The Fixer From Boston – Chapter Six
Thursday 2nd April 1925 – Sable Island:
08:00am – On The Shore Of Sable Island
We all awoke from much needed sleep. Last night’s storm was still ringing in our ears yet it was strangely calm.
We needed to see the elusive Messrs Linsey and Abrams so we fired another signal flare in the direction of the lighthouse we were told they took shelter in.
The morning air was fresh and clear which invigorated us a little though we still wouldn’t forget last night’s strange events any time soon. This certainly wasn’t any ordinary job. We had all sheltered together, Macnifey, Morello, Ed and I with Amelia chained in a storeroom along with Pruett, the original captain of the boat before it was commandeered by the raiders.
We left them chained up then went about unloading Billy McCoy’s vessel The Spirit of Eireann.
All but Ed and I, that is. We removed the strange Star Shaped inscription from the hull of Pruett’s boat. While we couldn’t do a perfect job, if there was anything in this snake charm, we were going to make use of it. After several hours of pumping we eventually got enough water out of the boat to get at it the hull. We were then able to cut out a two foot square piece of hull which we roughly attached to the hull of The Beauregard.
We looked over the mortar rounds retrieved from the raiders. While the mortar blew up, the shells can be “tapped” and then thrown but they are too unwieldy to throw far. None of us knew the blast radius either so they were kept for another day. Worst case we could sell them on the black market.
It was not until Midday that Linsey and Abrams finally strode over the dunes, not unsurprising as it was a ten mile hike from the lighthouse. They recognised us, surprised that King called us in, but it was a very, very large consignment of hooch. When there was no contact, what else could he do to protect his interests?
While we were meeting them for the first we kept Amelia and Pruett locked up out of sight. Both of them were still gagged for good measure. We knew what a handful Amelia can be.
Also we wanted to speak Linsey and Abrams separately to try to square their stories.
We speak to Linsey first while Abrams inspects lasts nights handiwork.
Abrams was very surprised at both the numbers and the firepower of the middlemen. It was indeed a very large crew.
Linsey had no idea that Amelia had any truck with the Gustin gang. He knew about her deadbeat gambler brother as he had stepped in to help on occasion but that was all. He came across as professional, never discussing business with Amelia. But he does hold genuine feelings for her which is a major liability.
Linsey first met Amelia six months ago in Boston. He knew she was going to be in Sable but they only arranged to meet because Sable Island was part of McCoy’s plans. In fact all of the transit was McCoy’s idea. King didn’t know any of the details. Just that it would be taken to Portland, Maine.
He had lost contact with McCoy so they had sailed on the Black Cat from Halifax to Sable Island. After dropping off Linsey and Abrams “The Black Cat” then returned to Halifax.
It seemed to hold together. We spoke to Abrams next.
Abrams shares our concerns for his friend Linsey. He thinks Amelia will cause real problems. King might well have Linsey killed if he knew about them. He knew he was in a real jam. He also felt resentful to Linsey for creating the situation. Abrams admitted it may be time for Linsey to retire before King does actually find out about his girl. When Abrams heard from MacNifey that Amelia knew almost everything about the entire rum run he was fuming. He was now positive Linsey would have to leave the organisation. Abrams was also worried about what he personally had withheld from King on Linsey’s behalf. Withholding the fact that Linsey had a girl was one thing, but now this girl turns out to be connected with a rival syndicate. That was bad, real bad.
Abrams got excited. He wanted to have serious words with Linsey but was talked down by Magee.
It was fine. All we had to do was tell King that Linsey had died in the fire fight at Sable. Everyone on the island was bought so the only others to worry about were us.
It was perfect. Also were going to get paid from half of Amelia’s stolen stash in the process. After we had seen an aspect of the wider world that we never expected to see. There were far stranger, more dangerous things out in the ocean than ever troubled us before. We had bigger things to worry about. Forget about these idiots.
MacNifey was still worried about Amelia’s involvement. He really didn’t trust her. However one hundred large was a whole lot of folding green so he eventually came around.
