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this creep what's got your people calls himself the Talon, like you already know. And he means business."
      "Detective," Taylor began in a calm voice, "does this possibly have anything to do with the body found last night at the Carousel Club?" 
      "Yeah, right," Chalmers answered slowly, eyeing him. "I saw you there, didn't I? Well, yessir, it does. See, this Talon has a habit of taking two victims at once. For leverage, ya see. One pays, they get their people back. The other doesn't… they don't." 
      Dupree rose up out of his seat.
      "You mean this has happened before?" he shouted. "You could have stopped my wife being kidnapped yesterday? Of all the incompetent…" 
      "Now, Mr. Dupree, we've done everything we can so far," the Chief answered. "And we're close to making an arrest." He turned to Chalmers, his voice grave. "Isn't that right, Detective?" 
      "Sure, sure. Now, Mr. Dupree, your wife was the fourth person kidnapped. The first was 'bout two weeks ago. We've managed to keep it outta the papers so far. That girl found last night, the kidnapper killed because her family wouldn't pay. They were workin' with us to get him, and we almost did, but it got fouled up. Then he was down to one bird, so he picked up your assistant, Mr. Taylor." Chalmers paused, puffing on his cigar. "Looks like the guy's just going down the social register, hitting one millionaire after another.
      "Now, so far two families have paid the kidnapper's money, and got their people back. They show up healthy enough, but they can't say who the creep was. He wore a mask the whole time, they say, like a hood, so's they can't identify him."
      Taylor tensed, grasping the arm of his chair. 
      "I don't see how any of this is going to get my wife back," Dupree growled.
      "Yes," Taylor added. "You must have a plan." 
      "That we do, gents," Chalmers added. "Mr. Dupree, this creep's gonna be calling you to make arrangements for his payoff. What you do is agree to pay him, let him pick a spot for the meeting, and then let us know. We show up, get him, and you get your wife and the money." 
      "And what about my assistant?" Taylor asked. 
      "Well, once we got this Talon character we find out where he's got her."
      "What are we waiting for," Dupree answered, rising up. "I'm game. Anything to get back my Meribelle."
      Taylor stayed stiff in his chair. He didn't trust the police to accomplish everything they'd planned. They might need help, and the Black Hand was the one to provide it!

    4
    T hrough Martenson, the Black Hand learned that the meeting between Dupree and the Talon was to take place that night, at the edge of Golden Gate Park. When the hour came, the Black Hand was in place, this time with twin .45 automatics at the ready.
      Dupree was to wait in a clearing, a suitcase full of cash at his side. The police were hidden amongst the surrounding trees, waiting for the signal to close. When the Talon arrived, the police would encircle him, and cut off escape. 
      The Black Hand watched the officers take their positions, himself hidden in amongst the branches of a tree, some eight feet off the ground. From that vantage point he had seen a gap in the police's net, one the Talon could use to his advantage, and it was this spot he kept watch over. 
      At the stroke of midnight, as arranged, a hooded figure stepped into the clearing, dragging behind him a blindfolded and gagged woman. It was the Talon. In the moonlight a pistol glinted evilly in his hand.
      Without a word, he motioned Dupree to throw him the case of money.
      "Give me my wife first," Dupree shouted, redfaced and trembling.
      Again, the Talon gestured for the case, and then turned the pistol on Dupree's whimpering wife.
      "Okay, okay," Dupree answered, and threw the case across the clearing to land at the hooded figure's feet.
      With one hand keeping the pistol trained on Dupree's wife, he reached with the other to retrieve