Chapter 6

The next morning, another dreary January day, I gave my pal Stuart a dil-ya-ble. He was jake with lookin' after Mrs. O'Grady and couldn't believe that Marks' mob was dumb enough to try to put the screws on Mama O'Grady. After that, I started to try and cook my own breakfast. Big brodie on my part! I was lucky that Mrs. O'Grady only had one good arm, otherwise she would have knocked me off in no time! Lucky for me, Mrs. Brock came in then and broke it up. I was all jingle-brained from being swatted with the broom, so I took a seat while the ladies fixed breakfast.

The United States is instructing the American Consul General at Barcelona to discourage American volunteers. (" ... the enlistment of American citizens in either of the opposing forces in Spain is unpatriotically inconsistent with the American Government's policy of the most scrupulous non­intervention in Spanish internal affairs. "This commentator wonders if this will be a blow to the American citizens already serving in the International Brigades."

Mrs. O'Grady went into a thither when she heard this and had to be helped into a chair by Mrs. Brock. "What am I going to do Stanley? Thomas, my youngest is serving in the Abraham Lincoln Battalion. Oh Mr. Malone, I am so worried about him."

It was hard to reassure her about events that were so far away and so volatile. "I know the leader of the Abraham Lincoln Battalion, by reputation, and I believe that Tom is in good hands. Also the radio said that they would only discourage Americans wanting to join. They were not forbidding them to fight for Loyalist Spain. It was then that I decided that Fascism would be the ruin of all of us if left unchecked and that I would fight it to my last breath. If you are wondering, I forgave Mama O'Grady for using my given name; I knew she was under a lot of pressure.

A knock on the door announced the arrival of my pal Stuart. He would keep Mama O'Grady safe while I tangled with Marks. He was younger than I was and even more of a baby-face, so I knew that he would fit right in. She could not be in safer hands either, except for mine, but there was some disagreement on Stuart's part about that.

I went to my 'office' to do some planning and find out something about the neighborhood where Marks lived. After using the blower and my 'Perpetual Nickel' I finally got the low down that would let me get the slant on Marks, once I had that I could tip his mitt. The family that lived in the mansion across the street from his joint was away for the winter. There was only one catch. I had to convince my snitch that I would not glaum or jam-up the house. He said his cousin was the cunny-boy for the Costgroves there and he didn't want to cause him any fraughty issues. I kind of understood his jive and told him that everything would be jake.

Watching Marks could take awhile, so I asked Stuart if he could take care of Mrs. O'Grady around the clock for a few days. He would and I thanked him. I waited at my 'office' until it was dim. Then I took a hack to get in the neighborhood and snuck in the back of the Costgrove house. It was made to order! I had brought my bins with me. I needed to finger who ever showed up there.

Another stake-out, alone as usual. At least this joint had all the comforts of home. The first two nights were all wet, but the third night made up for it. A chauffer driven Mercedes pulled up outside the front door of Marks house. A distinguished looking face got out. I thought that I made him, but I wasn't certain. Not in person, maybe in the blat. Yeah, that was it. Richard Marks' visitor was none other than Fritz Kund, the leader or Bundesfüher of the German-American Bund.