was in.
“You must want this man bad.”
“We need to make an example of him.”
“Why him?”
“So far, he’s not as dangerous as Capone or Willie. He’s not claiming any dead bodies, yet, so taking him down should be easier. His entire organization, as far as we can tell, is her,” he said, pointing to the file that still lay open on Tony’s desk. “It won’t be as flashy as one of the bigger fish, but it’ll make a bigger impact. This man is one of their own. He’s not some mysterious mobster running things from his private fortress.”
“That you know of.”
Jameson nodded. “That we know of. For all we know, heisCapone. We know he isn’t in Willie’s organization, because Willie’s got his own men watching her. But even Capone and Willie haven’t been immune. Their speakeasies have been raided. Their operations interrupted. Not the Phoenix. We want him. And with you, we might be able to get him.”
Tony took a deep breath. He didn’t like this job. He had a bad feeling about it, and he’d learned to trust those feelings. And he really didn’t want to get involved with Jameson again.
Though…this could be his chance. If he pulled this off, if he could bring in the Phoenix, he could vindicate himself and prove that he was better than the mistake he’d made. Maybe he’d even be allowed back on the force. Start working his way back up the ladder into the Bureau of Investigation. At the very least, it would do wonders for his P.I. business. A picture of him in the paper, an article showcasing how he’d brought down the notorious Phoenix. He’d have more jobs than he knew what to do with.
