Read Death at Tammany Hall for Free Online Page B

he went to his financial magazines and books. He regularly spent the evenings, Monday through Friday, in the institution’s great reading room.
    As they left the cab on Astor Place, Flynn said, “I’ll introduce you and Mrs. Thompson, then I’ll leave. I must meet a client in the office.”
    Norton was waiting for them in a coffee shop on the ground floor facing Astor Place. Flynn pointed him out at a remote, secluded table. About thirty years old, a trim, athletic man with a frank, open countenance, he sat relaxed at a table, a cup of coffee before him, reading a newspaper.
    He looked up and smiled when Flynn approached him. “Mrs. Thompson and Mr. Miller would like to speak to you about a matter of mutual concern. Are you willing?”
    â€œYes, I have done my homework, so I know with whom I’m dealing.” He gestured them to chairs facing him. “We can speak freely here.”
    â€œThen I’ll leave you now,” said Flynn. With a wave over his shoulder he hurried to his appointment.
    Pamela met Norton’s eye. “I’ll go right to the point. Mr. Michael Sullivan has wrongly created serious problems for all of us. Shall we discuss how we can work together to resolve them?”
    â€œI believe we can find a way,” Norton replied. “As Mr. Flynn has told you, Mr. Sullivan has deliberately blocked my path to promotion. The senior members of the firm are impressed by his successful investments and support him. In fact, for the past two years, I’ve researched most of those investments and determined the most opportune moments to buy or sell. Sullivan has adopted my recommendations and taken the credit. I must either discredit him in the eyes of the firm—a daunting task—or find a trust department in another firm, a poor option since Sullivan would give me a bad reference.”
    He paused. “Now, would you explain how Mr. Sullivan causes you pain? Mr. Flynn mentioned a serious domestic issue.”
    Pamela described Sullivan’s threat to Theresa and her son and his opposition to Harry’s relationship to her. “Judge Fawcett aggravates the problem by supporting Sullivan’s claim that Theresa is incompetent to raise her son.”
    Norton listened intently to Pamela, occasionally glancing at Harry. When she finished, the clerk folded his hands and raised them to his chin. For a long moment he gazed at his companions. “I probably have the information that you need to disarm or even ruin Sullivan, but if I were to give it to you, I would risk ruining myself. Tammany Hall has invested significantly in Sullivan and Fawcett and will protect them. Think of its long reach into city government, private businesses, and law firms.”
    â€œI fully agree with the need for caution,” said Harry. “I once challenged Tammany Hall and paid dearly with four years of my life in Sing Sing on a false charge of extortion.”
    The clerk nodded. “At the time that Mr. Prescott was arranging your parole, I overheard Sullivan and Judge Fawcett in the office discussing your investigation of the cabdriver’s death. They apparently were trying to prevent your release.”
    Anger flashed momentarily in Harry’s eyes, but he continued. “The recent reform movement at the municipal and state level has weakened Tammany and made it more cautious. If we can convict Sullivan and Fawcett of major crimes, Tammany might abandon them.”
    Pamela added, “The risk to you, Mr. Norton, would be much less if you were to move to a trust department in an independent law firm beyond Tammany’s reach. You should speak to Mr. Prescott. I’m sure he would give you a friendly hearing.”
    Norton smiled broadly. “That offer is an encouraging step toward solving our problems with Michael Sullivan. Would you please pursue it?”
    At a nod from Harry, she replied, “Yes, with the utmost secrecy.”

C HAPTER