Chapter 7

The view from the Costgrove house showed me that Marks was getting ready to go out. The two goons had already gone to get the Airflow. He stepped out of the front door and waited under cover of the eves to stay out of the rain. Yes, it was still raining. He got into the black tin can and it drove off.

I needed some more to go on and I thought now was a great time to break into Marks' cave. I went out the back and walked around until I could check out the area. It was after 10 PM, so I thought the servants, if any, would be asleep. I slipped into the bushes beside one of the front windows. I looked for anyone moving in the house. The window was locked. Figuring it was safe, I used some of the knowledge that I had learned while hanging with the 'bad' kids when I was young. My pocket knife made a little nudge under the sill and the window was unlocked! I still had that ill-gained knowledge and knew how to use it. All those days of playing hooky were not wasted!

I slid open the window trying to be as quiet as I could. Once it was open I slid a leg in and took off my shoe. I set it and its mate on the radiator to dry. It would not be good to leave wet shoe prints in the house. I shut the window once I was in and began a search for the library.

The door to the library was not locked and I opened the door. I did not want to turn on the lights, so I used a flashlight. I searched the desk and table looking for a clue that would reveal something about Marks and why he was meeting with Kund. Was it some Fascist plot against America or was it just an innocent thing. Now was the time to see plots everywhere, maybe I was just upset because he was making time with Laurel. In any case I didn't find any secret plans or pictures of Chancellor Hitler.

The kitchen was next, also clean. I didn't want to open a door and wake up a servant, so I was going to leave and call it a day. I was passing the door to the cellar when I heard a noise. I slowly opened the door. Luckily, it was well oiled and didn't squeak. I went down a step at a time and listened for another noise. The sharp crack of a whip and a muffled whimper was heard. I pulled out my roscoe and continued down the stairs.

What I saw really burned me up! A white woman was chained to the wall with the top half of her dress pulled down to her waist. She was facing the wall and I could see some red welts on her back. Her long brown hair was tucked over her shoulder to leave her skin clear for the whipping. A young man was standing behind her brandishing a whip. He was yelling at her between strikes.

"You cower before me! It is the way it should be! Soon your kind will all cower before us, the Master Race! You are all alike, you try to use your wiles to take control of all the wealth and control our destinys!" His voice lowered to a hateful whisper as he continued. "We shall never fall for your wicked, Jewish ways. True Aryan sons will not be fooled. All of you whores shall be marked as unclean. You think this is pain? Just wait until you are branded. None will lie with you once they see the brand on your cheek and your foul bosom."

I had not heard this kind of hatred since I was in the south! And this dame was white too. Not that I thought that darkies should be branded and whipped. They were people too! I had heard enough of this grease ball's booshwash. He looked like he was gonna start whipping the dame again, so I stepped up and boffed him in the conk. He must have made me angry because I boffed him too hard. I cooled him. It looked like the Master Race was not any different from any other hood, a bunch of lightweights.