It was time to get the booze back to Portland. Billy knew exactly how to pack it so was all expertly stowed. We should take Amelia back to Halifax. That way she could then report for duty as usual to commence her three month assignment. Joseph Linsey would come back with us, then off to Bora Bora or Europe or wherever the hell he likes. As long as he stays gone. No US privileges any more. This exile would have to be permanent.
We decided to go and get Amelia from the hut. When we opened the storeroom she looked shocked. She was very pale. Pruett was dead on the floor of the storeroom. Still chained up. Looked like a drowning but he was face down. There was also no water in the room except for a small splash of salt water around his head.
When we ungagged Amelia, she whispered that he just started gurgling, thrashed about then went still. We rolled Pruett over to see that his face was frozen in terror. Peter Sloane’s curse had struck again. This guy had known what was coming for him.
It might have been a cyanide pill but that was a reach. Strange stuff was happening here. Time we left Sable, good weather or not.
The experience did at least my Amelia more pliable. She agreed to pay us half her stolen stash. It turned out she has bought gold Maple Leaf coins to make it more mobile. She told us where it was kept, in which bank safe deposit. She agreed to send us the key. We agreed to only take half.
Thursday 3rd April 1925 – Sable Island:
08:00am – On The Shore Of Sable Island
McCoy sailed off to Portland with the hooch. Abrams goes with him.
Amelia and Joseph Linsey join us on the Beauregard complete with its newly decorated hull. We also retrieve all the heaters from the middlemen. Might be too many for us, but we know plenty of channels through which they can be sold. We hoped to make a tidy sum from all that stuff.
In fact the only guy to lose out on this deal is McCoy. Given all the people he had to pay off, together with all his crewmen he employed he could well be out of pocket on this deal. We agree to give him some of our cut. He was a good guy in the fight. Showed himself to be a real pro.
Despite our misgivings the journey is surprisingly uneventful. We caught ourselves starting at every large wave crest but no scaly arms are evident. We followed McCoy most of the way but then headed to Halifax while he sailed on to Portland, Maine.
We arrived in Halifax on the evening of April 5th 1925.
We needed to sneak Amelia back to barracks whilst avoiding any Gustin boys that may be watching.
We still had that hotel room booked at the Hotel Terminus.
Canada is a great country. Even after several days the van we used before is exactly where we had left it. Completely intact too. We even managed to start it. Macnifey’s silky skills hadn’t let him down. It was like it had been left primed ready for him in a garage.
He started up with McGee sat next to him riding shotgun. In the rear of the van Amelia lies back while Morello looks out of a crack in the rear door.
As they reach the approach to the main barracks Morello spots a pair in a car. He taps a warning to guys in the cab. MacNifey turns in neatly behind them, before revving at the last second so the van banged into them shaking them up. The van front tyre has been blown in the move but we had won the upper hand. Ed and Morello leap out the back and waved silenced ironmongery in their startled faces before they could do a thing. The pair are Boston mooks. Gustins mob. They have saps, stilettos and a pistol each.
Morello makes them take their shoes off. They won’t move quickly like that. Not on Halifax’s cold snowy streets. Clever.
We wait for them to slip and slide on their merry way, then got Amelia into the barracks. In minutes she’s back to give us her safe deposit key.
Then she returns to barracks. We hope it’s the last time we her. She’s been all kinds of trouble.
Morello and Ed looked for more tails but there weren’t any. We then drove slowly to Hotel Terminus.
Outside we spotted the girl from the clip joint. She definitely needed a better occupation. Poor gal had a blackened eye and has a painful looking limp. Time to change employers.
We drove into the loading bay at the hotels rear.
McGee booked a call to Boston. King will be beside himself at the lack of news.
During our wait for the call, Morello and Macnifey fixed the tyre.
King was very glad to finally get news. Good news at that. Except for the loss of Linsey of course.
He takes it well but he was a cold businessman after all. King is also quite interested in the “middlemen” that we ended up having a shoot out with. As a final courtesy we agreed to drive one of his trucks of hooch down from Portland Maine, to Boston. It’s quite a drive which will take a whole day.
We retired to the Hotel Bar for much needed R&R. We will figure out what to do with Sloane or Atlantic City later.
At least one part of this caper was nearly over. We seemed to be on track for a very good payout too which can’t be bad.
