A Bright Tomorrow by Gilbert Morris Read Free Book Online

know. I mean, like if you find the guy, and he’s too tough, I got some friends who’ll turn him wrong side out.”
    Amos felt a warm glow, for he knew that Nick was not the sort who made such offers casually. “I’ll remember that, Nick. And if anyone insults Mary Elizabeth, I’ll hold him while you cut his ears off!”
    Nick laughed, delighted with the idea. “Ho, that’s the way I like to hear a guy talk!” Growing serious, he turned and asked, “You got any idea about how to find your sister?”
    â€œNot much…except the guy she ran off with is an actor of some kind. And I know the name of the woman who was the boss when they were in Little Rock.”
    â€œShouldn’t be too hard.” Nick shrugged. “You find the woman, she names the punk, and we go get him. It’ll be easy!”
    But it was not easy, as Amos soon discovered.
    On Monday morning he set out to find Maude Adams. Following instructions from Nick, he made his way to the section of New York where most of the city’s theaters and opera houses were located. Going into the first one he came to, Amos found a fat man wearing a black derby and sitting at a desk. “I’d like to see Miss Maude Adams.”
    The fat man took the cigar stub out of his mouth, studied the ruby tip, then set his pale blue eyes on Amos. “So would about a million other guys,” he remarked, and replacing the cigar, resumed reading his newspaper.
    Amos’s temper flared, and he leaned forward. As his coat fell open, the fat man’s gaze took in the revolver Amos had stuck into his waistband. The man sat upright, eyes bugged out. “Hey, I didn’t mean nothing, mister!”
    â€œNeither did I,” Amos said, but there was something in his eyes that frightened the man at the desk. “I only need to ask her a simple question.”
    â€œYeah…sure.” The fat man nodded, speaking rapidly. “What you need to do is go down to the Victoria Theater. Miss Adams won’t be there, but you talk to a man named Joe Rossi. He’s a close friend of hers and can put you in touch.”
    â€œThanks.” As Amos turned to leave, the fat man said, “I wouldn’t flourish that gun in front of Joe. He’s a pretty tough article.” As soon as Amos left, the fat man scribbled something on a scrap of paper and called out, “Hey, Pierce, take this note over to Joe Rossi at the Vic, will you?”
    A grizzled old man with a patch over his left eye shuffled in, a broom in his hands. He took the note, stuffed it into his shirt pocket and left, grumbling about the cold.
    â€œI hope Joe shoots that kid.” The fat man smiled wickedly, then returned to his paper.
    â€œLook, kid, lemme put it to you like this…there ain’t no way I’m gonna tell you where Miss Adams is.”
    Joe Rossi had stood up when Amos entered his office. He had the note from Ed Bains, warning him that a yokel with a gun was making noises. He left his own hand in his right pocket, clutching a derringer…just in case.
    He was a tough man, and a careful one, having been many things in the past, and he knew men well. The young man who stood before him was clean-cut and seemed to be a good type, but Rossi could see the bulk of the revolver beneath the thin coat the boy wore.
    Amos was aware of the man’s hard eyes, and didn’t know what he’d done to make him angry. “I just need to ask her one question,” he said quietly.
    â€œWhat question?”
    â€œI–I can’t ask anyone except her.” Amos bit his lip. “I know she’s a famous lady and probably all kinds of people pester her. But I’ve got a problem, and she’s the only one who can help me.”
    Rossi decided the boy wasn’t dangerous. Removing his hand from his pocket, he sat down and waved toward the chair. “Sit down, kid…and let’s talk. What’s your