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The Dalmas Affair
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PART EIGHT
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Death Of Lid Lou Having heard the stealthy footsteps ahead Lou and Warburg pointed their weapons at the doorway to the living room and slowly and quietly crossed the hall towards it from either side of the hallway. The door flew open and Lou fired off a burst from his Tommy gun. However, for once his aim was off, and from the shadows, the man he targeted, avoided the bullets and fired his own strangely quiet pistol. He caught Lou in the head and a killed him instantly. Meanwhile Warburg had drawn his own weapon and though slightly slower that the other two, then shot and fired.  LOU LID ID DEAD MAN The shadowy assailant fell in a hail of bullets before he could turn and shoot back. Looking at the body, Warburg saw he was Asiatic or perhaps Red Indian and had a silenced .38 still gripped in his hand and a key around his neck. Warburg also finds a nice clip of brand new and genuine $100 bills - maybe $2,000. Always good and he now didn't have to share with Lou.  REAL $50 BILLS The Key Factor In Opening A Safe He quickly trousered the folding green and the gun and snatched the key from the still warm corpse. Looking at it quickly he saw that it looked like a safe key. With discretion definitely the better part of valour, and now bereft of a seven foot tall psychopathic loud Negro as distraction from would-be attackers Warburg headed back to the library and the safe. He found Stilts had now laboriously recovered the stolen counterfeits. Smugly he produced the key and opened the safe. On the lower shelf on a velvet cushion was the jade necklace, together with a tiara, a very fine diamond encrusted watch and a golden jewelled necklace. These all got stuffed into the now bulging bag and the two men set off in search of Smith.  WHERE IS OUR DIAMOND TIARA Re-United Once Again As they re-crossed the entrance hall they heard gunfire and shouts in what they think is German coming from the next floor down. Not wanting to hang around they rushed across the bedroom ignoring the still body of the cop and along to Soukesian's room where they met up with Warburg. They open up the small service lift and only just all squeeze into it with their booty. Leaving the girl behind they descend in the lift weapons drawn. It took them slowly down into the basement car park of the apartment block. The door opened and they checked their surroundings.  THE ONLY WAY IS DOWN, BABY There was a wealth of automotive riches there. They settled on stealing a large Packard which was thought to be large and powerful enough for their needs and more than able to accommodate all their guns and booty. There were also three more German mobsters. Shoot-Out In The Garage The mobsters were looking the other way and had guarded the way in to the garage. They obviously expected to have to cover their bosses exit rather than any attack from within. Stilts shot one in the head with his Tommy gun while Smith shoots a second as Warburg tries to start the car.  BANG, BANG YOU'RE DEAD The third mobster returns fire wounding both Stilts and Warburg but then he too is cut down. Bleeding and shaken the three survivors gun the engine and head for the exit.  STILT'S TAKES HIS FIRST WOUND Shoot-Out In The Garage As they turned a corner to go up the exit ramp they were then confronted by the same ugly weather beaten old man they met earlier who had told them to bring him the necklace. Again he shouted at them: "Give me the Jade".  NO MORE FISHMEN PLEASE But all Warburg did was to gun the car and drive straight at him. The car was well driven AND smashed straight into the old man knocking him to the ground. As the car passed a well-placed burst of Tommy gun fire ended the old man's life and the three headed up the ramp and join the early evening Park Avenue traffic as if nothing had happened. A small crowd has now gathered around a tarpaulin covered body at the front of the apartment block and people are staring upwards at the smoke rising from the penthouse. Police sirens and whistles seem to be sounding in every direction. It will be an interesting journey home to Chicago.  OH DEAR, WHAT A MESS |
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