Play@YSDC

Rewan smiles and looks past Franky at the old woman, "I 'member you daughter. She was delicious." And he licks his lips and snickers.

The time for cool is over. I do my best to break his nose.

"Thought you didn't have no Inglees, Rewan?" I'm right up in his face, still, and spitting mad. "You ever see what the cons up the river do to a guy with a short-eyes beef in his jacket? Huh?" Grab the nose and twist. "You keep crackin foxy and I'll see to it you have a lot of boyfriends up there."

Dex keeps the car in neutral, letting the engine idle. His pistol is on the seat next to him, and he is keeping an eye out, using the mirrors (rear and side) and even craning his head about to make sure no one is sneaking up on this little developing scene. If any trouble comes about, he will honk the horn and yell for attention. Otherwise, having been on the "force" before he will be prepared for just about anything in one of these odd situations.

Delores winces as Esposito's fist flattens Rewan's nose. She swallows hard, glancing at the cops who, so far, have made no attempt to stop him.

"Well, Frank," asks Pat Corydon, "You wanta take 'im downtown an' sweat 'im fer th' night? Or shall we let these lads book 'im whilst you an' me an' Jerry -- an' yer friends, if they're game -- go roust No. 224 over there?

"We can't get reinforcements without th' cap'n's say-so an' that'll take 'til mornin. Someone from this crowd has prolly awready let 'em know we know where their nest is. They may start disposin' of evidence, startin' with livin' evidence, y'know?"

"Take him downtown, I guess. And make sure the birds in there know he likes little girls."

I turn back to Rewan. "Last chance, sister. You find your Inglees yet?"

Dex is suddenly engulfed by the stench of beer and pickled eggs, "So where's da fire, Dexter?" He turns to find 'Heinie' Duppelmann's red face leering at him through his car window, "An' who's da skoit wit da cannon?" He lets loose a thundering belch, wafting the odor to Delores, and his face gets even redder, "'Scuse it, please, Miss. An' look, I even dragged 'Two-Gun' along fer da ride." He jerks a thumb over his shoulder to indicate a swarthy looking toothpick of a guy leaning on the back fender with his arms crossed. "We call him 'Two-Gun, Miss, on accounta he always carries two guns, y'see. At least. Me, I just rely on my li'l Rosie." He stands and opens his overcoat to let Delores see the bulk of a Thompson submachinegun nestled against his beefy side.

Two-Gun shoves away from the fender and drifts up to Delores's window, touching a finger to his hat brim as he speaks past her to Dex in a gravelly whisper, "So what's the rumpus, Dex?"

Dex is taken back for a moment by the appearance of the two. His hand reached for the pistol on the seat next to him, and he saw Delores startle before he let the revolver remain where it was. "First off, Duppelmann, it's good to see you. But your choice of lunch hasn't changed much, has it?" He waves his hand in front of his face. "Delores, this is Treasury Agent Heinrich Duppelmann, known to one and all as Heinie. Heinie, Miss Delores Brown here is helping me with an investigation and she is a reporter for the one of the city's newspapers. Delores, that quiet gentleman over there is Treasury Agent Pasquale "Two-Guns" Garibaldi, also late of the Federal Bureau of Prohibition. Now I am guessing you two are still with the...what is now, the Alcohol Tax Unit with the IRS? End the Volstead and everything becomes topsy-turvey especially since the Director didn't want you part of his glorious G-Men. Or did you two jump ship with some of the other boys?"

He waves off any further commentary for the moment with the bandaged up arm. "At the moment, it really doesn't matter. I am glad the two of you are here. Heinie, when this is done, I'll buy you and Pasqaule some beers and you can explain the current situation to me. Anyway, Delores here, the NYPD Detective over there roughing up the suspect...Esposito, and myself, well the three of us are looking into a missing person which has become a lot more complicated. Led us to this seedy area of town and the meeting house down the way. We are headed back there, and while there are a few flatfoots to help Esposito, I am sure the two of you...and yeah Heinie, Rosie too...would be more than welcome."

Dex seems a bit distracted and a tad long winded as he deal with the building situation. Something bad, he can feel it in his gut, is going to happen sooner than later.

Delores looks at the two men. She can't help thinking that they were the last two she would have chosen to go with them. An alchoholic with a Tommy Gun and what looks like a stone-cold killer. The man just stares at her and the shivers ran down her spine. She looks away and steps closer to Dex. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she whispers, "Wouldn't we be better waiting until morning?"

He thinks for a moment. "I think whatever leads we might have will disappear come morning. I have feeling it has to be done tonight, if we want answers." He looks at her as she looks over his two "partners." "Delores, they don't look like much, but they have nerve and they are skilled. Dupplemann might have seen better days, but he has nerves of steel, even if they are occasionally fortified by a shot or three. Pasquale, he once took on three of Capone's own without blinking an eye. He was shot, took a bullet to his left bicep, but he just switched hands and unloaded into the three hitters. They'll be alright."

He reached under the seat for a flask, unscrewing the cap with one hand. Some fine Canadian whiskey was within and he passed it over to Delores first. "I don't know if you drink, Delores, but take a swig. You have more moxie than half the dames I have ever met, I'll give you that much, and I think you'll more than handle yourself when the time comes."

He honks the horn and then sticks his head out the window. "We ready to heady back, Esposito? Time's a wasting and the cult's getting ready for whatever they were planning. They aren't going to wait until we return."

I nod and reach out for the flask.

"Everyone ready?"

As the two other uniforms bundle Rewan into the police car, Jerry and Pat are introduced to Heinie and Two-Gun. When the flask comes to him, Jerry waves it away, "Not while I'm on duty." Then he and Pat guffaw and each take a healthy swig before passing it to Esposito.

Everyone turns and looks down the block at No. 224 Bay Street.

[And I'll call 'Scene' there and pick up after Origins with a new thread.]